"No one knows what is kept hidden for them as a reward for their good deeds. (Quran 32:17)
Two weeks after my American Idol victory, I'm getting ready for prom. It's at Bodega Bay, which is a beach about thirty minutes away.
I put on my green prom dress I bought with my mom in LA a few months before. My older sister, Khadijah, did my hair and makeup earlier. My makeup is in an Arabic style that matches the dress. My hair is in an elegant bun.
As it nears six thirty p.m., I add finishing touches like jewelry, lip gloss, etc. Francisco is supposed to pick me up at six thirty. Our prom starts at seven. He's driving me there since the school is letting us have our own transportation.
"You look beautiful, habibty," my dad says as I wait in the living room. He hugs me tightly.
"Shukran, baba. I'm excited to go," I say. I'm glad that Francisco ended up being my date instead of Aman.
The doorbell rings. Everyone literally rushes to the door. My dad opens it.
Francisco walks in with a bouquet of roses, my favorite flower. I admit he looks very handsome in his suit and tie. I've never seen him so dressed up.
He sees me and smiles. He comes and hands me the roses.
"Thank you, Francisco," I say and smile.
"La shukr ala wajb, Alina," he says. My whole family is impressed by his Arabic including myself.
My mom takes the flowers from me and puts them in a vase in the kitchen.
"Before you go, we need pictures," my mom says. We all laugh.
To pose for pictures, Francisco wraps an arm around me. I wrap an arm around him too. I notice I'm still shorter than him in my wedges. I rarely wear wedges. I never wear heels because I absolutely hate them.
We then leave. Francisco surprisingly opens the passenger seat door for me before he gets into his own seat.
"You look really nice," Francisco says to me as we drive to the beach.
"Thank you. So do you," I say. He smiles.
We get to the beach and go into the venue they're having it in. What's cool is that there's a dock that people can go out to and there's a private beach we have access to as well.
When everyone arrives, the music starts playing. I don't particularly like it so we just walk around the beach. Soon, it's almost sunset and it looks beautiful.
"Alina, I have to tell you something," Francisco looks over to me after we talk about random things.
"What is it?" I ask. He looks to the ground. I can see that he's nervous. I don't know whether to be frightened or not. He takes in a deep breath.
"Ever since I first met you, I've always had feelings for you. I know I've never admitted it before, but it's true. You're just so beautiful and smart and real down-to-earth. I've always wanted a girl like you. I knew I was out of your league. That's why I dated some girls, but none of them compared to you. So, eventually I just stopped dating.
"When you got engaged to Aman, my whole world shattered. At first, I thought he was right for you. He even had the courage to say something to you unlike me. Then, I started to notice that he wasn't right for you. I hoped and prayed that you would realize it. I feel bad because you went through such a traumatic experience with him.
"I love you Alina. I really do. I don't know if you feel the same way. If you don't, then I understand," he explains.
I'm shocked. Francisco kept that quiet for almost four years! But then I wonder if he's telling me the truth.
YOU ARE READING
Alina Kanaan
SpiritualCOVER BY: Meromada_Floweritta Alina was born in Palestine and has lived through some of the most intense and horrid wars in the country. At the age of 14, she and her family move to California for a new start. Since singing is her passion, she audit...
