One Amazing Thing

Tariq tells his story. He was sitting in the campus quad with some of his Muslim friends looking at girls when he received a phone call from his mother, Ammi. He reflects that the family janitorial service has not been doing well since the September 11 attacks. Ammi was calling with terrible news: His father and Hanif, assistant manager of the janitorial service, were arrested that morning at work, and she wasn’t given any information about the arrest. In the days that followed, Ammi and Tariq called on friends for help, but no one was able or willing to help. They hired an expensive lawyer. Finally, without explanation, Tariq’s father was released and returned home. He was quiet at first but starting to return to normal when he suffered a stroke that paralyzed his left side. Tariq blames the government for what happened to his father, but realizes that he has no legal recourse and pursuing the matter would only bring more trouble upon his family. He considered moving to India with his family and to be with Farah, the daughter of a family friend, but his friend Ali offered to help him out by letting him stay at a home he rented with several other young men.