Palestwinians.

Awkward.

 "If you believe in justice, surely you believe in the hereafter. Because this world is not just" - Nouman Ali Khan

Dedicated to @sammy_96 one of my first supporters and a beautiful person inside and out.

Chapter 10 - Awkward

I was staring off into space, completely zoned out and in a realm of my own. I tend to do that a lot – my brain likes to take the smallest of ideas and turn them into something phenomenal. It was a wild party in there and I doubt anyone could last two seconds in my brain before exploding. 

I sensed something move over my glazed eyes and when I focused and came back to reality, I realised Salma had been waving her hand in front of my face. 

“Earth to Yasmine,” she said, laughing at my dumbfounded face. Shaymah, who was sitting cross-legged across from us just rolled her eyes and continued to play temple run on her phone. 

“What are you thinking about so deeply, huh?” Salma asked, her eyes twinkling. I gave her a glare since I knew what she was implying. Ever since I had told them about what happened a few nights ago with Zach, they’ve formed this theory that Zach ‘likes’ me. I couldn’t believe how cliché they were being and they hadn’t gotten off my case since. 

“Don’t deny the lurve you feel sista! Embrace it with open arms,” Salma said, excitedly, flinging her arms around my shoulders and crushing me in a hug. Whilst Shaymah roared with laughter I just shook my head at her antics, amusement clearly etched on my face. 

“You’re delusional. Anyway,” I said, lying down on the grass, making myself more comfortable, “even if he did, the feelings aren’t mutual. I see Zach as my brother and if that’s not mutual, he’s gonna have to put up with it,” I finished off. 

“Wow, that’s brutal,” Shaymah added. Salma had an incredulous look on her face, as if she couldn’t believe what I had just said. 

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m telling the truth,” I said and continued to close my eyes, letting my face absorb the sun. I heard Salma huff frustratedly, before picking up her book and turning the page to continue reading. 

What I was really thinking about before they destroyed my reverie was the fact that half the world was declared obese whilst the other half were living below the poverty line. I had read the fact online yesterday night and until now I couldn’t stop contemplating how corrupt this world really is. To further add to my depression, I had overheard my parents talking last night, my father was informing my mother that his cousin in Ramallah had been evicted from his house and was now homeless. He couldn’t even come to Gaza and live with us since there was no way the Israeli military would let him and his family through. It broke my heart hearing that, especially since my father sounded so tired and helpless, as if the whole of the world’s burdens were on his shoulders. 

Although my father was never one to give up and always put on a tough exterior, sometimes people went through low points. I knew he’d never appear or speak that way in front of me or my siblings but with mum that was different. He resolved to contact another friend of his living in Ramallah to take in his cousin and I watched on as mum comforted him and then within minutes he was laughing again. I was always amazed at how convicted and well persevered the men were in our city and it filled me with happiness knowing that, no true Palestinian would ever give up protecting their land, no matter how low their morale was.   

My only form of solace that always managed to deflate my negative feelings was the belief that Allah was watching over the disadvantaged and oppressed and truly justice would be served. 

God my thoughts really take a turn to the left sometimes.     

I sighed and got up. As much as I would love to bake in the sun until I was crispy, I had exams right around the corner. Meaning it was time to get fat whilst crying over blank pages of work.