“Why are we taking the qanun?” Father replies, “There is a master craftsman in Iraq. Very famous. I want him to take a look at it. The instrument needs repair, but I cannot entrust it to just anyone. It’s very old, and it’s a gift, so we must take good care of it.” “A gift from whom?” There is the briefest silence before Grandma says, “The Englishman brought it with him from Istanbul and he gave it to my grandmother.” “Why?” “Well—it was his way of thanking her. Not only her, the whole village. He was grateful that they had allowed him to stay.”
