My mother’s tired, stressed face had affected me so much I was willing to do anything to relieve her pain. This made me forget my fear of speaking; I opened my mouth and said easily, ‘Mum’. The unfamiliar voice sounded strange to my ears. Was this really my voice? Her happiness pleased me. She looked so beautiful when she was happy. But bit by bit I began to fear her excitement and her unusual response. On the way over to Uncle’s house, Asi said, ‘Why did she tell Arash’s father that we spoke? What if she tells the others too?’
I got scared and pulled my hand out of hers. I wanted to go back home. Mother looked at me with happiness. She took my hand again and said, ‘Let’s go, darling. Let’s go, my sweet boy.’
They all turned quiet as soon as we walked in. These were people who usually didn’t notice me but now they couldn’t take their curious eyes off me. My heart began to pound. Even Mother was a bit surprised. Fataneh ran forwards maliciously. She knelt in front of me and said with a smile, ‘Oh my God! Shahaab! I heard you could talk. Be a good boy and say “Fataneh”, let me hear your voice.’ Up close her face looked scary covered in make-up. I hid behind Mother. ‘Go on, say something.’
I grew hot. Mother pulled my hand and said, ‘Leave him alone. You’re upsetting him.’
‘Didn’t you say he could talk? Well, I want to hear him say my name.’
‘You’re scaring him.’
‘I’m not doing anything!’
Khosrow looked at me mockingly. Father stepped forwards. He brought his face closer to mine.
‘Now that you’ve said “Mum”, make me happy and say “Dad”.’
Everyone was waiting. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and my heart was beating faster. Mother, my only source of hope and protection, had betrayed me. She had told everyone something that was supposed to be our secret. I pulled my hand out of hers and ran towards our house, promising myself that I wouldn’t make this mistake ever again, that I would never feel sorry for her.
The days passed by with everyone talking about me, and then, suddenly, it all came to an end. After a while everyone including Mother came to believe that she’d probably imagined it all out of her great desire to hear me speak. They left me alone, and once again I fell back into the safe world of my wordlessness.