Ricky would greet Kemal with “Hey, have you packed your suitcase, shrimp? On the news this morning it said your bitch stepmother is going to send you back to Yugoslavia.”
“Zbosti!” Kemal would yell.
And the fight would begin. Kemal would come home with black eyes and bruises, but when Dana asked him what had happened, he could not tell her the truth, for he was terrified that if he put it into words, what Ricky Underwood had said might happen.
Now, as Kemal waited in the principal’s office for Dana to arrive, he thought, When she hears what I’ve done this time, she is going to send me away. He sat there miserable, his heart racing.
When Dana entered the office of Thomas Henry, the principal was pacing the floor, looking grim. Kemal sat in a chair across the room.
“Good morning, Miss Evans. Please sit down.”
Dana glanced at Kemal and took a seat.
Thomas Henry picked up a large butcher knife from his desk. “One of Kemal’s teachers took this from him.”
Dana swiveled to look at Kemal, furious. “Why?” she asked angrily. “Why did you bring this to school?”
Kemal looked at Dana and said sullenly, “I didn’t have a gun.”
“Kemal!”
Dana turned to the principal. “May I speak to you alone, Mr. Henry?”
“Yes.” He looked over at Kemal, his jaw tight. “Wait in the hallway.”
Kemal got to his feet, took one last look at the knife, and left.
Dana began, “Mr. Henry, Kemal is twelve years old. He’s lived most of those years going to sleep with the sound of exploding bombs in his ears, the same bombs that killed his mother and father and sister. One of those bombs took off his arm. When I found Kemal in Sarajevo, he was living in a cardboard box in a vacant lot. There were a hundred other homeless boys and girls there, living like animals.” She was remembering, trying to keep her voice steady.
“The bombs have stopped, but the boys and girls are still homeless and helpless. The only way they can defend themselves against their enemies is with a knife or a rock or a gun, if they’re lucky enough to get hold of one.” Dana closed her eyes for an instant and took a deep breath. “These children are scarred. Kemal is scarred, but he’s a decent boy. He just needs to learn that he’s safe here. That none of us is his enemy. I promise you he won’t do this again.”
There was a long silence. When Thomas Henry spoke, he said, “If I ever need a lawyer, Miss Evans, I’d like you to defend me.”
Dana managed a relieved smile. “I promise.”
Thomas Henry sighed. “All right. Have a talk with Kemal. If he does anything like this again, I’m afraid I’ll have to—”
“I’ll talk to him. Thank you, Mr. Henry.”
Kemal was waiting in the hallway.
“Let’s go home,” Dana said curtly.
“Did they keep my knife?”
She did not bother to answer.
During the ride home, Kemal said, “I’m sorry I got you in trouble, Dana.”
“Oh, no trouble. They’ve decided not to kick me out of school. Look, Kemal—”
“Okay. No more knives.”
When they returned to the apartment, Dana said, “I have to get back to the studio. The sitter will be here any minute. Tonight you and I are going to have to have a long talk.”
When the evening broadcast was finished, Jeff turned to Dana. “You look worried, honey.”
“I am. It’s Kemal. I don’t know what to do about him, Jeff. I had to go see his principal again today, and two more housekeepers have quit because of him.”
“He’s a great kid,” Jeff said. “He just needs warm-up time.”
“Maybe. Jeff?”
“Yes?”
“I hope I didn’t make a terrible mistake bringing him here.”
When Dana returned to the apartment, Kemal was waiting.
Dana said, “Sit down. We have to talk. You must start obeying the rules, and these fights at school have to stop. I know the other boys are making it difficult for you, but you’ve got to come to some understanding with them. If you keep getting into fights, Mr. Henry is going to throw you out of school.”