Epilogue
A summer day. Two years later.
Afzal sitting on a bench at Java on the Park. Prayer beads in hand.
Beat.
Mahwish appears. With two cups of coffee. Handing one to her father.
MAHWISH: Here you go, Dad.
AFZAL: Thank you, behti. You take such good care of your old father.
MAHWISH: You’re not old, Dad.
Afzal takes the cup. Sips. Makes a face.
AFZAL: No hazelnut?
MAHWISH: They were out. I got you vanilla instead.
Afzal grunts.
He sips. Quietly. As we hear a distinctive chirping.
AFZAL (Pointing): That is a Kentucky warbler.
MAHWISH: What?
MAHWISH: How do you know?
AFZAL (Showing his iPhone): There’s an app for that.
MAHWISH: Yeah?
AFZAL: Tweeter.
MAHWISH: Dad, Twitter’s not about bird-watching.
AFZAL: Not Twitter, behti. Tweeter. Tweeter. It’s different.
(Pulling out his phone)
You want to see it?
MAHWISH: It’s okay, Dad. I’ll leave the ornithology to you…
Mahwish checks her phone.
AFZAL: Manuel?
MAHWISH: No.
AFZAL: So who is it?
MAHWISH: Nobody. It’s just a bad habit.
AFZAL: How is that Manuel?
MAHWISH: He’s fine.
Pause. Afzal sips his coffee and feels the breeze.
AFZAL: Your mother, bless her soul, when she was alive she always tried to get me to slow down. She wanted me to sell the business years ago. I should have listened to her sooner. The art of life, that was your mother’s gift.
MAHWISH: I miss her too.
(Beat)
There are so many things I regret not saying to her.
AFZAL: Me too.
Again, the distinctive chirping.
AFZAL (CONT’D): In the afternoons, he hops around. Then, God only knows what gets into him, he jumps up on that branch, always on that one, starts his song. He’s a good friend now.
MAHWISH: How do you know he’s a he?
AFZAL: I don’t. I should check that.
(Beat)
I thought it’s the males who sing. To get the females.
MAHWISH: I don’t know, Dad. Girls like to sing, too.
Mahwish’s phone sounds with a text. She gets up. Looks around.
MAHWISH (CONT’D): Dad. I’m gonna use the restroom.
AFZAL: Okay, behti.
Mahwish moves off. Stopping to wait just long enough to see Zarina appear.
They exchange a nod. Then Mahwish moves off.
Zarina stands upstage, looking at her father.
She watches her father watch the bird for a beat. Moved.
Until she finally approaches.
ZARINA: Dad…
AFZAL (Turning): That was quick, behti—
Seeing Zarina, Afzal is filled with sudden emotion.
He turns away.
ZARINA (Approaching): Dad.
AFZAL: This is your sister, right? That’s why she wanted to come with me today. She never comes with me…
Pause.
ZARINA: I needed to talk to you, Dad.
AFZAL: You think you can just come like that after two years? No. I can’t talk to you now, Zarina. Go, please.
Another pause.
ZARINA: I’m moving, Dad.
Silence.
ZARINA (CONT’D): Eli and I are moving. To Oregon.
Another pause.
AFZAL: Why?
ZARINA: Dad. After what happened with the congregation, there’s no reason for him to still be here.
AFZAL: What did you expect, Zarina? After what you wrote…
ZARINA: I know.
AFZAL: I lost so many of my drivers. Even after I told them I didn’t agree with you. I told them. They wanted nothing to do with me. The things they said about you. I couldn’t. I couldn’t listen to it. I… I had to sell the business.
(Beat)
You know some of them came and broke the windows of the house.
ZARINA: I know, Dad.
(Beat)
I’m sorry.
ZARINA: Yes. That you had to suffer because of something I did. Something I wrote.
AFZAL: It’s not the windows, behti. I don’t care about that. Or the business. It’s you. You are what I care about.
ZARINA: I’m fine.
AFZAL (Getting emotional again): Just for you to be happy. That’s all I ever wanted. I come here, I sit and do tasbih every day. I pray for you to be safe, happy.
ZARINA: I am, Dad.
AFZAL: What?
ZARINA: Happy. Your prayers are working.
Beat.
AFZAL: The people say awful things about you, behti. That makes you happy?
ZARINA: Not only. They don’t only say awful things.
Pause.
AFZAL: I read it. I read the bloody thing three times. I still don’t understand. Why you had to—
ZARINA: Okay, Dad. I mean that’s okay, right? Maybe you don’t have to understand.
AFZAL: Does anybody understand it?
ZARINA: Yes. I’ve gotten so many letters. Emails.
AFZAL: From Christians.
ZARINA: No. From Muslims. Istanbul. Lahore. London. Omaha.
AFZAL: Saying what?
ZARINA: That it helped them.
ZARINA: Yes.
AFZAL: How?
ZARINA: That it… gave them permission… to ask questions.
AFZAL: I don’t have any questions.
(Beat)
I have been so angry with you. So angry.
ZARINA: I know.
AFZAL: And helpless.
ZARINA: Helpless?
Afzal doesn’t reply.
Beat.
As the Kentucky warbler comes on strong. Loud and proud. Afzal points.
AFZAL: She’s my friend.
ZARINA: Is she?
AFZAL: We go way back.
ZARINA: Is that right?
AFZAL: She misses me when I don’t come.
(Beat)
A lot.
ZARINA: She misses you.
AFZAL: And I miss her.
Pause. Zarina gets emotional.
ZARINA: Dad…
Hearing her, Afzal may soften inwardly, but he doesn’t show it.
Mahwish and Eli appear. Seeing the two of them talking.
MAHWISH: Everything okay over here…?
ZARINA: Yeah.
MAHWISH (To Zarina): Did you tell him, Z?
AFZAL: She told me.
MAHWISH: Isn’t it great? Nana-abba!
ZARINA: I hadn’t gotten to that yet, Wish.
AFZAL: What?
MAHWISH: You’re going to be a grandfather!
AFZAL: Who’s going to be a grandfather?
MAHWISH: You, Dad?
AFZAL: Zarina?
ZARINA: It’s true.
Afzal looks at Eli.
ELI: I took your advice, sir.
AFZAL (To Zarina): How many months?
ZARINA: Four…
Afzal reaches over, kissing Mahwish. With a blessing.
AFZAL: Bismillah… Bismillah… Bismillah…
Then turning to Zarina. But unable to embrace her, overwhelmed with emotion.
Afzal finally breaks down. Hiding his face. Sitting.
AFZAL (Through the tears): No, no…
Mahwish and Zarina look at each other.
MAHWISH: Dad?
AFZAL: No, please, no.
(Off Mahwish’s touch)
Mahwish. Go, go, please.
(Beat, still hiding his face)
I don’t want you here.
Zarina, Mahwish, Eli exit.
Afzal tries to collect himself. Still fighting the emotions.
He looks up at the heavens, his hands before him, Muslim-style, for a prayer.
AFZAL (CONT’D): Allah hu Akbar…
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim…
Ya Allah…
Please, please, please.
I love her. I love her too much.
Please understand. Please forgive me.
As Zarina creeps back in upstage. Hearing the rest.
AFZAL (CONT’D): Dear sweet Allahmia, please bless that child. Give it a long, healthy, happy life. And please give that child a strong love for you. Whatever anger you have with Zarina, ya Allah, please don’t make that child suffer for what she did. If you can’t forgive her, just don’t take it out on him.
Inshallah, please let it be a boy.
Beat.
ZARINA (With sass, defiance): Dad.
Afzal turns to see her.
ZARINA (CONT’D): It’s a girl.
Lights Out.