Losing Touch by Sandra Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

Aunty.’
    â€˜Oh, listen to him, Arjun. What a charmer!’ She turns to Murad. ‘We should go, eh? Have lunch and buy some striped trousers together.’
    Arjun, surprised by his son’s sudden demonstration of social skills, has no idea how to contribute to the striped-trousers conversation. He looks around.
    â€˜Where is Sadiq?’
    Haseena points to the naked birch trees where Sadiq, in a red bobble hat, is enthusiastically jumping into mouldering piles of leaves. Murad drifts over. Sadiq spots his cousin and joyfully urges him to join in the jumping. Murad stands on a fallen log. Sadiq tries to step up but falls off. Murad lends a stabilizing hand and they walk together along the log. Sadiq shouts with joy as he manages to balance. ‘Mum, look at me! I’m flying to the moon!’
    â€˜The girls,’ Haseena lifts her chin toward Nawal, ‘are at a birthday party. So we have a whole morning of freedom. We’ve been talking about this for days.’
    â€˜Lovely.’ Arjun looks over at Sadiq. ‘What time do you want me to bring him home?’
    Haseena turns to Nawal. ‘We’ll be back at what, one?’ Nawal nods.
    Arjun nods. ‘Let’s say one-thirty, just to be safe. Now, sit in the car and roll that window up.’ He smiles at Nawal, includes Haseena in the shared smile. ‘What film are you going to see?’
    â€˜ Butch Somebody and the Breakneck Kid .’ Nawal looks at Haseena.
    â€˜Sundance Kid .’ Haseena is laughing. ‘Thank you, Arjun. Sadiq adores his big cousin.’
    Sadiq briefly runs over to hug his mother and then goes back to the log. Arjun waves goodbye and the car pulls away. He stamps his feet, even though he is wearing two pairs of socks and his thick walking shoes.
    Sadiq is bundled up in a padded coat and a red scarf. Murad’s hands are in his pockets. Arjun now sees that Murad is in jeans, a pink-and-blue flowery shirt and a thin jacket. The loose-knitted maroon scarf that looked promisingly warm in the car is stretched and flung carelessly over one shoulder instead of being nicely tucked around the neck. Despite that, he looks relaxed. Both boys trail over to Arjun as a long green Daimler crunches expensively into the car park.
    A woman steps out in white bell-bottom trousers and a long pale-coloured fur coat, followed by a boy, about Sadiq’s age, in a suede coat trimmed with white fur. ‘It’s not open , Mummy.’
    â€˜It’ll be open in a moment, darling.’ She turns to the car. ‘Morton? Keep the car running. Pokey, you sit inside for a bit.’
    â€˜I hate this place. It’s never open.’ The boy gets back in and slams the door after him. He stares out of the window at Sadiq, who stares back and then tugs at Murad’s arm. ‘Let’s walk on the moon log.’ Murad shrugs, and Sadiq runs back to kick through the leaves.
    The woman turns to Arjun. ‘Well? Is it going to open or not?’
    To Arjun’s surprise, Murad speaks up. ‘The sign says it’ll open at ten.’
    â€˜I can see what the sign says.’ She turns her back.
    â€˜So why did you ask?’
    Arjun is shocked. How could Murad speak like this? He murmurs, ‘ Murad .’
    She turns and looks Murad up and down. ‘Don’t you work here?’
    â€˜Do we look like we work here?’
    â€˜I’m so sorry, madam. We are only waiting for it to open.’ Arjun smiles. ‘Like you.’
    She stares at Arjun and steps back into the Daimler that sits purring on the gravel. Sadiq has come back and looks from Murad to Arjun.
    â€˜Murad, what are you doing, talking back to the lady?’ Arjun keeps his voice low.
    â€˜Toffee-nosed cow.’ Murad is openly staring at the Daimler. ‘Thinks she’s better than everyone, with her big car and her fancy fur coat.’
    â€˜I haven’t brought you up to be