7 Days

28

RAY POV
-24 years ago-
-Armenia-

My nanny and I sat in the bathroom for our regular morning routine. She finished flat ironing my hair then gave me a kiss on my cheek.

"Ray," she said.
"Yes Ms. Jones?"
"Don't get in the pool, okay?"
I wined, "But I'm having a swimming party for my birthday!"

"I know, Ray. But, I'll never hear the end of it from your father if your hair gets wet."
"But all of my friends will be in the pool!"

"Ray." Ms. Jones stated, giving me 'the look'.
"Okay," I whined. She smiled at me and flipped my long, straightened hair behind my shoulders.

"I love you," she sang.
"I love you too!" I hugged her then ran out of the bathroom, down to the pool.

"Happy 10th birthday Raheem Abdul!" Read a banner that stretched across the palace.

I smiled and ran outside to be met with hundreds of people that I don't know.
"Happy Birthday!" They all yelled.
"Thank you!!"

"Happy birthday Raheem Abdul!" Diana yelled as she hugged me.
"Ewww get off!" I yelled. All of the adults around me laughed.

I noticed everyone's children were in the pool splashing around. I looked at my father and he was at the bar, drinking wine with his friends. My mother was bragging about vacations she's been on to the crowd of women around her.

"Raheem Abdul! Come swim!" A kid yelled from the pool.
"I can't. Sorry!"

"Oh come on!" Diana yelled as she pulled my arms.
"Raheem Abdul cannot swim because he's a nigger!!" A kid yelled at me. All of the adults got quiet and looked at me.

"WILLIAM YOU WILL NOT SAY THAT WORD!" A woman yelled.
"Sorry!" The boy yelled as he dove back under the water.

That wasn't the first time someone has yelled that at me. I'm different than everyone else. I looked around me and everyone had white skin, and long black hair with big eyes. Here I am with my dark skin and small, squinted eyes.

The Omniscient Narrator POV

"Abdul Muhammad, why exactly did you and your wife decide to birth Raheem in America?" A family friend asked Raheem's father while at the bar.
"I told you, that is private," he answered.

The Amini family had never been to America, until word got around they they were pregnant. They went to America for the whole pregnancy then came back with Raheem, and mysterious woman named Bernice Jones. They said they had hired her as the nanny while in the states.

Abdul looked up into a window on the third floor and noticed Bernice looking down at Raheem. He sighed then looked back at Raheem and his friends playing by the pool.

"Just come swim Raheem!" Diana yelled. Three other kids snuck out of the pool and ran behind Raheem.
"I can't swim! I really can't!" Raheem yelled.

"No...No...No!" His father thought as he set down his wine glass.
"Where are you going?" His friend asked him.

Abdul quickly walked over to the pool, but he was too late.
Raheem's friends pushed him into the pool. The little boys cheering and laughing as Raheem popped back up from the water.
Raheem shook his hair around smiling, water spraying everywhere.
"That was fun!" He yelled as he giggled.

Then the whole courtyard grew quiet.
Raheem's hair was full of shinning curls. His once straight black locks, were now wet spirals, covering his face

"RAHEEM IS A NIGGER!" A boy yelled. All of the adults laughed and began to joke about Raheem's hair.

"What real Armenian boy has an Afro?!" Abdul's friend yelled. All of the men joined in laughing at the curly haired boy.
Raheem began to quietly cry and walk towards the stairs of the pool.