The Journey Of The Niqabated

Chapter 1:Lost

rMy name is farhanah Ahmed; I am 16 years old... young right? I know,
I am from a family of eight (8); my mum, dad, five siblings {Maryam, Abdullah, Habibah, Zainab & khadijah} o course and me…
I am the second girl in my family but the third child. I got admission to college to study Islamic studies...
It 4:30am... Today I am resuming college can’t wait  I am so excited that if the excitement in me could become a voice and scream the whole world would hear it and turn deaf afterwards...
I observed my fajr prayer I quickly dressed up wearing a royal blue flowered skirt with a white long sleeve top and a royal blue hijab to go with it, picking my phone and my white  hand bag I left my room where my sisters where still asleep since we shared the room with my sisters,
Dropping my hand bag on the sofa I walked toward the kitchen and quickly made for myself tea without milk and came to the sitting room sitting on the sofa sipping it and waiting for my dad to return from the masjid and let’s zoom off….voooooom…
Funny to think of it, I am waiting for my dad. Like seriously! I just broke record… because he always waits for me because I am always late...*smiling* can’t actually remember the last time I was early... but today is so special that I am doing the waiting...Mehn! I am excited.
Mum joined me in the sitting room after waking my sisters up to perform their fajr prayer, she sat down on the sofa took my hand and said while looking at me in the eye
“ Today you are going away from home, you will be alone, be a good ambassador of this house, you have never disappointed me please don’t, be the smart, cheerful and humble lady I brought up…taking a deep breath she continued… never compare yourself to anybody, never be deceived by anyone’s extravagant live, know your origin and live according to your standards, to try to be who you are not and always fear Allah in every decision you make, may Allah be with you all through. Amen”
With that she gave me a hug and I hugged her back saying
“Amen...thank you mum and I promise I won’t let you down”
“Sis Faree!”  We got distracted by my younger sisters Zainab and khadijah.
“Sis Faree when will you be coming back we will miss you” they said in unison
“Soon”
“Okay when you are returning buy for me chocolate” khadijah the youngest said
“Me, I want cookies” Zainab said
“Okay, in sha Allah I will” I said hugging the both of them
Finally dad came home, since my things were already placed in the car the night before, I picked my phone, my mum’s hand bag and mine, together with my mum we headed towards the car bidding farewell to my sister whom were almost in tears, then, we hit the road...yaaaay! Oh I forgot we are heading to my cousins house first to pick her up...she was a penultimate year student at my college…
Hmmmm... “My college” what a sense of ownership...well it’s my college anyway*winks*…
After picking Rhodiya my cousin we hit the road...me and my cousin took several selfies and snap chat videos…my excitement started to fade as the time passed by, since it was a long drive to my school about 8hours...gradually I got tired of taking selfies, chatting and even looking out through the windows became boring and I dozed off to dream land…zzzzzzzz………….
Farhanah! My cousin literally screamed my name as we approached the university gate...rubbing my eye I looked through the window realizing that we just passed the school gate and that we are heading toward the hostel premises...my excitement popped up again...seeing students walking up and down...some chatting..Some sitting and some reading… I couldn’t control my lip...it just got permanently tucked to smiling...
“Oookay… hear we are” announced my dad as he searched for a parking space in the hostel parking lot... immediately I jumped down from the back sit to have a good view of the hostel building, smiling like I won a trophy..
Rhodiya and I unpacked my things from the car and some hostel workers helped us to take them into the hostel since they were already familiar with my cousin…just then my dad announced that they were leaving.
Tears filled my eyes as I watched my parents leave after dropping me and cousin sister Rhodiya at the school gate...I was already missing my wonderful family...
I never thought I would cry when they leave because I was very excited about going to college but I felt like going back home with my parent...
Brought back from my thought my mum said
“Be a good girl like you have always been and put Allah first in everything you do...okay”
Like a prisoner kept in captivating my tears began to pour out because I knew I was going to be alone in this new environment and I wondered how I will cope. Will I fit in?
”okay” I said in between tears and hugged mum like she was going to disappear the moment I let go...
Yeah she was actually going to disappear because I won’t see her for long time after now I thought…
” It’s okay dear, you will do fine, c’mon wipe your tears and give me as smile to remember”
With those words I let go of her and smiled, hugging my dad I bade farewell to my parents as they drove away.
After their departure Rhodiya and I headed to our room
Yeah we are in the same room because she will put me through pending when I finally settle in since she was in her penultimate year and I was just a fresher.
Entering the hostel Rhodiya entered a room I suppose to be ours and I followed, her roommate rushed toward us oh! Sorry I mean her...I am still unknown to them I guess…
Hugging and exchanging pleasantries during which one said
“Is she your sister? Or who is she?”...oh! Sorry for keeping you guys waiting everyone meet my sister my cousin sister actually farhanah and farhanah please meet my roommates...pointing to them one by one she said
“This is Amira, Debbie, Sumayya and Nana-Fatimah” each coming to hug me as she called their names…
After the exchange of pleasantries I looked around the hostel it was a bit less than what I expected from a college hostel. It had bunks with mattress on them about three bunks, also cupboard at extreme end of the room and a door leading to the bathroom I guess, nice actually well-arranged and well maintained but considering the fact that I was expecting
“OMG...WOOOOW!” and I got “OMG wow???” kind off explains my disappointment.