{ Saabira }
"What's going on?" That's the first question I ask, even though I have millions of questions running in my head.
"Why were you eavesdropping? That's haram!" Yasin says.
I look at him and shake my head.
"I apologize for eavesdropping, but isn't talking about others behind their backs also haram?" I say, giving both of them a shy smile.
"Yes, we were talking about you, and we apologize," Uncle Yussuf says.
I just nod at him so he can continue. He doesn't. He just drops the whole topic.
"Yasin, please get me a cup of milk and bring it up to my room. I have work tomorrow," and just like that, he leaves the room.
I look at Yasin, who is filling the cup with milk, just like Uncle Yussuf asked him.
He turns around with the cup and leaves the kitchen.
I walk to the place at the counter where he had just been standing. I put the milk back into the fridge.
I will find out what they are hiding,
But first, I need a job and to find a dorm. I need to get out of here. Who knows what they are up to? They wouldn't do anything to me.Uncle Yussuf is my fathers best friend. He wouldn't do anything to me.
Would he?
{ James }
"Can I work for you?" I ask him.
"Well, of course! I'm getting old. You might even take over my company," he jokes, cracking a smile. I shake my head.
No way!
"It's really great to have you back, son!" My Muslim father pats my back.
I give him a hard glare. Does he dare to touch me?
"Listen, I'm not doing this for you. I need the money. Please, don't be flattered. I have to go now," I say with disgust in my voice.
"You can start tomorrow. By the way, it's called a masjid, son. It's where Muslims worship God!" He yells as I walk towards my car.
I just shake my head and drive my way towards Derek's dorm. Yes, I got money from my Muslim father. I'm also going to work for him even though I don't want to. I need the money.
◈
"Alex with Andrew. Yasin with John and Saabira with Selena," the professor says giving us our partners.
What, who the fuck is my partner then?
"Um, I already have a partner," Selena says, raising her hand to get the professor's attention
"Oh my bad, you're with Celeb. Sabbira and James, you two are partners!" He says and Saabira gets up and take a seat by me, our papers in her hand.
She sits next to me, but I make sure that we have space between us.
I take the paper from her hand.
"Well, let's get this over with," I say, looking down at the paper and reading it.
What can you do to help poverty?
I then read the second one.
Did you ever give to charity?
I then read the four remaining dumb questions.
"So what can you do to help with poverty?" She asks me
I shrug my left shoulder.
"Okay... Did you put our names on the paper?" She asks me.
I shrug my right shoulder now.
She groans in frustration and takes the paper off my desk. I just grin.
She writes her first and last name. "What's your name?" She holds the pencil over the paper, waiting for my answer.
"James Anderson."
She looks at me for a moment and then looks down, shaking her head.
I look at her closely. I'm confused.
"It can't be." I hear her whisper to herself.
"Never heard someone's name or what?" I ask, still looking at her, still confused.
"Don't be ridiculous! 'Course I have," she says, laughing it off.
I can't help but notice how unique her laugh is.
It's kinda quiet but quiet enough that you can hear it clearly. It isn't squeaky, like some girls' laughs. It also isn't annoying, like some girls' laughs.
I should say something ridiculous just to make her laugh again.
I quickly stop thinking nonsense. I shouldn't be thinking about a Muslim girl like that.
"This is really random, but do you have any siblings?" She asks me suddenly.
I look at her blankly.
"Nope."
"None at all? Do you have any deceased siblings?" She asks once again.
Didn't I just tell her I didn't have any? Stupid girl.
"What's up with you?" I say angrily.
How dare she ask me these questions!
Does she not know who I am?
Fucking Muslim!
"Never mind. I used to know someone. Your names..." she starts in a guilty voice, which makes my anger go away.
"Sorry," I say, a word that I have never before never said to a Muslim.
"It's alright, I shouldn't be asking anyway," she says, waving it off.
"Let's just answer these questions," I suggest, and she nods.
YOU ARE READING
Muslimah Next Door { Editing }
Spiritual"Not all Muslims are terrorists." You know how people say never to judge a book by its cover? I shouldn't have done that myself. Growing up with racist parents planted a negative reputation of Muslims in my head. So, I started believing everything...
