It Ain't So Awful, Falafel

Many Iranians are coming to the United States because of the threats to their lives. While Zomorod’s family eats dinner, Pooya calls. Zomorod listens on the other phone and hears that Pooya’s parents are now living in London. His uncle was murdered. Pooya explains that he and Pooyan are now saying that they’re Italian. Mo reminds him to study hard and that they can “become the best version of [themselves]. Only in America” (239).

Every night, Zomorod and her parents watch the news for updates about the hostages. It has been two weeks.

At school, her social studies teacher asks her to give a presentation on the events in Iran. Zomorod does not want to because she doesn’t want people to associate her with the events in Iran. She says no, but her teacher reminds her that a presentation could bump her grade up if she needed it to. Zomorod asks to do it after the hostages are released.

The next day, Zomorod finds a dead hamster on their doorstep with a note to go home. She shuts the door and resolves to handle it without her parents knowing. She disposes of it, and then tells Carolyn. Carolyn declares that they must figure out who is doing this and says that she’s coming over after school. Zomorod wonders who would do such a thing.

Because the note’s handwriting was in cursive, Carolyn suspects that whoever wrote it is a woman. She suggests that it could be someone in their troop. She also wonders if it could be Original Cindy, thinking that perhaps she has a “vendetta” against Zomorod (248). Then, Carolyn proclaims that it must be Brock and that someone probably wrote the note for him. Zomorod asks what they should do.

They go to Brock’s house, and Carolyn says they’re doing a book report on surfing and wanted to ask him a few questions. Eventually, she accuses him of leaving the hamster on Zomorod’s doorstep. Brock is surprised, and Zomorod thinks that he didn’t do it. Carolyn then explains what’s happening and that they thought it was Brock because he’d teased Zomorod and because he threw the tomatoes. He apologizes.

Then, Brock asks what the hamster looked like because he knows all of the pets in their neighborhood since he pet sits for many of them. Zomorod describes it, and Brock says that it’s Original Cindy’s, because her mom called him last week after the hamster, J. Edgar Hoover, ate a bunch of chocolate, which can kill hamsters. The girls thank Brock and ask him not to say anything to anyone.

Zomorod can’t wait so she goes over to Original Cindy’s house. When she starts to question Original Cindy, Original Cindy is surprised that Zomorod noticed that she wasn’t at school. Zomorod is confused, and Original Cindy says she needs to show her something. She returns with a third-place ribbon, which she won at a horse show that day. She thinks it’s nice that Zomorod came over since she hasn’t been at school, not realizing that Zomorod had no idea. Then she says that she knew they were still friends even though they don’t hang out. Zomorod congratulates her.

Zomorod calls Carolyn and tells her what happened with Original Cindy. Carolyn asks if Original Cindy’s parents could’ve done it, but Zomorod thinks that adults don’t do things like this. Carolyn says she has to think more about it.

Some of the American hostages are freed. Mo is sure that everyone will be let go soon enough.

On Thanksgiving, Zomorod and her family have cereal. Mo has not been himself since he lost his job, and Zomorod’s mom is even sadder. The rest of the hostages have not been released, and Mo can’t believe that Iran is seen as the enemy by so many. They go to bed early.

Carolyn proposes a couple of suspects from their Girl Scout Troop. They start talking about Original Cindy’s mom, Darleen Linden. Carolyn thinks that Zomorod should hang out with Original Cindy to see if they use the same brands as the items that were found in the trash when it was overflowing. Zomorod doesn’t want to go over there. Then, Carolyn decides they should talk to Brock.

Carolyn asks Brock if he can go look at the Linden family pantry by using an excuse about pet sitting. She says that Zomorod will help him with his math homework. He agrees, and they give him a list of items to look for.

Zomorod’s parents have been arguing. Her mom wants her dad stop listening to the radio so much. He doesn’t know what else to do. He hasn’t heard back about any jobs.

Zomorod thinks it was so much better when no one knew anything about Iran and when they asked if they rode camels.

On Monday, Carolyn and Zomorod look for Brock and summon him. His friends tease him by making kissing noises. Carolyn tells him to meet them at his house at eight that evening.

Later, they tell Zomorod’s parents they’re going to look at stars for a project for school. Zomorod thinks Brock seems different when he’s alone from when he’s with his friends. They go to the Lindens, and Carolyn and Zomorod hide behind a hedge. They hear Brock tells Mrs. Linden that he’s sorry about J. Edgar Hoover’s passing. He then offers to play with their other hamster for free for an hour. She says he can come over tomorrow.

He reunites with the two girls and reminds Zomorod that he needs help with math.

Zomorod spots several anti-Iranian bumper stickers on her way to school. She asks Mrs. Williams about it when she’s at Carolyn’s later that day. Mrs. Williams says that people will do anything to make money. When Zomorod comments that she hopes the rest of the hostages will be freed soon and that she doesn’t like how everyone hates Iranians, Mrs. Williams reminds her that not everyone does. The people who hate are just loud.

No one has reached out to Mo about a job. He called several companies to follow up, but they say they’ll call him. Zomorod suspects his accent is hurting his chances at finding a job. Dr. Klein offers to help, and Mo gives him several copies of his resume.

Brock reports on Wednesday that everything on Zomorod and Carolyn’s list was in the Lindens’ pantry. Zomorod wants to think about their next steps for a few days. Brock then asks her to help with an essay rather than math.

Nervous, Zomorod meets Brock in the library. At first he thinks she’s going to write his essay for him, but she tells him to finish the book and they’ll meet up after school the next day. When he asks if Of Mice and Men is a metaphor, Zomorod tells him that he’s smarter than he seems. She feels embarrassed and regrets doing so.

Zomorod feels nervous to go to Brock’s house and thinks it’s because it’s the first time that she’s going to a boy’s house by herself.

Skip answers the door and is happy that Brock has a smart friend. Brock tells her that he calls all of his other friends “blockheads” (276).

Brock has finished the book and thought it was really sad. He went surfing before school to clear his head. He says that he can’t be sad while he surfs. Zomorod thinks of sailing at camp and replies that she knows what he means.

They talk about his essay, and Zomorod is impressed. She emphasizes that he picked a difficult prompt to write about, and she goes on to say that he just spends time with people who think that it’s not good to be smart. When he asks if he should hang out with her and Carolyn, she says yes. Embarrassed by her response, she says she has to leave and repeats that his essay is really good.

On Saturday morning, Zomorod’s mom wakes her because the sink is leaking. Zomorod calls a plumber, and one comes over immediately. He’s wearing an anti-Iran shirt. When he asks where they’re from after hearing them speak Persian, Zomorod’s mom lies and says “Turkey.” Zomorod is surprised that she did this because she doesn’t think her mom can read his shirt. She doesn’t ask why she lied.

Zomorod notices that Carolyn has been quiet lately. They also haven’t decided what to do about Mrs. Linden. Carolyn recalls how in the 1920s, businesses used to put signs in their windows that said, “No Irish Need Apply” (281) and that the same thing is happening now. Zomorod realizes that her friend has always wanted to make the world better.

Zomorod also pleads with her not to say anything about what’s happening because she’s worried her family will get kicked out. Carolyn is reticent, and Zomorod says they can report Mrs. Linden if she tries to do anything else. Carolyn reluctantly agrees.

Zomorod remembers how Hansen’s Supermarket is a grocery store for wealthy people, and before every holiday, they raffle off free gifts.

She calls Darleen Linden pretending to be from Hansen’s and congratulates her on winning that year’s Christmas drawing. When Mrs. Linden says she didn’t enter the raffle, Zomorod improvises by saying that Hansen’s keeps all of the names and phone numbers from previous years. Mrs. Linden believes her, and Zomorod tells her to ask for the manager the next day between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

The next day, Zomorod goes to Hansen’s and sees Mrs. Linden go up to the customer service counter and ask for a manager. She says that she’s the winner of the drawing and that she wants to pick up her ham. The manager says that the drawing isn’t until the following week, but Mrs. Linden tells him about the phone call. He disappears and finds another employee, and they tell her that no one from the store called her. They offer her a cake, but she demands a ham.

She starts yelling and ends up being escorted out by security, saying that she won’t leave without her ham.

Brock comes up to Zomorod and tells her that he got an “A” on his essay. She learns that he likes to read sometimes, and she offers to recommend some books. She feels like a dork. Then Brock makes an excuse to leave and rides off on his bike.

Everyone who is able starts to leave Iran, sewing gold and jewelry into their clothes so they can build a new life. Two of Zomorod’s uncles are coming to America. They are wealthy because they are doctors and worry because the new government is suspicious of anyone who is wealthy. One of the uncles also says that the names of different places are being changed to honor the revolution. Mo believes that the new government is trying to erase history. Mo tells his brother to be careful what he says on the phone.

Many Iranians new to the US also call Zomorod’s family because they have questions about living there. Her mother reassures them, and Zomorod decides not to tell her about the hamster because, “[i]t would have ruined America for her” (294).

One day, Zomorod is doing homework at her kitchen table when someone knocks at the door. It’s Brock. He asks for a book recommendation, and she can’t remember any that instant. She goes upstairs and finds one, bringing him Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Brock leaves, but Zomorod wishes they’d talked a little bit longer.

On the news, Zomorod and her family see that the shah has been forced to leave the United States and is going to Panama. They are sure that the hostages will now be freed. Still, Zomorod hears her father whisper that he can’t believe he doesn’t have a job. She asks if he’s worried he won’t find one, but he pretends that everything is fine. He suddenly suggests that they go get Zomorod a new bed since she shouldn’t be sleeping on the floor. She picks one out and they pay for it using the money she made selling her last bedroom set.

While they’re in Sears, Mo suddenly begins to swear at the hostage takers and the revolution. Zomorod starts crying as people look at her father. She knows it’s not his fault that all this has happened and hates that the people watching don’t know how hard he’s worked or how kind he is. They leave, not talking about what happened.

Christmas vacation comes around, and Zomorod’s father is spending every day swearing at the TV. Her mom cries. It feels sadder than ever. Zomorod’s Christmas wish is for her father to have a job. She knows she isn’t Christian so she probably doesn’t get a Christmas wish, but she knows that her religion isn’t that different than that of Rachel’s or Carolyn’s. She thinks that they are more similar than they are different.

Footage of the hostages appears on TV. Their families are also shown, and they talk about how they miss them. When one family shows a picture of a young boy, both Zomorod and her mom cry. Her dad switches the TV off.

Brock comes to return Zomorod’s book, and he compliments it. He also gives her a seashell he got in Mexico on vacation.

Sixty-seven days have passed since the Americans were taken hostage. On Nightline, they show two female hostages who the hostage takers claim are spies. Zomorod thinks they seem like librarians.

The Iranian government allows visits from Christian religious leaders so that people can see that the hostages have not been abused.