Home Is Beyond the Mountains by Celia Lottridge Page B

one of you to get
worn out and pick up what he has. I’ll be back tomorrow to see how he’s
doing. If he’s sicker I’ll take him to the hospital.”
    When the doctor was gone,
Samira said to Anna, “I’d like to stay with Elias until I can see that he’s
better. I can’t help thinking of Maryam.”
    Anna nodded. “I’ll take my
mat into that empty room down the hall and get a good sleep tonight. Then
I’ll be ready for Elias when he’s feeling better.”
    For the rest of the
afternoon Samira sat on her mat and watched Elias sleep. She gave him tea to
drink when he woke for a few minutes and sang softly to help him sleep
again. By nightfall she thought he was breathing more easily, and she fell
asleep herself.
    The window was gray with
early morning light when she woke up.
    â€œAre you sick, too?” a
scratchy voice said. “I’ve asked and asked for a drink.”
    She leaned over to look at
him closely. His eyes were still bright with fever and he hadn’t bothered to
sit up, but there was determination in his voice.
    â€œHe’s getting better,” she
said to herself, feeling that she had woken from a nightmare.
    â€œNo, I’m not sick,” she
said. “I’ll get you a drink.”
    When the doctor came back he
said that Elias definitely was getting better.
    â€œHe doesn’t need to go to
the hospital, but he must stay in bed until his fever is gone.”
    The next two days weren’t
difficult. Elias was glad to lie in bed as the girls sang to him and told him
stories. Then he began to feel better and it was a challenge just to keep
him quiet. Samira had to keep telling herself how glad she was that he was
not limp and feverish anymore.
    On the fourth morning it was
her turn to look after him until lunchtime. He was hardly coughing at all
and he wanted a new story, an exciting one. Samira had eaten bread and
cheese for breakfast but she was hungry.
    â€œOnce there was a boy who
was hungry…” she started.
    â€œThat’s not exciting,” said
Elias.
    â€œListen,” said Samira. “This
boy was hungry for something extra good, something very special. He heard
about an umbar, a cellar, where all sorts of wonderful food was kept. Honey
and rock sugar and fruit. It was a magic umbar where he could find anything
he wanted to eat.”
    She paused. How would the
boy find this umbar? Elias was looking at her, waiting.
    Just then she heard voices
in the hall. Who could it be? All the children were in school. Samira forgot
about the hungry boy. She got up and went to the door.
    A woman wearing trousers and
a jacket was walking down the hall with Mr. Edwards, talking quietly. Her
hair was short and brown. Samira couldn’t see her face, but she could hear
her voice, asking questions.
    Elias got up and pushed
himself in front of her so that he could see, too. Samira put her finger to
her lips.
    â€œShhh. Be very, very quiet.
Mr. Edwards has a guest and we mustn’t disturb them.”
    Elias looked up at her and
said, “Shhhhh.”
    Samira patted his shoulder.
By listening hard she could catch a word now and then.
    â€œWindows,” the woman said.
And “cold” and “winter” and “wheat.”
    Mr. Edwards kept shaking his
head. Samira knew what that meant. He was saying that nothing had been done
about the winter. No window coverings, no wheat stored up.
    About halfway down the hall
the woman turned and saw the two children in the doorway. She smiled and
came toward them.
    â€œThis must be your room,”
she said. “What are your names?”
    â€œI’m Samira and this is
Elias.”
    â€œIs he your
brother?”
    â€œNo. He’s just little so
Anna and I look after him,” said Samira.
    â€œThat’s like being a
sister.”
    â€œYes, it is,” said Samira.
“And I have a real brother, too. Benyamin. He’s