Home is where freedom rings

Chapter six | way with the smile

*Khadijahs POV*

Walking into English class I felt dozens of pairs of eyes on me, I ignored them and walked in the room from the hallway

I was like half an hour late but oh well

"Finally decided to show up eh?" The professor said as I made my way to a desk "nope, come here" he said beckoning me to join him at the front of the class

I mentally rolled my eyes but I turned around and stood where he had asked, preparing to be hit with whatever type of insult he came up with

"Would ur mind telling the class why you're late Ms?"

"Khadijah" I answered "and I had a problem with the office about my classes that took some time to solve but Alhumdul- Thank god" I switched the language quickly and smoothly but not quick enough apparently

"Al Hamduul?" He asked raising a brow "mind telling us what that means Ms Khadija" I knew what his motive was now, he was trying to make a fool out of me, I will not allow it

"Alhumdullah- it basically means thank god in Arabic, which happens to be my mother language" I replied in a bored tone

"Well this is English class darling not Arabic"

"Hence why I changed it to thank god" I replied looking him in the eye

He rolled his eyes at me "you think you're smart huh?" Oh hell no I would not let him embarrass me like that in front of the whole class- and Omer

" Well I don't think I'm dumb" I replied innocently crossing my arms in front of my chest"Now may I please go to seat sir?"

This conversation was getting boring and I want to learn something other than that my English professor is a pain in the ass

He looked quite offended and I had to fight back a laugh, as he simple said "as you wish" I looked and saw the whole class watching me, except Omer who was reading a novel when he looked up at me for a split second, then he immediately went back to his book

I chose the only seat that was behind him, it was in the back next to the window in the last row, I leaned on the back of my chair and played with my pen while watching the teacher write some sort of assignment on the board

Of course it was a introduction/what did you do in the summer essay, of course out of all the topics in this huge world we get to write the worst one

I rolled my eyes and took out a piece of paper from my notebook, Omer turned his head and asked if he could have a paper, I nodded and ripped another paper from my notebook when he smiled as he received it- kind of like a thank you, but before he turned his head to the board he whispered "You're so funny Wallah, it was so hard not to burst out laughing at you and his argument"

I laughed softly "no because seriously? I accidentally said an Arabic word and Qamat Al Qiyamah "

"Wallah, anyways thank you for the paper haha"

I shrugged and started writing my essay, I talked about walking through parks, and going to old artificial places in Syria, I wrote about traveling to America and I wrote it in a way where I acted as though my summer couldn't get better

That wasn't a complete lie, my summer was good Alhumdullah but you know sometimes the bombs that drop, sometimes it's hearing the screams of children, sometimes it's the elderly closing their eyes with fear, the question "are we going to lose anyone"? Ringing in the ears of dozens if not hundreds

I made it seem as though this summer was the summer of my dreams

Where we could be free and not scared of opening our mouth in public, where we could go to bed at peace

Maybe, Inshallah maybe one day, all arab countries, where it's Lebanon, Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria, Inshallah one day every Arab country will be free

Maybe one day.

Putting down my pen as I wrote the final sentence about my summer, I pushed back tears from the back of my eyes, I can not cry at school, I will stand up my head high and my back straight, I will show them that my mother raised me right, that she and my father taught me to be strong yet kind, brave yet gentle, determined but with a purpose

The bell rang and we gave the teacher our essays, we were out the door to the cafeteria, me and Omer walked to get Tasneem, it weren't as though we were walking together but he certainly didn't distance himself

Soon we met up with Tasneem who was complaining about this girl who asked her why she was wearing a towel, she didn't mean it in an offensive way but that's what made it so damn funny

Sometimes I am throughly dissapointed that murder is illegal- some people"

"Calm down tasneem" I laughed "she didn't even mean it like that-"

"MY HIJAB DOESNT LOOK LIKE A TOWEL!" She yelled, I had to shush her down because people were starting to look at us weirdly

Omer was laughing hardly "Tasneem I really can't take you anywhere" he said between laughs

"You don't even go anywhere your antisocial ass forbids it-"

They argued all the way to our table. And I could say with full confidence that this was the most funny thing I've ever witnessed in my life

Arabic glossary

Alhumdullah: Thank god/praise be to god
Wallah: I swear by god
Qamat Al Qiyamah: an Arabic phrase, meaning that "the day of resurrection has occurred" used when someone overreact
Inshallah: by gods will

Thanks for reading <3 Eid Mubarak :)