This time Esri didn't yell for help. She sat up in bed, wide awake. The dream was frightening and oddly real. What was going on? She didn't call for Joe. She could tell that he was feeling stressed out about work. It was only a dream, she told herself.
Esri looked around the room, felt the sheets, the comforter. She stared at the book shelves, desk, the old bean bag chair, Jilly snuggled up in her bed on the opposite side of the room. Everything was the same.
Esri went back to sleep.
"Come on, sleepyhead," Joe called into Esri. "I've got to get on the site early today so I need you up to take care of Jilly."
"Coming, Dad." Waking for the second time, Esri half expected to see Dagan lingering in the doorway.
"Bye, kiddo" Joe called from down the hallway. "Have a good soccer game. One of these days I'll get time off to come see you play."
"Bye, Dad." The front door closed. "Hey, Jelly-bean, you awake yet? I'm comin' to get you!"
Jilly giggled under her covers. She was infectiously good humoured in the mornings. "So does the exalted Queen of Fashion know what she's wearing to school today?"
Jilly jumped out of bed, "I want to wear what I got from Nasima's mom." Jilly pulled a strip of shimmery green silky fabric out of her dresser drawer.
"Ok, Jills but that might get kind of wrecked at school."
"But I told Nasima . . ."
"Ok, ok, maybe we can make a kind of sash out of it. And what else?" Esri started rummaging around knowing otherwise it would take Jilly forever to put together her ensemble. "How about these barrettes? They're green like your sash. I'll can put them in your hair."
Jilly danced around eager to get decked out for school, "You always look so boring, Esri. How come?"
"You make enough of a fashion statement for both of us, Jilly." Esri hugged her.
* * *
After her last class, Esri rushed to the soccer pitch. They were playing one of the toughest teams in the city today. She was thrilled and proud to be one of the regular team starters, and loved the recognition it gave her, particularly from the older girls on the team. It was a huge honor for someone in Grade 9.
Esri loved playing soccer. Especially playing mid-field and being a central part of the team – by turns setting up the striker or supporting the defense. She was blessed with a natural grace and agility that made her a skilled player.
Esri's team won, 2 – 0. The coach took Esri aside after the game. "You've got great vision for what's unfolding on the pitch, Esri, and you're unselfish about setting up others and working to their strengths. Well done. Keep it up." Esri couldn't wait to tell her Dad about the game and what the coach said.
She still felt the glow of the coach's words when she fell asleep that night.