Reading Friends Literature by Naomi Shihab Nye Prologue Reading Strategy One afternoon Rafik was working on definitions for his English vocabulary list and asked Liyana, “When does a person go from being an acquaintance to a friend? Where is the line? Liyana said, “Hmmmm The line Well, you have any what-you-would-call-friends here yet?” He thought about it “Sure Well, maybe This guy Ismael in my class is my friend already I might have more than that Don’t you?” Liyana said, “Hmmmmm.” He hated when she was in this mood Rafik persisted “Could becoming a friend take just a few minutes? So someone would be your acquaintance very briefly? Or could you skip that step and go straight to friend? And can it go the other way, too? Like, can you be friends first, then become only acquaintances later? If you don’t see each other anymore?” Liyana wanted to think her friends back home would always be her friends She said, “I think friendships are— irrevocable Once you’re friends you can’t turn back.” Picture a Setting Picture the setting Where is Rafik? Where is Liyana? How does the author help you to picture where they are? How you use your own background knowledge to picture where they are? Liyana and her younger brother Rafik, along with their Palestinian father and American mother, have recently moved from St Louis, Missouri, to Jerusalem Liyana’s father is excited about the move and wants his children to learn about the Arabic side of their heritage However, moving to another country is a very big change for Liyana, who has grown up in the United States How long does a friend take? mood the way someone feels persisted continued in the same way irrevocable cannot be taken back or canceled 114 Unit • Chapter Having seen Imm Janan, their landlord’s wife, take the bus toward Ramallah thirty minutes before, they went downstairs to their stony, grassless backyard and unhinged the door to the chicken coop for the first time The chickens stepped out, at first tentatively, then wildly, as if they’d been loosed from prison The hens were so fat, Liyana felt astonished they could fly But one had indeed just taken off, over the whitewashed wall Rafik and Liyana left the others, unlatched the gate, and went running after the vagrant 10 They lost sight of her at the gate to the refugee camp Liyana thought she had gone inside “Oh, no!” she wailed “What if someone catches her and eats her?” 11 But Rafik thought she had passed the camp and was heading toward the runways at the abandoned airport “She thinks she’s a jet plane!” he yelled “She’s taking off!” 12 Breathless, they ran around the perimeter of the airport, now strung with barbed-wire fences and signs that said NO ENTRY in English, Arabic, and Hebrew “Do you see her in there?” Liyana called But they saw only cracked pavement and dust 13 But then something great happened Walking back toward home past the refugee camp, Liyana spotted one tall redheaded boy with their chicken cradled in his arms Reading Strategy Picture a Setting Imagine that you are in the backyard with Rafik and Liyana What you see? What you hear? What words help you to picture this place? ✓ Reading Check Identify Who is Imm Janan? InferWhy is the NO ENTRY sign written in three languages? landlord person who owns land and a house that others rent unhinged lifted the metal part that keeps the gate closed unlatched opened the lock vagrant someone or something that wanders perimeter outer edge of an area InterpretWhat is Liyana’s view of friendship? Unit • Chapter 115 Reading Strategy Picture a Setting Imagine that you are at the house when Imm Janan steps off the bus What you see? What you hear? How does the author help you to picture the setting? 116 Unit • Chapter “Hey!” Liyana called “Hello! Marhaba!” 14 15 The boy looked up and grinned He called out something in Arabic that Liyana and Rafik couldn’t understand Then he walked out of the front gate of the camp and said, shyly, “Hello? He is—your bird?” 16 17 “Ana Liyana,” she said, using the Arabic phrase for “I am Liyana” that pleased her, since it echoed so neatly 18 The boy said “Ana Khaled You speak—Arabic?” 19 Rafik answered, “Not yet You speak English?” 20 Khaled said, “Maybe.” 21 A younger girl with puffy red curls similar to Khaled’s ran up to them Khaled said, “This—Nadine My—brother.” 22 23 The chicken was trying hard to get away again Khaled seemed happy to hand it to Liyana 24 “We live in that house.” She pointed up the road “Can you come over sometime and visit us?” 25 Khaled looked at his sister, who looked hopeful “You are—Araby?” 26 This gave Liyana a chance to say her favorite new Arabic phrase “Nos-nos.” Which meant, half-half 27 Khaled and Nadine liked this a lot They walked up the road with them, reaching over to pet the chicken as they went 28 At the back gate to the house, they all shook hands and laughed again 29 30 After Liyana and Rafik had caught the rest of the chickens with great difficulty and latched them inside their pen, they dissolved in a flurry of giggles just as Imm Janan stepped off the bus out front with her loaded shopping bags Liyana said to Rafik, “Khaled and Nadine They’re nice Now you tell me Are they acquaintances or friends?” “She,” Rafik said “She is—girl bird.” “No—your sister!” said Rafik “Come back!” Rafik said to them “Come over soon!” marhaba hello, welcome (in Arabic) dissolved laughed without being able to stop