The Turtle of Oman

Aref and his mother leave the airport. On the way home, Aref admits that he wishes they were going to India on vacation. Many of his school friends are from India. He is not excited to move to Michigan because he cannot imagine leaving Oman for good. He has grown up with the Arabian Sea always in view. He loves the community around him.

Aref asks if there is any chance that his father won’t like America, but his mom assures him that they are definitely moving there. His parents are going to the US for school to earn their doctorates. Aref doesn’t understand why they needed another degree when they are already professors. She responds that that he is only going to be gone for three years and that refugees have to be braver than they are about leaving home, since they do not get to return. Aref concedes that this is true.

Aref and his mother return home, and he wonders if he will forget all of the things he has learned. As he plays with Mish-Mish, their cat, he worries what she will think when they move. He exclaims that he “will miss [his] school too much!” (32). The school in Michigan is called Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary, and he and his parents read a biography about Martin Luther King Jr.

Diram, Aref’s best friend, arrives with his mom. He has a t-shirt in his hand and shows Aref that it has their photos on it. In return, Aref gives him a turquoise stone from his rock collection because it is Diram’s favorite. After they leave, Sulima and her father appear, giving Aref and his mother gifts. In return, Aref gives Sulima a piece of limestone. Because she lived in the US for two years with her parents, she reminds him to visit ice cream stores, zoos, and skating rinks. Aref thinks about how tiring it is to say goodbye.

Aref puts his new items in his suitcase and thinks about Michigan. He has learned that it has many lakes, that Ann Arbor is nicknamed “Tree Town,” that Mackinac Island has no cars on it, and that the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island has the world’s longest porch. He also thinks of how much he likes his room, which will be occupied by two of his cousins while he’s gone. His uncle is being transferred to Muscat for work. He worries that his cousins will ruin his room. He goes downstairs to get bubble wrap for his rock collection, which he wants to hide from them. Then he helps his mom peel carrots.

When he suggests that his cousins sleep in the living room, his mom reminds him to share. He reflects on his teacher’s belief that “sharing” is “the most important word” (49). As a class, they each made drawings to illustrate sharing. Aref’s had been of turtles. He thinks that it is easy to share when he does not have to worry about need and when what was shared could be returned.

As Aref and his mom eat dinner, he thinks about his father traveling across the world. After dinner, Aref goes outside so he can memorize how his house looks at night. He does not walk the block because sometimes foxes eat from trash cans, and he is afraid of foxes. However, he also wishes to be a fox, or even an Arabian leopard, since no one can control a leopard. He considers going onto the flat roof to wave at Ummi Salwa, who is 100 years old, and realizes that when they return, Ummi Salwa will be 103.

Aref’s dream focuses on the word “halcyon,” which, to him, appears like a balloon with air coming from one side. He tries to catch it but misses. He thinks that its meaning—a peaceful period of time—describes his life in Oman.

At breakfast, Aref’s mother asks about his progress in memorizing the US map. It isn’t going well. He asks again why they are moving, and his mother reminds him that the move not permanent. She tells Aref that Sidi, his grandfather, is coming over.

Aref recalls that he and his grandfather have always made plans to see things like the Al-Hazem Fort and Masirah Island. Sidi is retired and doesn’t wear a watch because he believes that people are too rushed. Before Sidi arrives, Aref’s mother encourages him to pack, but he doesn’t.