WeWriWa—Velira’s Birthday Wish

Welcome back to Weekend Writing Warriors, where participants share 8 sentences from a book or WIP. I’m currently sharing from my current WIP, Journey Through a Dark Forest, Chapter 39, “Velira’s Birthday Wish.” It’s September 1937 in Isfahan, Iran, and the orphanage co-director’s niece is turning three years old.

Part of her birthday wish came true and she was reunited with the father she hasn’t seen in four months. When she asked where her mother and baby brother are, he explained that the baby went to America with his wetnurse, but that her mother can’t come back from the dead. Velira then realized she didn’t remember how to get home, but her father’s new friend, a former prince whom she met in June, figures out where she lives when Velira says her Persian doll was bought by her neighbor Firuza.

***

Velira clings to her father’s neck as Arkásha, holding the doll, leads the way to Firuza’s house.  When they get there, one of the servants gives directions to the orphanage.  Vítya knows which building it is even before they get to the front gates, from all the people frantically swarming around it.

“Who the hell are you?” Manzura demands. “What kind of degenerate kidnaps a little girl on her birthday?”

“Take it easy,” Arkásha responds in Persian. “This is her father, and I’m the guy who helped the lot of you with getting Nansen passports and British protection to enter Persia.  Should a girl your age really be using strong language like that?”