The Girl in The Green Scarf

F i f t y - e i g h t | H a m s a

C H A P T E R

58

- H a m s a -

"Every bride is beautiful. It's like newborn babies or puppies. They can't help it."
-Emme Rollins.

I adjust my scarf and give my Abaya a tug to straighten it out, then let out a sigh of joy.

I'm standing in a hospital public restroom, with a stranger fixing her makeup next to me.

My Abaya is not ironed because of the power cut and my scarf is trimmed at one edge, but still I don't care, I don't care if I'll get married to Sebastian in my pyjamas.

I can't wait until he declares himself a Muslim man and then declare me his, and him mine.

Even if it is in a small hospital room, with my heart still aching for my family.

Sebastian will ease that ache, and he'll make me happy.

I exit the restroom just as Lana, Yusra and Yasmeen turn onto the hallway.

"Turn back the way you came!" Yasmeen exclaims, a huge grin on her face.

"What?" I blink at them, confused.

"Go back into the restroom," Lana says. "You're not going anywhere like that."

Yusra grabs both my shoulders and turns me around. "We're giving you a makeover."

We barge back into the restroom, where the woman is still applying her lipstick.

Yasmeen hangs the large bag she's holding to a hook in the corner and starts and turns to me.

"Take off the abaya, we got you a wedding dress."

I gape at their grinning faces and then shake my head.

"I told you guys I'm not wearing that dress. It doesn't feel right." Fatima made it for my wedding to Zayn, so it makes me feel twice the guilt.

I lower my head and stare at my nails.

"I already feel horrible enough for getting married this soon after their death."

Yusra lets out a sigh and lifts my chin. "I'm sure none of them would want you to mourn and stop your life on their account. Do this for them."

Lana gives me a sideways hug and mumbles. "Lamees liked Sebastian, at least at the very end. And she'd be glad that you're with somebody like him."

"Plus, it's not that same dress, it one Grandma was making for you, with the help of Zeina."

Lana and Yusra let go of me and we all turn to look as Yasmeen unzips the bag.

She unravels a dress covered totally in pearls of all sizes, the color of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with golden glitter.

The three of them gasp, I think even the makeup lady gaps at it too.

I run my fingers over its front, feeling the glassy pearls under them. This must have taken ages to get done!

"Oh my Allah, it is beautiful..." I whisper.

"Definitely gorgeous!" the lady says.

"Hurry up, put it on," Lana says.

And grinning from ear to ear, I take it from Yasmeen and slip into a stall.

I drape my abaya and the jeans and t-shirt I had underneath over the stall's door and start slipping on the dress.

It is heavy and sensitive, so it takes me forever to finally get it on, and I'm glad to see it's loosely fitting. It falls down in clouds of pearls which clack with every movement.