Essays Iman Mersal God said no Emma McMillan, Cocoon . 2025, oil and oil pastel on linen. 55 × 42". Courtesy of the artist. Tuesday, September 12, 2006 A phone call from day care. Youssef refused to eat lunch, couldn’t nap in the afternoon, and one of the teachers had to take him for a walk so that the other kids could get to sleep. The director concluded her little report by saying that his mood would change from one moment to the next, that she had no idea why this was happening, that it was exhausting dealing with him, and that he should go to a doctor so we could find out the cause of the difficulties he was having.   Friday, September 29, 2006   “Why aren’t you sleeping, habibi?” I asked him. He said: “There’s a butterfly flying round inside my head and stopping me from going to sleep.” I asked him if it was the same butterfly he’d mentioned a few days before, fluttering inside his heart and making him afraid.…