* * *
We spend a few minutes in silence, which assures us we are done with this discussion. My father seems satisfied. His face seems to say: “Don’t worry, my son, you will be happy!” He doesn’t consider this a lost cause. He is sure I will have other wives too, and they will compensate me. Of course I am sure Yasmin will give me everything I want and she will be a good wife, but that’s exactly why it bothers me that I can’t give her s****l pleasure. I never thought of it before, but if we can’t get something, we want it even more.
My father takes a sip of his tea, which must have gone cold. My brother and I sit still.
“Did you get Ali’s letter?” he asks, referring to his advisor’s fax.
I nod, then I realize business talk will be a good change of subject.
“I invited the Hungarian dele
