Two Houses for Younes

Younes was seven years old. He loved building things with his blocks, racing his little cars down the hallway, and hiding his little sister Sarah's markers just to hear her protest.

Sarah was four years old. She loved drawing, socks that didn't match, and her stuffed animal, which she took absolutely everywhere.

At home, there was also Abi and Oummi, and for a while now, Younes had noticed something, something hard to explain.

Abi and Oummi talked less, sometimes they talked in the kitchen in low voices, and when Younes came in, they stopped.

Other times, they just seemed tired.

Younes didn't like it, but he didn't ask questions.

One evening, after dinner, Oummi put the plates in the sink, then came to sit in the living room.

Abi sat next to her.

He called Younes and Sarah, and asked them to come over for a bit.

Younes looked at Sarah, Sarah looked at Younes.

When Abi and Oummi asked both of them to come sit at the same time, it was rarely to announce that there was ice cream in the freezer.

Younes settled on the couch, Sarah climbed up next to him with her stuffed animal under her arm.

Abi took a deep breath, then explained that they had something important to tell them.

Younes felt his stomach tighten.

Oummi continued, she explained that Abi and she had decided that they were no longer going to live in the same house.

Younes stayed silent.

Sarah, she frowned, then asked where Abi was going to sleep.

Abi told her he would sleep in another house.

Sarah thought for a few seconds, then asked if his bed was going with him.

Abi told her no, his bed would stay here.

Sarah hugged her stuffed animal, then asked if her stuffed animal could come with her.

Abi told her yes, her stuffed animal could go with her.

Sarah seemed reassured.

But Younes, he was not reassured at all.

He looked at Abi, then Oummi, then Abi again.

He asked if they would still be Abi and Oummi, even if they didn't live together anymore.

Oummi moved closer to him, then told him that of course, they would always be Abi and Oummi.

Younes looked at his knees.

Another question came to him, he didn't really want to ask it, but it was stuck in his head.

He asked if it was because he had been too naughty.

Abi answered immediately that no.

Younes looked up, then asked, even when I broke the lamp?

Abi told him, even when you broke the lamp.

Younes continued, and when I pushed Sarah?

Sarah interrupted right away, very loudly.

Abi held back a smile, then explained that what was happening between Oummi and him was an adult decision, that it wasn't because of Younes, and it wasn't because of Sarah either.

Sarah held up her stuffed animal, then asked, even him?

Abi answered, even him.

This time, Younes smiled a little, but only a little.

The following days were strange.

Abi prepared boxes, some clothes disappeared from the closet, some books too.

Then one morning, Younes noticed that Abi's shoes were no longer by the door.

He stood there looking for them, even though he knew very well where they were.

They were in the other house.

Abi's new house wasn't very far.

The first weekend Younes and Sarah were supposed to sleep there, Younes packed his bag.

He took his pajamas, his toothbrush, two pairs of pants, his book, and his favorite red car.

Then he added another car.

Then a third.

Oummi watched him, then reminded him that he was only leaving for two days.

Younes answered that he knew.

He added a fourth car anyway.

Sarah arrived with a bag almost as big as her, and announced that she was done.

Oummi opened her bag.

There were three dresses, six socks, a coloring book, a plastic spoon, two stuffed animals, and no pajamas.

Oummi looked at her.

Sarah simply asked, what?

Oummi asked her why she had taken a spoon.

Sarah looked in her bag, then answered, oh yeah.

She thought for a few seconds, then added, just in case.

Younes burst out laughing.

Even Oummi laughed.

For a few seconds, everything seemed almost like before.

Then Abi arrived, and Younes remembered that they weren't all going to leave together.

In the car, Sarah talked nonstop.

She asked if there was a bathtub, if there was cereal, if there was a window, if there was a chair.

Younes finally told her that all houses had windows.

Abi answered that no, not all.

Younes sat up straight immediately.

Abi smiled, then added that his, though, did have one.

When they arrived, Sarah ran everywhere.

She asked if one room was the kitchen, then if another was the bathroom, then she opened a closet.

In front of the empty closet, she said, wow.

Younes didn't really understand what was so great about an empty closet.

Then Abi showed them their room.

There were two small beds, a shelf, some books, and on a table, two new toothbrushes.

Sarah took hers, then asked if she really had two toothbrushes now.

Abi answered yes.

Sarah stood with her mouth open, then called Younes, shouting that she had two toothbrushes.

Younes told her that he did too.

Sarah then declared that they were rich.

Younes laughed despite himself.

That evening, though, it was different.

Sarah fell asleep quickly.

Younes, he stayed awake.

The ceiling wasn't the same, the noises weren't the same, his bed didn't smell like his bed at home.

Well, at the other house.

He didn't even know what to call it anymore.

His old house, Oummi's house, his house?

He turned on his side.

Abi poked his head through the door, then asked if he wasn't sleeping.

Younes answered no.

Abi came in, sat next to him, then asked if something was wrong.

Younes hesitated, then asked if Oummi was all alone.

Abi told him no, that she was at her house.

Younes then asked if she was thinking about them.

Abi told him he was sure of it.

Younes stayed silent, then simply said that it was weird here.

Abi answered, I know.

Younes looked at him.

He expected Abi to tell him that everything was great, that he would get used to it, that this new room was awesome.

But Abi didn't say any of that.

He simply repeated, I know.

And strangely, that made Younes feel better.

A few weeks passed.

Younes was starting to know both houses.

He knew where the glasses were at Oummi's, he knew where the bowls were at Abi's.

He had crayons in one house, and other crayons in the other.

Two favorite pajamas, two places to put his shoes, two chargers for his little lamp.

And yet, not everything was easier.

One Monday morning, the teacher asked the students to bring an object they cared about a lot the next day.

Younes knew exactly what to take.

His little blue airplane.

Abi had given it to him several years earlier.

That evening, Younes opened his toy box.

No airplane.

He looked under his bed.

No airplane.

In the living room, nothing.

Then he remembered.

The airplane was at Abi's.

And he was at Oummi's.

Younes called Oummi, then asked where his blue airplane was.

Oummi told him she thought it was at Abi's.

Younes stood still.

He explained that he needed it for tomorrow.

Oummi told him they could call Abi.

Younes got angry, then shouted that he needed it now.

Oummi turned to him.

Younes felt tears welling up, but he was mostly angry.

He said he was fed up, fed up with having his things everywhere.

Sarah, who was drawing at the table, looked up.

Younes continued, his airplane was over there, his book was here last time, and he always forgot something.

His voice trembled.

Then he added more softly, before, everything was in one place.

Oummi came closer.

She didn't tell him to calm down, she didn't tell him it wasn't a big deal.

She simply said, yes.

Younes sniffled, then asked, yes what?

Oummi answered that before, everything was in one place.

Younes looked at her, then said that it was simpler.

Oummi answered that for some things, yes.

Younes lowered his head.

Oummi put a hand on his shoulder, then explained that he had the right not to like some things that had changed.

A little later, Abi brought the blue airplane.

He didn't stay long.

He gave the airplane to Younes, then asked if it was really that urgent.

Younes nodded, then answered yes, it was very urgent.

Abi looked at the airplane, then said it was a serious matter.

Before leaving, he added that they would find a system so that Younes would forget his things less.

The next day, Younes and Abi made a list together.

At the top, Abi wrote, things not to forget no matter what.

Younes suggested writing, toothbrush.

Abi reminded him that he already had one in each house.

Younes answered, oh yeah, then he crossed out toothbrush.

He then suggested writing, pajamas.

Abi reminded him that it was the same for pajamas.

Younes thought, then suggested, my airplane.

Abi asked him if he planned to take his airplane every week.

Younes answered no.

Abi then asked him why it was on the list.

Younes simply answered, because I like it.

Abi sighed.

In the end, the list contained mostly things that absolutely didn't need to be on a list.

But it stayed hanging by the door.

Little by little, Younes understood something.

Having two houses didn't mean he had to like everything that had changed.

Sometimes, he was happy to arrive at Abi's, sometimes he would have preferred to stay at Oummi's.

Sometimes, he missed Oummi, sometimes he missed Abi.

Sometimes even, he was angry at both.

And sometimes, he completely forgot to think about it, because he was too busy playing.

One evening, as Younes was packing his bag, Sarah came into his room.

She asked him what he was taking.

Younes answered, my pajamas.

Sarah reminded him that he already had some at Abi's.

Younes stopped, then answered, oh yeah.

He put the pajamas down.

He then took his book.

Sarah reminded him that there were some there too.

Younes looked at her, then asked her since when she knew everything.

Sarah shrugged, then simply answered, I have two toothbrushes.

Apparently, that explained everything.

Younes closed his bag, then looked around him.

This house was still his house.

And when he went to Abi's, that house would also be his house.

It wasn't like before.

He would sometimes have liked some things to still be like before.

But one thing hadn't changed.

Abi remained his Abi.

Oummi remained his Oummi.

Sarah remained his little sister, a bit weird, who put spoons in her suitcases.

And he remained Younes.

Now with two rooms, two toothbrushes, and still way too many little cars.

That evening, before leaving, Younes checked his bag one last time.

His book, his red car, his blue airplane.

Everything was there.

Sarah arrived with her own bag.

Younes looked at it suspiciously, then asked her if she had taken a spoon again.

Sarah opened her bag.

She stayed silent for a few seconds.

Then she took out two spoons.

She answered, one for each house.

Younes burst out laughing.

And they left to join Abi.