第23节
【】noih,hisarrestingontheirshoulders.heledtheohere.likehee.babathahe.
“ipiyself,”assefsaid.tanyasfailed,unnvingly,andblinked.iiced.
“stillplayingsoer,assefjan”babasaid.hedaletobefriendshassef.
assefsled.itadeitlook.“ofurse,kakajan.”
“rightall”
“aegoodplayers.”
babanodded.“youknoerforoowheniwasyoung.”
“illbetyoustilluldifyouedto,”assefsaid.hefavoredbabahagoodnaturedwink.
babaretuedtheousflatteringostknoelevel,theirshteheitriedtofakeasle,butalliuldhstochyfatherbondinghassef.
assefshiftedhiseyesto.“alareheretoo.theyissyourbirthdayforanything,”hesaid,laughterlurkingjustbehesurfaoddedsilently.
“eofvolleyballtorroyhouse,”assefsaid.“ybeyoulljoinus.bringhassanifyouto.”
“thatsoundsfun,”babasaid,beang.“ir”
“idontreallylikevolleyball,”ittered.isafortablesilencefollowed.
“sorry,assefjan,”babasaid,shrugging.thatstung,hisapologizingfor.
“nay,noharone,”assefsaid.“butyouhaveanopeninvitation,arjan.anyyfavorites.”heextendedae.“happybirthday.”
heelledoflogneandhisblondhairbedbaentofeveryparentsdreaastrong,tall,anneredboyentionthee,hiseyesbetrayedhi,thefaadnesshidingbehindthe
“arentyougoingtotakeit,ar”babawassaying.“huh”
“yourpresent,”hesaidtestily.“assefjanisgivingyouapresent.”
“oh,”isaid.itooktheboxfrossefandloygaze.iyrooybooks,athesepeople.
“well”babasaid.
“”
babaspokeinalobarrassedhinpublic.“arentyougoingtothankassefjanthat.”
ithat.hoe“arjan”“thanks,”isaid.assefstherlookedatlikesheething,butshedidnt,andirealizedthatherofassefsparentshadsaidabarrassselfandbabaastlytogetaassefandhisgrinisteppedaing,”isaid.
isquirdourhouse,therekhanthatajudgehadboughtthelandandthatanarthedesign.foohelot,stones,andweeds.
itoretheassefspresentandtiltedthebookverintheonlight.itidatangleofweeds.
ileanedagainsttheneighborsychest,lookingupatthestars,ingforthenighttobeover.
“shouldntyoubeeainingyuests”afaliarvoicesaid.rahihanealongthewall.
“theydontneedforthat.babasthere,reer”isaid.theirahihansdrinkkede.“ididntknowyoudrank.”
“tusoutido,”hesaid.elboeplayfully.“butonlyoiortantoasions.”
isled.“thanks.”
hetippedhisdrinktoandtookasip.helitaarriedonce”
“really”isaid,slingalittleatthenotionofrahihaingrried.idalasbabasquietalterego,entor,pal,theoneeasouvenir,asaughat,atripabroad.butahusban**ther
henodded.“itstrue.ieaira.sheetis.”heteetsebarrassingyou,arjan”
“alittle,”isaid.
“itilyandfriendsfroabultokandahar.iazatthesque,everyoheeahdyaschedourkidsplayhtheirusins...”
hetookalonggulpofhisstyfathersfaysisterssplashedherfaybrotherjalala.”rahihanbarkedabitterlaughter.“itairaandagainsttheirjan:ihesjustthehings.”
“sohappened”
“thatsaday,fatherputhoiraandherfalyonalorryahefftohazarajat.ineversawheragain.”
“iorry,”isaid.
“probablyforthebest,though,”rahihansaid,shrugging.“
...
“ipiyself,”assefsaid.tanyasfailed,unnvingly,andblinked.iiced.
“stillplayingsoer,assefjan”babasaid.hedaletobefriendshassef.
assefsled.itadeitlook.“ofurse,kakajan.”
“rightall”
“aegoodplayers.”
babanodded.“youknoerforoowheniwasyoung.”
“illbetyoustilluldifyouedto,”assefsaid.hefavoredbabahagoodnaturedwink.
babaretuedtheousflatteringostknoelevel,theirshteheitriedtofakeasle,butalliuldhstochyfatherbondinghassef.
assefshiftedhiseyesto.“alareheretoo.theyissyourbirthdayforanything,”hesaid,laughterlurkingjustbehesurfaoddedsilently.
“eofvolleyballtorroyhouse,”assefsaid.“ybeyoulljoinus.bringhassanifyouto.”
“thatsoundsfun,”babasaid,beang.“ir”
“idontreallylikevolleyball,”ittered.isafortablesilencefollowed.
“sorry,assefjan,”babasaid,shrugging.thatstung,hisapologizingfor.
“nay,noharone,”assefsaid.“butyouhaveanopeninvitation,arjan.anyyfavorites.”heextendedae.“happybirthday.”
heelledoflogneandhisblondhairbedbaentofeveryparentsdreaastrong,tall,anneredboyentionthee,hiseyesbetrayedhi,thefaadnesshidingbehindthe
“arentyougoingtotakeit,ar”babawassaying.“huh”
“yourpresent,”hesaidtestily.“assefjanisgivingyouapresent.”
“oh,”isaid.itooktheboxfrossefandloygaze.iyrooybooks,athesepeople.
“well”babasaid.
“”
babaspokeinalobarrassedhinpublic.“arentyougoingtothankassefjanthat.”
ithat.hoe“arjan”“thanks,”isaid.assefstherlookedatlikesheething,butshedidnt,andirealizedthatherofassefsparentshadsaidabarrassselfandbabaastlytogetaassefandhisgrinisteppedaing,”isaid.
isquirdourhouse,therekhanthatajudgehadboughtthelandandthatanarthedesign.foohelot,stones,andweeds.
itoretheassefspresentandtiltedthebookverintheonlight.itidatangleofweeds.
ileanedagainsttheneighborsychest,lookingupatthestars,ingforthenighttobeover.
“shouldntyoubeeainingyuests”afaliarvoicesaid.rahihanealongthewall.
“theydontneedforthat.babasthere,reer”isaid.theirahihansdrinkkede.“ididntknowyoudrank.”
“tusoutido,”hesaid.elboeplayfully.“butonlyoiortantoasions.”
isled.“thanks.”
hetippedhisdrinktoandtookasip.helitaarriedonce”
“really”isaid,slingalittleatthenotionofrahihaingrried.idalasbabasquietalterego,entor,pal,theoneeasouvenir,asaughat,atripabroad.butahusban**ther
henodded.“itstrue.ieaira.sheetis.”heteetsebarrassingyou,arjan”
“alittle,”isaid.
“itilyandfriendsfroabultokandahar.iazatthesque,everyoheeahdyaschedourkidsplayhtheirusins...”
hetookalonggulpofhisstyfathersfaysisterssplashedherfaybrotherjalala.”rahihanbarkedabitterlaughter.“itairaandagainsttheirjan:ihesjustthehings.”
“sohappened”
“thatsaday,fatherputhoiraandherfalyonalorryahefftohazarajat.ineversawheragain.”
“iorry,”isaid.
“probablyforthebest,though,”rahihansaid,shrugging.“
...