Dinner:
"Yeah, you're right, but you were away from you're family for 2 months & they didn't know where you were. Why should I only talk to my dad? Why don't you talk with your parents as well?" she asked.
"Because you & your dad were separated for almost a year. Besides me & my father don't talk much unless he's yelling at me. We just never had a tight relationship. Come on, let's head back. It's starting to get cold out. You aren't, I mean it, are not allowed to tell my parents about our little conversations, kay?" I said & asked at the same time.
"Alright, but you can always talk to me, whenever you want to. Remember that I will always be here for you. You know that right?"
"Yeah I know that. Maybe you can come over tonight & have dinner with us."
"I think Kahli & Jhezro already have dinner covered. I can already smell the chicken roasting. Come on, let's hurry & help."
"That's a good idea. Kahli's fried chicken is the best, especially with her baked beans, homemade bread, oh and her non-alcoholic drinks. Those are the best. They're kinda like energy drinks b/c we were always hyper after we drank them. Let's hurry, we're almost there," I said.
We ran the rest of the way back to the orphanage. When we got there, tables were being set up outside & tents were being put over the tables, just incase it rained. A tent was also put up over the tables that were coming from the kitchen. Naomi & I ran for the kitchen, but were held back. We were told that the adults would cook tonight. We told them that we wanted to make the lemon meringue pie & banana cream pie before the dinner was finished being made. We again were told that it was already in the oven. I spoke up then.
"Well how come Brian gets to help?"
He walked over to us & said, "You call this helping. Yeah right, it's more like eating Kahli's delicious chicken," he teased.
I glared at him & w/in minutes, Naomi, Ruthie, Katie, Jake, Sarah, Alejandrina, & I were chasing after Brian. When we caught up to him, he tripped and fell to the ground & we all piled onto him, trying so hard, just to tickle him. He was laughing& crying so hard and screaming mercy, mercy, mercy over and over again, that we gave up & all lay in a heap laughing hard. Everyone else had seen & heard what had been going on b/ween all of us that they just burst out laughing as well. This is what I liked about this group--excluding Alejandra of course--before we left Iraq. The pure happiness of being together, no matter what we had gone through. We were always sticking together like glue. That's how it had been for the past two months. It was always a joy to be with this group. I was happy to be home, with my friends & family.