“God bless America,” I blurted out irreverently.
“Not like the movies?” he asked. “It’s worse,” he said.
Because I did not know how to explain it and because I was slightly ashamed, I pulled at him to move along.
“We need to get Collin,” I said. “This way.”
An hour and a half after arriving at the hospital, I was released. Everything was fine. Not a single broken bone. Not a hairline fracture. No long-term issues. Nothing.
“Really, it’s astounding,” the young intern said. “The color’s better.” The black was already retreating into purple, and the purple was disappearing into patches of white. While the indent of the metal from my sandal would fade over time, it would never completely disappear.
“There’s still time for the second act,” I announced. “Wanna catch a cab downtown?”
Despite their world-famous bluster, New Yorkers are pretty tolerant, and they get to acceptance by questioning. The city is a microcosm of the full US, a tiny snapshot of the way in which most Americans live and interact with the other. So it was no surprise when the cabbie, a resident of Queens, picked us up and immediately began asking questions.
“Where to?”
“Broadway. And we’re late.”
“Really late,” the cabbie said taking note of the time on his watch.
“How long, do you think?”
“I’ll get you there before intermission,” he said, stepping on the gas.
“Where’s he from?” he asked, looking into the rearview mirror and nodding at Fadi.
“We live in Dubai,” Fadi answered.
“No shit,” the cabbie exclaimed. “Dubai, huh?” he said, shaking his head. “No shit. I seen it on TV. New Year’s, you know?”
“I’m going to pray,” Fadi whispered to me.
46