“What happened to your hijab?”Mama asked me the next morning when she came in for breakfast and saw me folding it before putting it in a plastic bag.
“A non-muslim and a smoothie. Alhamdulillah, it could have been worse. I’ll drop it off at the dry cleaners before work”. I said sitting down at the kitchen table and pouring myself a glass of fresh orange juice.
“You don’t have to wear hijab for a while. Wait until times become easier”. Mama said looking at me sympathetically.
“Mama this time it was the Paris bombings, before that the Boston bombing and before that it was 911. Why should I wait until people forget about things? They treat me like an outsider because I cover my hair. I will never do anything that compromises my faith”. I protested.
“Nuriyah try and understand I know where you’re coming from but”. She tried to reason with me.
“But I’ll lose my job? But what mama? They’ll deport me?”
“They’ll deport us. Has that even crossed your mind Nuriyah?” She said indignantly.
“Did I come in at a bad time?” Papa said coming in with our fresh vegetables which he goes out to buy every morning from the Bukhara market.
“Not a bad time at all we were just busy discussing the state of the Ummah”. I say my tone sarcastic.
“Aye, that's a glum topic for 8:00 in the morning. Have you heard the news?” He said setting the packet of groceries on the kitchen counter.
“What news?” I asked confused. “Your cousin Isabella is engaged”. Mama answered proudly.
“Oh wow. Good for her” I didn’t mean for it to come out harshly but it did and mama snapped. I avoid her glare by rinsing my glass by the kitchen tap before putting it on the drying rack.
“Despite what you think of other people there are good people out there. And despite being the independent person that you are, you can still get married and have kids”. Mama scolded.
Ugh, not this marriage thing again?! I thought making a fist. But mama did have a point so being the good childe that I am I apologized and said I would call Isabella later.
I then grabbed my bag and gave Mama a kiss before walking out of the kitchen.
Before stepping out the front door I checked if my outfit was on point. Today I was wearing a black hijab with a red jersey and black jeans with matching black ankle boots. It was early autumn which meant colder weather and warmer clothes.
“I’ll see you later. Assalamualaikum”. I called out to my parents before leaving the house.
