Thursday, August 16, 2012

Chapter 2/ Girl´s Talk

When Minal entered the woman prayer room, she spotted Anisa right away.
Anisa was wearing a beautiful long pink dress with a brown jacket to cover her arms. The Hijab that covered her hair was brown as well but with a decent leopard print. Anisa was praying and Minal couldn’t help but think how gracious Anisa appeared while offering the Prayer.
When Anisa finished her prayer, Minal smiled at Anisa while walking towards her.
“ As salamu alaikum!” Anisa greeted her happily.
“Wa alaikum as salam” Minal answered her while being hugged by Anisa.

“How are you?” Anisa asked her warily. She could see that Minal had cried and she didn’t want to push her in any subject, so she wouldn’t feel sad again.
“I’m ok, just a little sad. But I feel much better after I had a little talk with Jennah” Minal answered her smiling, trying to hide the sadness that still lingered in her mind.
“ That’s nice, I always turn to Jennah when I have a problem I can’t tell my Mum. She’s great in giving advices! So, tell me, what’s going on?”
The two friends sat down, leaning against the wall of the plain room.
The ground was covered with a red carpet while the white walls had a few golden ornaments here and there but there was no furniture or pictures. Minal loved this place, it was a place of peace and simplicity for her. A place where she would forget all the troubles that were waiting for her outside the mosque.

“ Well I am mad at Erick but I’m not sure he knows that since I didn’t answer his SMS yet and I sure don’t plan on calling him anytime soon. Why do guys have to be so stupid, Anisa?” Minal had a questioning expression on her face while waiting for Anisa´s answer.
“Don’t ask me sweetie, you know I’m not dating. So I have no experience with this. I just pray that the man I will marry one day will love me, respect me and treat me well!” But if you ask me, Erick is no good for you! Just break up with him and you will feel better.”
Anisa knew that Minal still loved Erick and that it was hard for her to get away from him, but she genuinely thought it would be the best for Minal to break up. She never met Erick but since she knew, Minal she heard a lot of storied about him and she didn’t like at all how he treated Minal.
As a Muslim, she decided not to date and she would search for a husband when the time was right. Not someone who choose her for her looks or for her money. She want to marry a man who will love her personality and who will treat her right and she was sure a man who fear Allah/God would do that. He would treat her in a good way not only out of love to her but out of fear of the punishment he would receive after his death if he didn’t treat her in a good manner.
Anisa was sure that Minal didn’t thought the same as she wasn’t a Muslima, but still she deserved a man that respect her and who wouldn’t ignore her the way Erick did.

“I know Nisa, I think it’s useless to fight anymore, as much as I still love him. He just doesn’t change and I don’t want to be unhappy because of a man for this long time. Anyway lets just change the topic, he doesn’t deserve all this attention” Minal was smiling bright now as she was thinking of her father and that only a few days kept her from discovering his identity.
“ Its only 10 days until my birthday, I can’t wait to get to know more about my father. What you think which country he could be from? I mean the name Hamed shouldn’t be to much common right?”

“Its mostly used in Oman, the emirates, Saudia and Kuwait I think. At least that’s what my dad said. He said its not so common in Egypt and the other middle eastern countries. What do you wish where he would be from?” Anisa looked at her friend, wishing that the information Minal will get would be good and make her happy. She knew how devastated Minal would be if she wouldn’t be able to contact her father or if even worse he refused to talk to her.

“I don’t know. I haven’t been to any of these countries and I don’t know much about them anyway. Maybe Oman, I read a lot of nice things about this country, but than again I think people from there are said to be really conservative.”
Minal didn’t really have a preference about where her father could be from as long as he was a good person she didn’t care.
She was of course curious where he would be from, after all his nationality was also half of her nationality and it bothered her not to know this part of her identity.
She looked a lot like her mother with her blue eyes and light skin color, so no one ever asked her if she wasn’t 100% British. Minal was happy about that as she wouldn’t know how to respond if someone asked her where her dad was from. Only a few of her friends knew that her dad was actually from an Arabic country and that she doesn’t know much about him.
Erick was of course one of them and he didn’t understood why Minal wanted to get to know the man who left her and her mother when she was just a baby. He used to tell her that she shouldn’t try to contact her father in any way as it would just cause more pain.
But whatever people told her, Minal was certain to get in contact with her father as soon as her mother would give her the information she needed.

Anisa looked at Minal, worrying about her friend who had become very dear to her in the last few months. She felt for Minal like a sister and she felt sad whenever she saw that Minal wasn’t happy.

“ Well Habibti, we still have to wait a few days til we will know. So lets not waste our time with guessing. Tell me what will you do for your birthday?”

Minal thought for a moment before answering Anisa.
She hadn’t really planned much for her birthday as she wasn’t in the mood for it. But why not have some fun with her best friend’s? She could use something to brighten her moos and keep her mind from thinking of Erick.

“I didn’t plan anything till now. Any ideas?” Minal smirked.
“How about we just have a little girl’s party at your new place? Do you think everything will be ready before your birthday?” Anisa asked her.
“Well it should be alright until then. Lets make a list of things we will need” Minal felt happy thinking of having her best friends around her and just having a great time for at least one day. Of course, she wouldn’t invite Erick and she wouldn’t even ask him for a date on her birthday.
He had many chances to change and he didn’t so now she wouldn’t run after him anymore. She wasn’t 100% sure, if she would be able to stay away if he came back to her, but she would try. Minal knew it was the best to break up with him.

After 2 hours of making plans, Anisa and Minal decided to meet again the next day to go shopping. They had missed the Arabic course which Jennah held in one of the neighboring rooms but they had achieved to finish the major planning for Minal´s birthday.
After saying their goodbyes, Minal went back home to help her mother with the packing. She was in a much better mood than just a few hours ago and she had the positive feeling that her life would change for better now. After all, she was only 18 and had everything she could ask for, a loving mother, great friends, a decent home and many open possibility s for her future.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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