The Lines We Cross

For their school project, Mina and Michael ask five strangers what Australian culture means to them. They receive cliched answers: “Barbecues, beer, the beach, and the bush” (93). Mina asks Michael what he wants to do after graduation, and he recites his parents’ plan for his future before confiding that he wants to be a graphic designer specializing in virtual reality. Mina explains that she doesn’t know what she wants to do and is just focused on earning high grades to meet her parents’ expectations. She tells Michael, “They’ve turned their lives upside down for me. So getting average grades is not an option” (95). Michael laughs, glad that the pressure they feel from their families gives them something in common.

Michael comes from an upper-middle-class family, and his grandfather left a large inheritance for his grandchildren in his will, which allowed Michael to purchase a Jeep Wrangler. Michael wants to fund his own hobbies, so Terrence accompanies Michael as he submits job applications to various shops. Terrence’s parents give him a large allowance every week, and he offers to loan Michael money so he doesn’t have to work, but Michael declines. The boys’ conversation turns to the Society and Culture project. Terrence calls Mina “stuck-up” and admits to intentionally playing with Jane’s emotions (100). When Michael tells Terrence to stop, his friend laughs and calls him sensitive.

Mina’s mother used to work at an after-school-care center, but no one in her new neighborhood will hire her because of her Afghani name and background. She misses her neighborhood in Auburn deeply, and she opens up to Mina about the loneliness she feels in Sydney: “Sometimes the apartments here feel like graves [...] They’re not places where people come out and speak to each other” (103). Mina tries to comfort her mother, who tells her to focus on her grades rather than worrying.

On a busy Thursday evening, a man with a birthmark on his face comes into the restaurant and asks, “Is your meat halal?” (105). The man refuses to give his name, demands to speak to the managers, and threatens to return when Mina informs him that the managers aren’t available. The restaurant is so busy that Mina forgets all about this strange incident.

One day in the school library, a classmate named Sienna invites Mina to her birthday party, but Mina knows that her parents won’t want her to attend. Later, Michael and Mina discover that they both love the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and indie pop band The xx.

During her husband’s absence, Mary grows increasingly paranoid about his safety. She fears that Alan will be kidnapped or killed by terrorists.

Mina invites Paula to her apartment for dinner, and she and her mother spend hours cooking and cleaning. Paula soon earns the approval of Mina’s mother. The girls plan a Lord of the Rings movie marathon and costume party, which will be held at Paula’s home. Both of her parents are busy lawyers, so she’s sure they will have the place to themselves. The guest list includes some of their classmates from Victoria College, friends Paula has met at slam poetry events, and a few of Mina’s friends from Auburn Grove Girls High.

Victoria College’s 10th graders recently returned from Ghana, and Mina’s Society and Culture class visits an exhibition of the photographs they took on their trip. Mina is disturbed by a photograph of an Australian student posing with an impoverished Ghanaian boy. Paula and Michael happily recall the trip they took to Botswana the year before. Each student pays several thousand dollars to participate, and they work on community projects like repairing buildings in addition to sightseeing. Mina observes, “The world’s one big wide adventure playground for some people, I guess” (125).

Later that day, Michael asks Mina why the photographs bothered her. She changes the subject, but she’s surprised that he genuinely wants to understand her perspective. Their conversation is interrupted when her stepfather calls and tells her that a man came to Kabul Kitchen and accused them of funding terrorism. Mina realizes that it must be the same man from the strange incident in the restaurant the week before.

Michael gets a job at a call center. During his first shift, he makes calls on behalf of the Salvation Army and raises only a small fraction of his assigned goal. Nathan overhears Michael telling Terrence that he no longer wants to be an architect and mentions it to their mother. Michael explains that he wants to work with virtual reality. His mother accuses him of being unrealistic and ungrateful for the opportunities he has. Michael storms off to his room.

Andrew returns to the restaurant and asks to speak to Mina’s stepfather. He leaves when she threatens to call the police but returns with a reporter, who stands outside the restaurant and demands to know if the sales of halal food funds terrorism. Tim, an employee from the nearby pizza shop, threatens to call the police on the reporter. The officers take statements from Mina and her stepfather, but they can’t take action because the reporter was technically not on the restaurant’s premises. That night, the news airs footage from the restaurant, which has been edited to make it look like Mina’s family has something to hide. The reporter says that Andrew belongs to a group founded by Alan Blainey “that wants to stop the ‘Islamization of Australia’” (135).

Michael’s mother asks him to wait to tell his father that he wants to be a graphic designer. She shows her sons the news story about Kabul Kitchen and Aussie Values, elated that the organization is gaining national attention. Michael feels horrified by the sight of Mina “racked with panic” (138). A quick Internet search reveals that the federal government has found no connection between halal certification and terrorism, but Michael’s mother claims that the lack of evidence proves that funding is happening covertly. Michael goes for a drive to clear his head, and Nathan tags along. One of Michael’s friends sees the news story and sends Michael a message saying that Mina’s stepfather seems to be involved in illegal activity. Michael replies, “Who knows what the full story is?” even though he feels guilty about giving a cowardly, ambivalent response (140). He worries that Mina may make the connection between him and Aussie Values.

The next morning, Paula cheers Mina up by assuring her that only fools take the news program that reported the story seriously and by jokingly suggesting that they open a halal food truck with the slogan “One Bite and You’re Converted” (143). Based on her personal experiences with bullies, Paula advises her friend that sometimes the best response is to ignore one’s tormentors. Principal Robinson and some of the teachers who saw the news story express concern for Mina and her family. The principal tells her, “Instead of bullying and harassing people like you, we should be welcoming you to our country” (145).

Mr. Morello divides his Society and Culture students into two teams and has them gather clothespins hidden around the campus. The students on one of the teams are told they represent people with physical disabilities, given only half as much time to search, and they have their hands tied in front of them. Mina calls Terrence out for making ableist comments, and he accuses her family of funding terrorists. Michael eventually comes to Mina’s defense, albeit in such a weak manner that leaves Mina feeling more hurt. Terrence reveals that Michael’s father founded Aussie Values. Michael tries to explain, but Mina calls him a hypocrite and storms off.

Michael feels that meeting Mina has upended his carefully ordered life, and he’s afraid of interrogating how his parents’ actions hurt people like her for fear of what he will find.

On Saturday, Mina’s mother drives her to Paula’s mansion and is awed by the Watsons’ high socio-economic status. Paula’s mother is thrilled that her daughter has made a friend, and she prepares a vegetarian meal for the girls out of respect for Mina’s dietary restrictions. Mina tells Paula about the connection between Michael and Aussie Values: “I’m angry that I fell for his that’s not what I meant excuses. Stupid me” (157). Paula and Mina investigate the organization online and find a slew of xenophobic messages on Michael’s Facebook page. Mina is confused as to why her disappointment in Michael bothers her so much.