“That’s not what I meant,” Nehla said. “I’m just glad I won’t have to get into too many arguments with my family.” She added, “Most of them support the government, you know.”

I was startled. I couldn’t understand why she had kept this information from me, and told her as much.

“I thought you knew,” Nehla said. “I mean, so much of the country supports them.”

But she was on such good terms with her family, I protested. She seemed so fond of everyone. It was unbelievable that these people would have such untenable values. Nehla looked at me quizzically. For a moment I thought she’d contradict me, or say that I couldn’t possibly grasp the complexity of the situation, but instead she shrugged. We had reached the apartment, and with a forlorn look on her face, she rang the doorbell.