May in the Summer Page #3

will never have the right over them?

- We live in the U.S., Mom.

- So what!

He's from here, okay?

Well, then, I guess, I should just

maybe think about converting to Islam

because I'll have more

fights that way.

He's not even

practicing, he's secular.

You don't have to listen to me

if you don't want to.

But I think I have more

experience in the matter than you do.

Mom, you married

the imperialist.

And just because your marriage crumbled,

doesn't mean mine will.

Let's say God doesn't exist.

Do you think you would ever consider

remarrying a human being?

Even if I do, and it's a big if,

where in the world I'll find

someone at my age?

Mom, you're still young.

You don't look anything

like your age.

Plus, we can help, right?

Don't look at me.

Aren't there any

single guys at your church?

I don't go around asking them.

I can ask them.

. Maybe-

Okay...

I'm good, thanks.

I'll come.

Really?

Yes, but only because

I'm curious.

And I'm only gonna go to find you

a husband so don't get your hopes up.

Find me a husband.

And find Jesus at the same time.

I don't

wanna do it.

Come on.

You can't just wait

out here, you'll roast.

I'm fine.

Dalia, get out of the car.

Open the door.

No.

Come on, he called

like six times.

He wants to see us.

Good for him, let's give him

an award, he remembered that we exist.

He had a heart

attack, Dalia.

Just because he has

a re-awakened conscience,

it doesn't mean that I am

obligated to forgive him.

No one is asking you

to forgive him.

No, but it's even worse,

you're asking me to meet his whore.

Here they are.

Oh, my God, look at you, girls.

I can't believe I'm finally

meeting you.

Get out of the car.

I'm Anu, I think

you all know that.

- I'm May.

- May.

Yes, oh, my God.

Ooh.

I've heard so much about you.

Your dad's so proud of you.

On.

And, um, Dalia?

Come on out.

I've seen so many

pictures of you, come on.

Yeah.

- How are you?

- Good.

You're a

grown-up girl now.

Um, Yasmine, Yasmine, oh.

- You're done.

- You're so beautiful.

Prettier than the pictures,

all of you.

Thank you for coming,

girls, come on in... come.

Of course.

Sorry, your dad had to be in

Jerusalem with Ambassador Williamson,

but he should be

here any minute.

- So we'll get to hang out and, um...

- He's not even here.

Fruit salad?

Yasmine?

- Yes, thank you.

- There you go.

- Thanks.

- Dalia?

Unh-unh.

I'll have hers.

. Okay-

Just something...

for you.

I guess...

Okay.

So...

Where are you from in India?

Oh, I'm originally

from North India.

But I grew up in Mumbai.

I actually lived in

New York, too.

I studied there.

I did not get my work permit so

I decided to move to Dubai.

And that's great, because

that's where I met your dad.

He was living in the hotel

I was managing.

He's got a real

foreign fetish, don't you think?

Um... I hear you have a fianc

who's Palestinian, right?

Yeah.

- Okay.

- He is.

And?

Does he live here?

Um...

he grew up here.

But he's been in New York

for 15 years now.

I actually saw an

interview of him on the internet.

He is quite a

good-looking guy.

And very well-spoken, too.

He actually reminded me

of Edward the first time I saw him.

I'm sorry,

I'm so sorry I'm late.

I can't believe how

crazy it's gotten.

There's a complete bottleneck.

I'm so happy you're here.

It started with a

heaviness in my chest.

I thought I maybe had heartburn

or something like that.

Spiciest chicken biryani

does not give him a heartburn.

Ana's the one who insisted

that I go to the hospital.

I come from a family of doctors.

And they say that there's nothing

wrong with me, so, I'm... I'm good.

Thank God.

Yeah.

So tell me

about how you girls are.

I wanna hear about that, so...

You're writing

another book, May.

- Yeah, I am.

- Good.

- It's a novel.

- What's it about?

Well, it's maybe historical fiction,

I really don't knew yet.

But it's, um, it's

set in 1948 Palestine.

Ed, did you tell her about how

we read her first book?

Oh, that's right.

Anu brought it to me,

she read it before I did.

And I read it twice.

And loved it.

You read it twice?

I didn't quite finish it

the second time but I still intend to.

Because I love it,

it's really clever.

But the real achievement

is the way you have put a human face

on so many of the conflicts in the

region, that's rare, that's...

- It's beautiful.

- I'm so proud of you.

- Thank you.

- Yes.

As I am of you,

Dalia, because I understand

that you're gonna be finishing

massage school.

Actually, no.

I dropped out.

I'm a massage school dropout.

Uh, well, that's probably for

the best because I imagine there isn't

a lot of money in-in that

massage business.

You know, I'm thinking that since

your Mom's here and Anu and I are here,

and you're both looking

for work, huh?

- How do you know that?

- What?

Oh, your mom called

when he was in the hospital.

Yeah, what... she just said

you were laid off.

All's I'm saying is that, you know,

you might wanna consider moving here,

because there's a lot of

opportunity here.

There is, and we'd love

to help you out in any way.

You could work with refugees

in the U.N.

or you could do capacity

building with the embassy.

There's a couple of spots in

the office that I think would be great.

And you'd really might like it.

I think, I personally would rather

shoot myself in the head

than represent

U.S. foreign policies.

Especially in a Middle Eastern

country, I mean...

Tell me

about the wedding.

Your mom is still

boycotting this?

Well, we'll support you,

no matter what, with everything.

- Right, lobster?

- That's right.

We went through

something really very similar.

It all works out.

And don't let anyone

tell you any different.

Dalia, how about some more lamb?

Um...

- Oh, Dalia doesn't...

- Dalia doesn't eat lamb.

Oh, come on, you're

just... teasing me.

Come on, you love lamb, Dalia.

I love lamb, Dad.

Dalia's a vegetarian.

Yup.

How about your dad

and I take you guys somewhere?

Uh, we came here every summer

growing up so...

We've been all over.

There's gotta be

someplace you want to see,

- how about Dami mountains?

- Been there.

You really haven't

said very much about Ziad.

You haven't asked.

All right, let's see.

He is, uh, professor

at Columbia, I know that.

Yeah, he's their Palestinian

expert.

That's impressive.

He's written two books

on the economy of Palestine.

He's working on his third.

He's written all kinds of articles,

essays, op-eds.

He's doing

pretty well for himself.

Yeah.

You sure he's the one?

That's why

I'm marrying him, Dad.

So he must be a pretty

special guy, right?

You still playing tennis?

It's been a while.

Good, that's the way

I like to play you.

You wanna play tomorrow?

I can't tomorrow, but

I'd love to play.

You could've told me

you'd be gone for the whole day.

I needed the car.

- We didn't know.

- Sorry.

You must be hungry.

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