Sela's

Part I

Mama Papa & Sela

“The mess you’ll have to clean up tomorrow!”
“The stories you’ll tell us after the party!”
“Why don’t you just stay?”
“No! You’re the only child who wants her parents to be at a party with her. Imagine us here. What are we gonna talk with your friends about? No thank you.”
“We did something right with this one Alimatou, if she’s not shooing us away like those two sons of yours.”
“Those two sons of mine! Oh they’re my sons now?”
“Yes I stopped claiming them after they…”
“Papa!”
“After they moved so far away… what? That’s what I was gonna say, after they moved away. Oh, I can’t win with you two!”
“You won today papa. I told you it was just drinks and snacks. You didn’t have to do all this. You made everything. Thiéboudiène, Mafe, Yassa…”
“And what about me?”
“Merci mama for the flowers. There’s… way too many of them, but…”
“I was the one who carried them up the stairs. You didn’t even help me!”
“I did. I did. I carried some of them.”
“You two are like kids. Some things never change.”
“That’s because your papa never grew up. His mama spoiled him. Mommy’s favorite.”
“That’s right, and if I wasn’t mama’s favorite I couldn’t have married you.”
“Oh, I remember.”
“I’m just teasing.”
“I’m glad you’re not a comedian. We would’ve starved.”
“Well no one’s gonna starve tonight papa. Thank you.”
“Oh, he only did it so that when people ask where the food came from he’ll look like the perfect father.”
“I am the perfect father, what are you talking about?”
“You’re… adequate. Don’t you stick your tongue out at me!”
“On second thought I’m glad that you two are going home.”
“These children you cal friendsl couldn’t keep up with us. What are you gonna play tonight? You have reggae in your record collection?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. No! Papa no one wants to listen to reggae at a party.”
“People who want to have a good time and dance and sing want reggae! Well what are you gonna play?”
“I don’t know. A friend’s gonna do it. She’s gonna take care of it. I have some playlists but she dj’s. She’s gonna play over there. See?”
“Did you tell your neighbors about the party? You know how they are here.”
“Always complaining whenever we have a function.”
“Ja, I talked to the people across the hall and I left a couple of notes downstairs.”
“You left a note?”
“Yeah, I put it up yesterday. Two.”
“I didn’t see anything.”
“That’s… that’s weird.”
“At home if we were having a party everyone was invited. You learn here that Herr Von Klein Krause Wolf does not want to dance with you.”
“Hopefully there are no problems.”
“The two downstairs neighbors are really loud, and they have parties all the time. It’s gonna be fine.”
“Give your mama something to write with. I didn’t see your sign.”
“‘Give your mama something to write with’? Write it yourself! Lazy!”
“Hm… you know what? How about I write it and you two take it down when you leave?”
“No! I want your father to write it. In German. Auf Deutsch.”
“You say that like I’m gonna have trouble.”
“You say that like it’s not true.”
“Here. A beer for papa, mama you want…”
“No it’s fine. Do you think your cousin will be here tonight.”
“Mama! Don’t start!”
“What, I didn’t say anything? I didn’t say a word.”
“You didn’t have to. Leave the poor girl alone.”
“I wish your brother had left her mother alone.”
“Isn’t that the problem? He did leave her alone and now she’s, it’s like she rejects us.”
“We text a lot and sometimes we bump into each other and even, we even meet sometimes. It’s always really short and she’s always got somewhere else to be.”
“German style.”
“Sela’s one of them too.”
“Sela can hear you.”
“You think we don’t know that?”
“I fear our daughter’s condition is getting worse. We might have to remove her from this apartment that we paid for. What do you think?”
“I think her father spoils her, like he spoils the sons he’s apparently no longer claiming. You ruin them and then they’re not yours anymore, but you won’t do that with Sela.”
“Weren’t we talking about the other one though? The one we didn’t raise, and her shortcomings?”
“Shortcomings? Papa! Really?”
“That child is so lost.”
“She is not lost. She’s going home next summer with her mother.”
“Heh?! With her mother?”
“I blame your brother.”
“She’s going with her mother? Why?”
“She doesn’t want to go by herself.”
“Then you go with her.”
“I think she’s, I think she wants to go with someone who she knows. Like her mother.”
“It’s a shame you two aren’t closer. You have so much in common. Does she, does she have a girlfriend?”
“I don’t know papa.”
“Well then what do you two talk about?”
“Why do you wanna know?”
“I’m just surprised that you’re not closer. You’re practically the same age. You’re a lesbian. She’s a lesbian.”
“She’s a lawyer, I’m an editor. Just because we both date women doesn’t mean anything papa.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Speaking of women, is Sandrine coming?”
“No.”
“Why not? I wish when your kids brought home someone that you like, that your relationship with them doesn’t have to end when they break up with your child.”
“Unless there’s been cheating!”
“Abdul!”
“Or theft! Don’t forget theft!”
“Mama, I know you still text her and invite her over.”
“I may have texted her once. Okay maybe twice.”
“We know it was more than that mama.”
“Yes, Alimatou. We know. We know everything.”
“Finish your beer.”
“You finish…”
“So why isn’t Sandrine coming tonight?”
“Well mama, I think your best friend is in New York. I don’t know, but that’s what I saw on the interwebs.”
“It’s a shame you two didn’t work out.”
“Well I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Is there anyone special coming tonight?”
“Papa, the people that I invited are special. It’s not a date.”
“Someone is gonna fall in love with my food tonight and if you’re around....”
“See! What did I tell you?”
“I shouldn’t tell you this, but there might be someone. There might be someone tonight.”
“Tell me she’s not a vegetarian because I forgot that your generation, except for you, doesn’t eat meat. What a strange place and time this is. Alimatou don’t you…”
“Who is she? Who’s the girl?”
“Ha, ha ha.”
“See that Abdul? Listen to that laugh.”
“She’s in love.”
“I am not in love! I don’t even know her.”
“The way she looks away from us when she says ‘I don’t even know her’...”
“It’s definitely love!”
“This is why I don’t tell you anything.”
“You tell us everything.”
“Yes, what are you talking about? We couldn’t get you to be quiet when you were a child.”
“So tell us about this girl. Maybe we should stay? What’s for dinner? Did you even save something for us?”
“You know I did.”
“Are we watching netflix or playing cards?”
“Let’s put on something that we’ve already seen and play cards!”
“Yes, please go home. I don’t want you two to embarrass me.”
“Embarass you!”
“Listen to that. Listen to your daughter.”
“Embarass you? And she’s your daughter too. We have never embarrassed you in your brief life.”
“Never.”
“See how she disrespects us? Who is this girl that you think we might embarrass you in front of?”
“Mm. She’s someone I met at the stammtisch. The group I told you about.”
“So she’s a young rebel?”
“Where is your revolutionary from? Is she from here?”
“No. She’s from Antigua.”
“You see Alimatou!”
“See what?”
“The, the English tutoring!”
“What about it?”
“You said it was a waste of money for the tutoring and the extra lessons, but look! I told you! I told you it was worth it.”
“That was such a long time ago Abdul. No one’s thinking about those classes.”
“You yelled at me! You told me it was too much money. I remember.”
“Mama. Papa…”
“You’re right. The point is, your English must be so perfect that you can charm women from anywhere in the world. Isn’t that right?”
“I’m not sure about that papa, but Agnes speaks German. She speaks French too.”
“Oh. So you don’t speak with her in English?”
“That’s not really the point Abdul. You can let that go. So what does she do?”
“She works. She works as a translator.”
“In the courts?”
“No… not like that. I think she, she does freelance work.”
“Antigua. So far away. From there to here.”
“Papa? Are you okay? She did choose to come here.”
“No, I’m sure she did. Just like your mother and I did. We chose to be here too didn’t we Alimatou?”

Written by Isaiah Lopaz, Anthology / Appendix 2021