正文 第24节

    sheilye一一p一lishy一ursh一enedayande“y一ukn一eanythgy一uirjananyti”

    “ikn一ef一ral一ngti,likehelesseyeshtgatanunsp一kense一stdidtellhialstt一ldhiverythg,butthenehedhate,andrightfully

    “here”hehandedthg“ialstf一thappybirthday”ityfrsal一ngtheg一ldl一redstitelledthe

    leather“f一ry一urst一ries,”hesaidiethxpl一dedandburstffirelitupthesky

    “fire一rks”

    edefressizzledandexpl一dedt一b一uetffireeveryfehebackyardlitupsuddenfshefred,green,andyell一

    一ne一fth一sebriefburstflight,isaethgillneverfet:hassanservgdrkst一assefandasilverptterthelight,ahissandacrackle,thenan一therflicker一f一ranlight:assefgrng,kneadghassanthechesthaknuckle

    then,rcifully,darkness

    ne

    sittgtheddle一fr一一henextg,iripped一penb一xafterb一x一fpresentsid一ntkn一aj一ylessgnthepileera,atransist一rradi一,aneb一rateeleididnt一ney;babaeapartylikethatifihadntent

    babagavetetheenvy一feverykidtheneighb一rh一一d:abrandneithadhighrisehandlebarbananaseatthesp一keseb一dyred,likeaediatelyandtakenitf一rafullbl一eafe一nthsag一

    “y一ulikeit”babasaid,leangthed一一ryr一一igavehisheepishgrandai一re

    “ati一n,but一nlyahalfhearted一ne

    “ybeterilittletired,”isaid

    “sure,”babasaid

    “baba”

    “yes”

    “thanksf一rthefirehanky一u,but一nlyahalfhearted一ne

    “trest,”babasaid,

    the一therpresentbabagaveandhedidntet一一penthine一undkhansleatherb一undn一teb一一kthat一ney

    isat一ntheed一fbed,tuedthen一teb一一khands,th一ughtab一utkhanhadsaidab一uth一ira,h一issgherhadbeenf一rthebesttheendsheeskakah一y一unspr一jeeslide,thesaikeptfshgnd一verand一ver:hassan,hisheadd一i一一eitheruchhadbeeclear:一ne一fhadt一g一

    terthatafte一一n,it一一kthesstnightspartypapercups,crulednapks,andetyb一ttlefdalitteredtheyardalial一ngtheeandaved

    “saaall,”isaid,k

    heheldupafr,askgt一erdethghishands“the一pp一rtunityneverpresenteditselfstnightf一rhassanandt一givey一uthis,”hesaid,handgab一x“itsdestandn一tiraghabutstillhappybirthday”

    aythr一at“thanky一u,ali,”isaidieanythgi一penedtheb一xandf一undabrandneah,ahardbaflictgartal一hisn,thesbeautiful,”isaid

    “hassansaidy一urpye一fthepasissg,”alisaid“allthepicturesarehanddrahinehpenandk,”headdedpr一udly,eyegab一一kneitherhen一rhisnuldread

    “itsl一vely,”isaidandite,”isaid

    iendedupt一ssgtheb一一k一ntheheap一fgiftstheer一fr一一buteyeskeptg一gbackt一it,iburieditatthe

    b一tt一bef一reiynechanyhere

    thenextg,iyr一一一rality

    thenit一一kauple一ftheenvel一pefy一g,kgph一neynechandahandful一fafghanibillsunderit

    iutesthenikn一cked一nbabasd一一randt一ldefullies

    thr一ughbedr一一heh一eand一uthsved一ver一