Maneh Tonoyan

19 years old

When being praised she shifts her look or changes the subject. But I know what goes on with her at the moment: either her cheeks blush or her eyes get wet. Then she plays with her eye brows, touches her eyes trying to stay invisible, closes her cheeks as if trying to put down the fire burning inside and blows up her hair, adding: “It is hot, isn't it?” And if they don't agree with her on the fact of being hot she blushes again. But they fortunately agree in most of the cases. Another thing about her is that she loves doing good to other people. She can never say no to those who turn to her with a request even though she realizes she is really unable to be helpful in most of the cases.
“Maneh, will you clean Mush's shoes? They are all in mud”, mother asks her.
“I will, I will”, she says in reply.
It rains. Mush has no shoes to put on. Maneh hasn't still cleaned them.
“I will, I will…” mother reprimands. “Your sister never promises to do thing she knows she will not. An eternity passes till you decide to do something.”
Maneh, nevertheless, thinks refusal to do a thing is worse than the promise which you are not supposed to keep.
People call her an “Arab” or an old lady who wears a shawl on her head. She doesn't like people saying this but the shawl is always on her.
Rare are the cases when she is back home from school without red and swelled eyes. The reason is either a problem with class boys or a good mark instead of an excellent one.
“Who are they to see you crying”, Maneh's brave friends encourage her.
When walks along the street they take her for an insane.
She helps people but never shows her willingness to hear a thanksgiving word from them though she really wants it to.
I'll tell you one more thing about Maneh, but please, keep it in secret. She never conceals the truth, talks straightly to people and tries to be as frank as possible.

Find Stories (5)    Films (1)    Drawings (1) by Maneh Tonoyan