The Ummah: The outbreak

Chapter 7

Christmas eve. That marked the 7th week of my freedom. I wasn't happy though, because it also marked the 7th week of the death of my family and Muhammad. I always tried the push the though out of my head. They didn't care about me. But I had loved them once upon a time. I wished they would have heeded my warning. 

Those men could have only killed them because they hated muslims. I had recognized them from around the neighborhood, and they always acted petty toward our family. Anyways, after I was a ways away, and since I had left my phone at school after the fight that I had with Abbey, I dialed 911 from a pay phone and told them about what was going on.

As for school, I decided to drop out. What was the point? Everyone would recognize me and still tease me no matter what I did. Abbey would give me hell. Amber would probably avoid me like she was probably doing right then. I would have no peace, and then there would have been no point in me denouncing Islam.

Stop it, came a voice from the back of my head. Probably my conscience. I sighed and got up from the bench I had been sitting on. I supposed I could go to the Christmas Eve speech that the president would be having in Times Square before he headed back to Washington. There was nothing else to do except for go back to my empty apartment and try to hide from the landlord to avoid rent. I didn't have a job yet and he didn't understand how hard it was to find one.

As I walked down Center Drive, I watched everyone else who were with friends or loved ones, in nice clothes and talking and laughing. It depressed me. I had been lonely for almost 2 months now and yearned for companionship. 

I shoved my hands in my coat pockets and walked the rest of the 15 minutes empty minded. When I reached Times Square, it seemed that the President had been speaking for a while now. He, President Michael Salent, was young for a president, coming in at 39 years of age. He was a tall and proper man. His suits were always black when he made public appearances, and his hair always in a short faux hawk. He made the hairstyle look formal though.

I remained at the back of the crowd, a few feet behind everyone else with my hands in my pockets, and half listened to what he was saying. Something about how he was determined to help this city heal and be happy for Christmas.

I honestly hated politics. They may have had everyone else wrapped around their finder, but I never would be. There were so many things about the government no one knew, and that I only knew because I had always done extensive research on it since middle school. It was interesting, and with everything I found out, the more I hated the country. That was why when I got to college, I wanted to major in sociology and psychology so I could figure out what was wrong with society...

When I tuned back in to the speech, I realized that everyone was looking at me in silence.

I looked around in surprised confusion. 

The president chuckled into the microphone. "Yes, you dear. Come up here with me for a moment."

I got a bit afraid. Could he sense that I had a muslim past and was going to kill me?

"I don't bite, I promise," President Salent laughed.

I chewed my lip, but began to walk. As I took my first step, everyone began to cheer. What was going on? I should have been paying attention.

It took me quite a minute to get to where the president stood, but when I did, he placed his hand on the small of my back gently.

"Hello, my dear," he said smiling at me kindly. "I'm sorry I bored you back there."

The crowd laughed.

My cheeks got hot. "Oh, n-no, I wasn't..."

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

I was so close to telling him my real name, but I couldn't. I absolutely couldn't. There were cameras everywhere. This was being broadcast to the whole nation. If anyone heard my muslim name, it wouldn't be long before islamophobes would hunt me down.

"Niah," I said into the microphone. I stood straighter. "Niah Walsh."

"Beautiful name, beautiful," he said in the microphone. "What are your plans for tonight and tomorrow? Spend time with family? Friends? Head to the mall?" He held the microphone up to me again as the crowd chuckled.

"I, uh..." I was about to lie and say yes, but my mouth wouldn't let me.  "I lost my family a few weeks back... And I don't have friends... So I might just go back to my apartment and sleep."

There was a collective "aww," and President Salent looked at me sadly.

"I'm so sorry about your loss... But I highly doubt you have no friends, you're so beautiful," he looked out at Times square. "Am I right?"

Everyone cheered loudly and I smiled and blushed. "Thank you, but, I'm pretty sure I have none," I laughed.

"I just simply cant accept that you wont be doing anything for the holidays. Especially Christmas! You see this?" He held up a long, flat box wrapped beautifully in sky blue wrapping paper and black ribbon.

I nodded.

"I was going to give this to you, but... I'd like to give you more. How would you like this gift, as well as spending Christmas at the White House?"

The crowd cheered again as I looked up at him in awe. "Really?"

He smiled and nodded at me, then gave me the gift. "Wait for me over there." He pointed toward two huge security guards standing on the far left side of the stage. I did as he told me.

As he finished his speech and giving out gifts to random people, I began to get suspicious. There had to be more to this. There had to. This was too good to be true. My gut told me that someone must've reported Muhammad and I as terrorists, probably those four men that attacked us in the smoke. Since Muhammad was gone though, they must've tracked me down. 

Now the president was playing everything off like I was his holiday charity case, but in reality, I was on my way to a torture chamber for interrogation. A knot formed in my stomach.  

Nice going, Christina.