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5 10 15 20 25 30 35 20 “Ah,” Mimmo pointed at her, “see, you call that wall ours! And so how can you say that they are not right to call the place where they usually meet theirs?” “Ok, ok,” Rahma intervened, “but if I see other people sitting on the wall, I won’t make anyone leave, I’ll just wait for them to go away.” “Nobody has ever taken our place since we’ve been coming here. I believe it’s a matter of principle for you now only because you can’t forgive them for the fact that they assaulted Mario.” Mariella knew that Rahma loved Mario as much as all of them did. “Even if that were true,” Rahma replied. “It wouldn’t be an absurd reason; it doesn’t seem to me that they were behaving right when they assaulted him while he was speaking.” “It wouldn’t be a bad reason if you defended the fact that Mario was attacked when he was trying only to talk, but it would be a bad reason if you are defending this thing only because it happened to Mario and not to everybody, don’t you think so?” Mariella asked. “Anyway, I can’t assure you that I will accept this pact,” Rahma added. “And so what are you going to do? Mimmo asked. “You are going to quarrel with Totore and his friends every time? Or worse, are you going to fight him every day?” It seemed that Rahma was imagining the future: going to school, arguing with the teachers, then going back home, arguing with her dad, then going out to meet her friends and also arguing with Totore. No, it was too much! Too tiring! “Actually,” she said, “it would be too stressful. What can I say? Let’s try this path and let’s see if it works.” She looked at her watch and realized that it was late. “Ok, I must go now. If I don’t hurry up, my dad will call the entire Islamic community to look for me.” Mariella also had to finish her homework. So the two girls recommended that Mimmo inform Gaetano and Mario of their decision, and they said goodbye. While Mimmo was leaving, he wondered how long the pact with Totore Crooked Legs would last.