manal | achraf hakimi [COMPLETE]

.3

not edited!

manal's pronounciation is 'ma-naal'
iman's pronounciation is 'ee-mahn'
sufiyane's pronounciation is 'soo-fi-yaan'
and just in case people don't know,
achraf is pronounced 'ash-raf'

published: 15/12/2022

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[941 words]
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half a year later (again)

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'where's the, uh, girl?' the confused now 15 year old asked as he entered his aunts house again. he had expected the neighbour to be here, but instead, it was only his aunt and iman's expectant faces greeting them in the courtyard.

'manal?' iman questioned, as she took some of achraf's mothers luggage to move into the guest room.

achraf nodded, acting aloof.

'she's going to extra classes. i see her a lot less now, compared to before.' there was a disappointment in his eyes, one that he didn't even register with himself. he didn't know why he was upset that she wasn't here, it wasn't like she lived here. he tried reasoning with himself but he had accepted the truth half a year ago.

he liked manal faez. she was quiet, reserved, calm, everything he didn't expect from someone who would be friends with iman. but he liked it. the girls from school in madrid were full of life, excitable and chatty, which wasn't bad but manal opened a fresh perspective for him.

iman noticed his deflated mood, having an inkling as to what caused it.

'what's wrong?' iman had grown taller, but not as tall as achraf. she patted his shoulder, as though encouraging him to be open with her. the pair were close, more like siblings. they shared a close bond, being close in age. his mother had told him that iman was in essence his sister, as she had taken care of her as a child.

'nothing.' was what he said, but iman guessed there was obviously something more to it than met the eye.

'anyways, football. let's go play.' achraf tried to distract that curious eyes of his cousin with the sport they loved the most.

iman looked at him strangely.

'achraf, the azan is literally happening. the pitch is empty right now. we'll go later.' call to prayer. he nodded understandingly, having just realised the sound that was audible in the distance.

the two came to eat when imans mother gently told the boy to come back to eat later.

'achraf, honey, don't you want to go to the masjid first? you've gotten older, you should be aiming to pray there now.' she was guiding him to what the tradition was in morocco, and other muslim majority countries.

'yes, habibi, go pray and then you can come eat. we'll wait for you.' my love. his mother also joined in. achraf nodded and made his way out.

he walked past the makeshift pitch and looked over to where manal's house was, sitting silently in the village dust.

he shook his head and continued towards the little mosque when he came face to face with a girl wearing a hijab and an abaya. he recognised her face, a little surprised to see her change her get up in the span of 6 months. a little boy stood with her, peering up curiously at the tall boy.

she had become taller, but not as tall as him. her eyes were still the same shade of light brown and the freckles on her face had become fainter. she looked more grown up, just like him.

'manal?'

'salam alaikum.' she replied, making him feel foolish.

'walaikum salam.' he looked at the child that stood next to her. he shared her features, and he guessed was her brother.

'do you need to say something?' she said after a moment of silence. she didn't know where this conversation was going.

'oh, uhm, yes.' her brother started pulling on her robe, trying to get her attention. she looked down at her watch and silently urged him to continue. when he remained sheepish and silent, she spoke.

'well?'

'are you going to come play football?' he asked timidly. the little boy was on the verge of a tantrum started pulling her hands more aggressively.

'sufiyane. please wait a moment.' she told him sweetly, before shaking her head at the boy in front of her.

'i have to study.' it was true, and she didn't look the type to lie about something as simple as this.

'but we will meet, right? me, you and iman, just like last year?' he was getting desperate to convince her.

'look, achraf, no offence, but i don't get why we specifically have to meet.' she wasn't stupid. she knew why achraf wanted to meet her. iman had been right last year, and she was simply not interested then. the case was the same now too.

'manal!' the little boy finally lost patience and pulled her towards him, breaking the conversation.

'i'm sorry, i'll have to go.' she quickly said goodbye to him, walking faster to catch up to the pace the little boy sufiyane had set for her.

achraf stood for a second before shaking his head and continuing to walk towards the mosque.

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'i met her.' he told iman later that evening. iman knew who he was referring to. the two were absently passing the football to each other in the makeshift pitch next to the trees where iman and manal sat last time.

'where?' she looked confused. she knew that manal went out of her way to avoid him, especially now that she was taking religious studies with advanced arabic. she didn't want to talk to boys, and neither did she have the time to.

'on the way to the mosque.'

'ah makes sense.' iman nodded along, the learning centre was next to it.

'what did she say?' she added.

achraf looked down at the ball that he sent flying into the tree.

'nothing.'

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i hope it's becoming obvious what the muslim aspects of the story are! terribly sorry that morocco is out of the world cup but i mean their run up to the semi's has to be one of the greatest stories, if not the greatest, to have come out of this world cup.

thank you for reading, please do comment and vote!
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