A few months later, we got new neighbors. Mama was all happy to welcome them until Dad found out their last name. “El-Sayed? That’s a terrorist name! They’re probably Muslim whackjobs here to ruin our country!”
“Now, Adam, give them the benefit of the doubt. God said we must love our neighbors, all of them.”
Dad scowled. “He also said not to tolerate other gods! Commandment number one! They had better keep their Allah to themselves!”
Leon muttered from where he was watching the moving truck through the window, “Allah and God are the same deity; they just have different names.”
“What did you say, boy?” Dad said sharply.
“I said maybe you should listen to your wife sometimes.” Leon closed the shutters and headed for the door. “I’m going for a walk.”
“You’d better not be going over to t
