We're sitting at dinner, my brother across from me and Dad next to me. My Mom is in the kitchen, finishing up dinner. "Did you hear about that bombing in the mosque in Pakistan, the one on Baqrid?"

"Yeah," Dad nods, helping himself to the fried fish with the red, burnt skin.

"We don't know anybody there, do we? In northern Pakistan?"

He shakes his head, thinking for a second. "No, I think all of your aunt's family is in Karachi, now."

"Where the militants put a gun to her head and stole her jewels after her mother's funeral." The words sound ridiculous in my mouth. "Why don't they all just come here or move to India?"

"They're all so old, son." He picks at a bone in his teeth. "They can't leave now."

My brother is eating the chicken with a distracted look on his face, ignoring our conversation, but his leg is moving up and down, bouncing without ever leaving the ground. I take a long breath and bite into the fish. It's crunchy on the outside but past the skin, it turns white and fluffy, but retains the flavor from the very spicy skin.

"Did anyone take credit for the bombing?"

"Well, that minister was there at the mosque. They were after him."

I frown in confusion, wiping the hot taste from my lips. "No, I mean, the militants - who did the bombing? Didn't they kill like, fifty people?"

Dad reaches for more food. "They were after the minister, son."

Finally I get it and I start to laugh helplessly. Mom comes back from the kitchen. "I can't believe you're blaming him for the bombing."

"Blaming who?" Mom's voice is sharp, she hates it when we talk about politics.

Dad smiles at me, as if saddened by my lack of understanding. "It's his fault for being there, he was using the people like a shield."

I can't believe I have to spell it out like this. "But Dad - someone else killed fifty people in a mosque."

Across the table from me, my brother stands up, pushing his plate away. "Is this why you come here? To make yourself feel superior?"

Mom puts her hand on his shoulder, tells him to calm down, but he pulls free and walks up to his room and slams his door shut.