14

Pizza

Friday after school, Nadima came home with me on the school bus. All around us the other kids were chatting or laughing and mucking about. Someone was chucking someone else’s pencil case around. Nadima and I ducked as it flew over our heads. We sat there in silence for a while and it started to feel a bit awkward. I had no idea if Nadima knew about the camp-out on Saturday. She hadn’t said anything about it if she did. So I decided to just leave it.

So I got out my phone and we looked at animals doing daft things like skateboarding and surfing or driving cars. Some of them must have been Photo-shopped, especially the waterskiing hippopotamus, but who cares? They were hilarious! We were crying with laughter by the time the bus stopped.

When we got to the front door, Mum came bustling down the hall to meet us. She must’ve got off work especially early.

Nadima stood in the doorway. She suddenly seemed a bit shy. I’d never seen her like that before.

‘Mind your backs, girls, coming through,’ said Matt, as The Brothers pushed between us on their way in and slogged upstairs to dump their bags in their rooms, their long legs taking the stairs two at a time.

Mum gave Nad a huge welcoming grin. ‘Hello! You must be Nadima. I’m Kate, Jaz’s mum. Come in, come in,’ she said.

But Nadima just stood there on the doorstep. Then she took a deep breath and said, ‘Hello. I am Nadima. I am very happy to meet you. Thank you for inviting me to your lovely home. It is very kind of you.’

It was really funny – like a formal speech. It all came tumbling out as if she’d been practising it for days. Which, come to think of it, she probably had. I’d literally never heard Nadima say so much English in one go before. It was pretty impressive!

Mum didn’t bat an eyelid. She just said, ‘You’re most welcome,’ and then she took Nadima’s school bag off her and I dragged Nad upstairs.

As soon as we got into my room we collapsed into giggles.

Then Nadima insisted on playing ‘What is please?’ with the entire contents of my room. So I stood there, like a talking dictionary, for about half an hour going ‘Bed … pillow … quilt … wardrobe … desk … chair … poster … books … clothes … trainers … curtains … while she pointed and studiously repeated every word. Honestly, she’s like a sponge when it comes to words. I’m amazed her head doesn’t explode.

Then she decided I should learn Kurdish! Seriously!?

‘I teach!’ she said.

‘No!’ I said.

‘Yes!’ she insisted.

‘Why do I need to learn Kurdish?’ I laughed. ‘It’s not like I’m ever going to go to …’ I stopped because, of course, I didn’t know where she was from. ‘Er … your country,’ I finished lamely. Then I asked, ‘Actually, Nadima, where do you come from?’

She shook her head. I thought that maybe she hadn’t understood me. So I tried asking her slowly and in a different way. ‘Where – was – your – home?’ But she shrugged and shook her head again. I gave up.

So we played ‘What is please?’ with the entire contents of my room – but in Kurdish – and with a new twist. By which I mean that each time I tried to repeat the Kurdish word for something, Nadima fell about laughing. Huh! Some friend!

Then Mum called up the stairs to say supper was ready.

Cue chaos in the kitchen. As usual The Brothers rushed in like a herd of stampeding rhinos (but with much longer legs and no horns of course). Gus sat down first, completely blocking Matt’s way.

‘Shift!’ ordered Matt, shoving him to one side and clambering over him to get to his place. Dan, as usual, took a shortcut under the table to get to his chair.

‘Oh!’ cried Nadima in surprise as he scrambled out next to her.

‘Excuse me!’ he said cheerfully, before plonking himself down in his seat.

Mum ignored the mayhem, but Nadima looked appalled! I cringed. They obviously had much better manners in their house.

‘Hope you like pizza,’ said Mum, putting several large ones onto the table.

‘Mmmm. Pizza, yes!’ beamed Nadima.

You know, it’s really weird which English words Nadima knew. Except ‘pizza’ is Italian, now I come to think of it. Or is it American? Who knows?

Mum was determined we should talk to Nadima.

‘Nadima, meet Dan, Gus and Matt,’ she said, pointing at The Brothers.

Nadima did a funny little panicking grimace. I’m not surprised. The boys all look very similar. Even people who know us well, like Lil’s parents, get them mixed up.

So then I had the brilliant idea of writing their names on Post-it notes and sticking them on their foreheads (a bit like that game where you have to guess which famous person you’re meant to be).

So naturally the boys thought it would be hilarious to swap them around.

Gus put Matt’s Post-it note on Dan and Dan’s onto Matt.

‘Oi, that’s mine,’ cried Matt, whipping the note off Gus’s forehead and sticking it on his own.

‘No, this one’s yours, Matt!’ said Gus, sticking Dan’s note back on Matt.

Nadima looked completely bewildered.

‘No, that’s mine,’ said Dan, snatching Gus’s name off Matt’s head.

By now they were all wearing the wrong name. ‘This isn’t helping!’ I wailed.

Mum rolled her eyes. ‘Guys! Give the girl a chance!’ she begged.

But then Dan grabbed the pad of Post-its, wrote ‘Idiot’ and stuck it on my forehead.

‘Hey!’ I snatched the pad back and stuck ‘dorkbrain’ on his. Or rather I thought I had.

‘What’s a “drokbran”!?’ snorted Dan.

‘Not funny, Dan,’ warned Mum with a look.

‘You’re right, Mum,’ agreed Gus. ‘Drokbran’s not funny at all. But “Poopenfarter” is!’

Dan snorted with laughter.

‘Oh, how very mature!’ I said.

Mum looked at Nadima and rolled her eyes. ‘Boys, huh!’ she said.

‘Yes! Boys, huh!’ Nadima grinned. Mum shot me a surprised look and then burst out laughing.

‘I taught her that!’ I cried. ‘It was on the very first day we met!’

‘It’ll probably come in very handy!’ Mum laughed.

Cue howls of protest from The Brothers.

Nadima just sat there grinning away. She was obviously dead pleased with herself for making a joke.

When things had calmed down, Mum turned to Nadima and asked, ‘So, where are you from?’

Nadima stopped smiling and frowned slightly. She didn’t answer. So Gus grabbed the computer from the end of the table, and opened up a map of the world.

He was trying to be helpful.