HSF Section Summaries
Section 29: Behrani is tired while shopping at the hardware store for signs, stakes, and wrecking bar. On the way home, he stops by the bottom of the hill to put up a “For Sale” sign. When he gets to the house, he is angry to see Kathy and Nadi talking. He grabs Kathy violently by her arm and shoves her into her car. Behrani calls her “nothing”. Nadi screams at Behrani and calls him a “beast” while hitting him. Behrani tells Kathy that Lester’s superior officers know about her friend.
Section 30: Kathy had stopped by a 7-Eleven at El Cerrito to buy a box of tissues and ice cream. She had passed by a pay phone on her way back to her car and had decided to call her brother Frank. After talking shortly about Kathy having been left behind by Nick, Frank informs her that their mother, along with some aunts, are flying in the city to visit for Labor Day weekend. Frank suggests that she let them help her pack up and even offers to fly himself to the city to help as well. Before Kathy could mention about their father’s house, Frank had to hang up to go back to work. Kathy drove to the Mission District to speak to Connie, although ending up speaking to her secretary instead. Gary, Connie’s secretary, had informed Kathy about Connie trying to get a hold of her and whether or not she would like her to proceed on suing the county. Kathy mentioned that she did not want to sue the county and that she wanted Connie to think of a new idea. Kathy had drove to the mall to grab something to drink. After seeing a man walk with his daughter and son, she had realized that Lester would never leave his family and that she would always just be on the side. Kathy, after taking several drinks at the mall restaurants, thinks of a way to get Nadi and her son out of the house before she burns it. She thought of a fire in the front yard. After much thinking she purchases a five gallon gasoline can. During loading the gasoline can in her trunk she noticed Lester’s gun and takes it with her. She drove north to San Bruno and stopped at a self-service gas station. After filling her tank, she proceeds to the booth to pay. However, she was too drunk to tell that she had not given enough money. The lady in the booth shaking her head, was impatient. Kathy found herself pulling out the gun and pointing it at the lady. Then, Kathy noticing the fear within the lady’s gestures, puts the gun back in her pocket and drives away.
Section 31: Behrani tired by the afternoon, has yet to take a nap nor drink tea, is fixing Nadi’s mother’s broken table. Nadi pushes a note from Kathy into Behrani’s hand, showing complete anger and distrust of him. In that moment, he had realized that there is no way of hiding the truth any longer. Nadi starts cursing at Behrani and calling him names like thief and dog. Behrani sits on the sofa and lets everything pass over. Nadi breaking down into tears, fears that her family will be deported because of stealing Kathy’s home. After hearing too much of Nadi, Behrani has had enough and wants nothing to do with her anymore. Behrani thinks that without her he would be “light as dust”. Nadi continues to call him selfish. He then explains that he does nothing for himself but for his family, and that he knew nothing about the situation at the time of the sale. Nadi refuses to listen and continuous to curse and finally she locks herself in her room.

Section 32: Kathy drove west for Corona, worrying about police looking for her after what she had done at the gas station with the lady. Kathy was careful making sure to follow all the traffic lights as she smokes her cigarette feeling drunk. As she passed the drugstore she notices a Corona police cruiser parked around the corner, keeping her head still, she drove past the policeman. Kathy didn’t know what she was doing. She pulled over the driveway staring at the changes made to her house. She felt like the house she was staring at was no longer her home. Kathy wanted Lester to be there with her, she needed someone. She felt the need to see her father but he was dead. She feels sorry for scaring the lady. She grabs the gun and examines it. She was waiting for someone to come out of the house, but no one did. Kathy pointed the gun to her chest, her finger on the trigger, and everything goes black in her head.
Section 33: Behrani continuous to fix the table, but the pain in his neck keeps him from doing the job. Behrani thinks of his daughter Soraya and how she is ashamed of her father and family. He longs to be with his daughter again and tell her that everything is going to be okay. Behrani thinks of lowering the price of the house to secure a buyer more quickly. Behrani looks out to see that the weather is gray, and notices Kathy’s car behind his. He steps out of his house to observe that Kathy is extremely drunk and emotional. Behrani has a moment of regret, feeling bad about how he had treated her. Before he could ask for her to leave, he noticed that Kathy was holding a gun against her chest. He immediately puts his hand through the open window of the car, grabs the gun and unloads it. Behrani takes Kathy in to the house to rest in Esmail’s room. He hears her say that she doesn’t care about the house anymore. Behrani considers to tell Nadi, however she remains to lock herself in her room. He thinks of calling the police on Kathy and charging her of trespassing with a dangerous weapon. However when opens the telephone book to search for the police’ phone number, he finds himself not able to do so and call. Behrani knows that Kathy only intended to hurt herself and no one else. Behrani feels nothing but pity for Kathy. But he finds joy in having saved a life. He is also encouraged with Kathy’s words of not caring for the house any longer and plans to try and have her put it in writing after he offers her a fine meal when she awakes. But first, Behrani has to tell Nadi about what had happened.