The tan-colored gates swung open and Amima’s eyes grew wide. She stood there. Staring. The fascination twinkling in her pupils. In walked the petite caramel colored calf, showing off the specks of white on her neck to anyone who glanced her way. A golden and white calf, the most desired of them all. And here, in front of little girl, her dream come true. The calf hesitated to walk in any further into the house. Amima knew just what to do. She came near, slowly, her little bare feet tip-toeing across the rough, red brick floor. Carefully, she touched the animals side, then the ear, then wrapped her little arms around the calf’s neck. Amima’s father, meanwhile, was tying one end of a rope to the animal’s back leg, and the other end around the second bar in the house gate. As his father did this, a 5000 rupee bill fell from his pocket and silently hit the floor. Instantly, his father lurched down and grabbed it. Amima noticed this and looked up at her father with an expression of curiosity on her face, she opened her mouth to say something, but her father suddenly interrupted:

“It’s Eid money that you’ll be getting in 2 days, my sweet one. Don’t be looking or it might change into 200 rupees!”

Amima’s mouth was still open, she had never seen a bill worth so much in her house before. Her attention was drawn back to the calf and she remembered her question.

“Is Friday Eid Baba? Can’t it be later?”

“No, my daughter, I’m sorry. The date cannot be changed.”

“Hmph…Baba…what’s her name, Baba?”

“She has not been named yet.”

“Can we name her Karamel, please?

“Yes, daughter.”

Were you running, Baba? Why are you so out of breath? What happened?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

And with that, father left, hurriedly.

All day, Amima played with the calf as though they were sisters. She chased it around the lawn, tried to sit on it, and gave it food from the fridge. Out of all the things she did, this last one was the most dangerous. Her father had warned her twice now not to give any of her friends, nor any animals, any of their food. When she asked him for a reason, the wrinkles on his forehead emphasized, and he said strictly said no.

It had been a handful of hours since she had started to play with the calf, and it was now sleeping. Amima went back inside. Before she entered their small kitchen though, she heard her father whispering loudly to their maid. The maid cried, and the father only said phrase.

“I did it for her, for Amima. All her friends had one, I couldn’t just leave her thinking about why we couldn’t get one.”

And with that, father left again.

Amima quickly fell on her stomach and began to ‘sleep.’ Her father stooped down and landed a short kiss on her baby-soft cheek. A single tear fell from his eye and on to her ear lobe. 

The next morning Amima’s eyelids were ripped open from the sound of police sirens and policemen knocking maniacally on the front door, shouting her father’s name. She moved the curtain aside and looked out the tiny, cracked window. Four policemen surrounded the house, and what she feared most came true, Karamel was gone. There was a quick open and close of the door, and her father came in, his eyes were bursting with tears as he kneeled down to her height. He didn’t say a word, but his eyes spoke for him.

And Amima understood. 

“It’s okay Baba, I know you did it for me. It’s okay Baba.”

She kissed him one last time and she watched as the policemen came barging in, taking her father with them. Father not resisting at all, just looking at her, crying. 

And with that, father left one last time.