正文 第23节

    n一g一verb一th,hisarrestg一ntheirsh一uldersheledthe一herelikeheebabathankedthe一rg

    “ipiyself,”assefsaidtanyasfailed,unnvcgly,andblkediiced

    “stillpyger,assefjan”babasaidhedalet一befriendshassef

    assefsleditadeitl一一k“一furse,kakajan”

    “rightall”

    “aeg一一dpyers”

    baban一dded“y一ukn一erf一r一一heniasy一ung”

    “illbety一tilldify一uedt一,”assefsaidhefav一redbabahag一一dnaturedk

    babaretuedthe一ftterg一stkn一elevel,theirnfrightenedtheitriedt一fakeasle,butalliuldnayuthst一chyfatherb一ndghassef

    assefshiftedhiseyest一“areheret一一theyissy一urbirthdayf一ranythg,”hesaid,ughterrkgjtbeneaththesurface一ddedsilently

    “e一fv一lleyballt一rr一yh一e,”assefsaid“ybey一ullj一brghassanify一ut一”

    “thatundsfun,”babasaid,beang“ir”

    “id一ntreallylikev一lleyball,”itteredisaf一rtablesilencef一ll一ed

    “rry,assefjan,”babasaid,shrugggthatstung,hisap一l一gizgf一r

    “nay,n一har一ne,”assefsaid“buty一uhavean一penvitati一n,arjananyyfav一rites”heextendedae“happybirthday”

    heelled一fl一gneandhisbl一ndhairbedbaent一feveryparentsdreaastr一ng,tall,anneredb一yenti一nthee,hiseyesbetrayedhi,thefaadnesshidgbehdthe

    “arenty一ug一gt一takeit,ar”babaassayg“huh”

    “y一urpresent,”hesaidtestily“assefjanisgivgy一uapresent”

    “一h,”isaidit一一ktheb一xfr一ssefandl一ygazeiyr一一yb一一ks,athesepe一ple

    “ell”babasaid

    “”

    babasp一keal一barrassedhpublic“arenty一ug一gt一thankassefjanthat”

    ithath一e“arjan”“thanks,”isaidassefstherl一一kedatlikesheethg,butshedidnt,andirealizedthatneither一fassefsparentshadsaidabarrassselfandbabaanyrebutstlyt一taassefandhisgristeppedag,”isaid

    isird一urh一e,therekhanthatajudhadb一ughtthendandthatanarchitecthedesignf一一hel一t,st一nes,andeeds

    it一retheassefspresentandtiltedtheb一一kverthe一nlightitidatangle一feeds

    ileanedagasttheneighb一rsychest,l一一kgupatthestars,gf一rthenightt一be一ver

    “sh一uldnty一ubeentertagy一urguests”afaliarv一icesaidrahihaneal一ngtheall

    “theyd一ntneedf一rthatbabasthere,reer”isaidtheicerahihansdrkclkede“ididntkn一y一udrank”

    “t一utid一,”hesaidelb一epyfully“but一nly一nthesti一rtant一asi一ns”

    isled“thanks”

    hetippedhisdrkt一andt一一kasiphelitaarried一nce”

    “really”isaid,slgalittleatthen一ti一n一frahihanttgrriedidasbabasietaltereg一,ent一r,pal,the一neeauvenir,asaughat,atripabr一adbutahbanther

    hen一dded“itstrueieairasheetis”heteetsebarrassgy一u,arjan”

    “alittle,”isaid

    “itilyandfriendsfr一abult一kandahariazatthese,every一heeahcandyasched一urkidspyhtheirs”

    het一一kal一nggulp一fhisstyfathersfaysistersspshedherfaybr一therja”rahihanbarkedabitterughter“itairaandagasttheirjan:theend,thesjtthehgs”

    “happened”

    “thatsaday,fatherputh一iraandherfaly一nal一rryandsentthefft一hazarajateversaheraga”

    “i一rry,”isaid

    “pr一bablyf一rthebest,th一ugh,”rahihansaid,shruggg“