Excerpt: Hail Fatima

When she saw the ham shank hanging above the door she knew there would be trouble. Abdullah’s was the first one to put his up. This was the signal that everyone in the barrio had to get ready for an official visit from one of the bishops men. They also had to done their crosses and they would send the teenagers to sit together and recite hail marys. It was better that they do it, since the young ones might get used to it and that would be a is that the entire jamat would have to bear.