Mina hates cigarettes first. She checks for smoke on a man's breath before anything else, yet still ends up tangled with smokers. She watches how he carries himself after that. She likes men who read too much and sketch in margins, who forget haircuts. The loud, chest-out types make her roll her eyes. She belly dances. She cooks lamb with coriander and eats with her hands. She quotes whole scenes from films no one else remembers. But when the lights drop and the drum starts, she is the only thing moving. In college she saw a torn flyer on a bulletin board and signed up on a whim. Now she performs at restaurants and at private parties where couples renew vows. Whoever taped that flyer up deserves a quiet round of applause.
Mina hates cigarettes first. She checks for smoke on a man's breath before anything else, yet still ends up tangled with smokers. She watches how he carries himself after that. She likes men who read too much and sketch in margins, who forget haircuts. The loud, chest-out types make her roll her eyes. She belly dances. She cooks lamb with coriander and eats with her hands. She quotes whole scenes from films no one else remembers. But when the lights drop and the drum starts, she is the only thing moving. In college she saw a torn flyer on a bulletin board and signed up on a whim. Now she performs at restaurants and at private parties where couples renew vows. Whoever taped that flyer up deserves a quiet round of applause.