Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Throughout dinner, amma continuously throws nasty glares at Angelo but he seems unbothered. All of a sudden mid-conversation she abruptly stands up and walks away into the kitchen.
Silence sweeps over the dining room for ten seconds before everyone begins speaking again. I decide to follow to confront her about the way she is acting. Seeing me rise from my chair, Layla accompanies me as she is also done eating. Meanwhile, Sadia is trying to get Omar and Emilio to eat their dinner but they are too busy playing video games.
I enter the kitchen and see amma cleaning the dishes with a sad expression on her face. I turn to Layla communicating with her through facial expressions which is a requirement if you want to marry into the Ibrahim family. I tell her to interfere with amma's cleaning so I can talk to her and she complies.
"Amma, why don't I clean the dishes while you relax?" I stifle my unnecessary laugh. Stuck up.
"My beautiful, Layla, You are a gift from Allah. The best youngest child I could ever ask for." Amma is so petty. Layla is older than me by 3 years.
Layla makes a 'help' facial expression and I have to take multiple breaths so I don't burst out laughing. "Amma, don't say that. That is so disrespectful to Inaya. She is the best out of all of us, religiously and emotionally."
"She believes what she wants to believe, "Amma says distastefully. I have come to the realization that I should not take what amma says to heart anymore. Most of what she says makes zero sense and therefore very funny.
Layla begins doing the dishes while amma sits at the table. I continue to stay standing not wanting her to flee the kitchen.
"What do you want Inaya? Just tell me so you can leave."
"Okay, fine. I do not care right now if you do not accept Angelo because I get it. You have been telling all of us since we were a baby that marrying someone outside of your culture will end up in a disaster. But I don't think it will. You saw tonight how he learned a whole new language for me. Not even the Dhaka Bengali which you can learn by researching, but the dialect that we speak because he is making an effort to communicate with baba and you. He will learn everything about our culture because he wants to not because I am forcing him."
"But I-." Amma tries cutting me off but I do not allow her to.
"Before Islam, he did not even have a religion or parents to teach him about the different types. So maybe he will make mistakes along the way but I do not care because he is trying and for once in my life someone wants to love me for me and not for the me that they fabricated in their head. So maybe I am selfish for wanting to marry someone that you do not approve of but when have you ever truly approved of something I wanted to do? Be a decent human to Angelo tonight, please. It doesn't even have to be for me but don't ruin his relationship with everyone else because you can't stop glaring at him. Whether you approve of him or not he will be your future son-in-law." I exhale a breath and pinch myself. I am going to Jahannam for raising my voice. I have to go pray and seek forgiveness. Oh my, Allah. I feel lightheaded.
