Picture this, a cool rock star forced to wear a tutu ballet dress, painful isn’t it? That’s exactly how I felt when my mother forced me to wear a long dark blue dress to pretty me up. *roll eyes* as if looking good even matters to me.
My father saw my puking face when I was forced to wear such a girly frilly outfit, which inevitably led into a little argument with my mother. I sighed at the whole charade. I covered my ears, and locked myself at my room for the first time, I was excited for Khalil’s arrival, just to get away from all this.
They were at it again; the smallest thing became a huge fight over me. They didn’t now, it was affecting me too. I tried to hold back the tears; I didn’t want to taste my salty pain. The doorbell rings, finally he’s here. And so I leave my room and enters the lion’s den of the so-called-cliché of a thing called “A date”.
“Hey…”
I look up at him, he was wearing a simple black v-shirt, jeans and sneakers the typical outfit of the carefree boy. I suddenly felt lie an idiot with this dress I was in when we were in-front of the beach having a picnic.
He knew how to cook, a pleasant surprise. “Care to share what you’re thinking of?” I wanted to convey the sadness of my heart but I couldn’t. He might take it in a wrong way. Besides I wasn’t comfortable revealing my vulnerable side just yet. I tried to stir the attention away from this depressing thought. “Hey what was the note about?”
He smiled with embarrassment, sliding his hand through his silky black hair, “You really want to know the cheesiness of it all?” I nodded.
He sighed and laughed with the hint of nervousness, “Well Farhanna Malik, I started liking you, long before you even took notice of me. Or anyone for that matter.” He leaned back at the grains of sand, going back to the past.
“You were still a freshmen then, you were wearing a white blouse and just a simple jeans. And then you just walked pass by me with the most sad-looking eyes that made me want to know the story behind it.”
“So I tried to ask around. But I only managed to get your name. I figured you were the silent type but I still hope you’ll make enough friends so at least I could acquire information about you. But sadly you never made any friends, never a single one in these three years!” his green eyes grew large with his immersion in his storytelling.
“You were such a mystery to all of us, but I was too hesitant to approach you. Finally I plucked up the courage to smile at you one time but you only ignored me. Every day in all those years, I tried to smile at you, but I’ve never seen you cracked a single one!”
“And that’s when I realize you weren’t playing hard to get at all. You really just had a hard time trying to be with us. It was as if something damaged your smiling abilities.”
He was so close. No please, don’t. How could this perfect stranger know so much about me when he knew nothing at all in the first place? I cringed at the thought of him seeing all of my scars.
Khalil smiles, “That’s why I’ve wanted you, I’ve always have. I want to make you smile Farhaty. Cliché as this might sound, but you were the one who made my life better when I was having a hard time; even when you never even glance my way.”
He tugged a piece of my heart. I question the sudden mushiness of my silliness. I never talked, I just listened to his melody And that didn’t even bothered him.
“Why were you having a hard time? What’s the reason?” curiosity getting the best out of me, as the sea breeze caressed my brown hair.
He was playing with the sands, “Well, I was an outcast for a reason. High school life is hard with all the immaturities of kids, and their stereotyping. I don’t even blame them either since that’s their prerogative.”
He then looked at me, “I was an outcast because of my religious, because of my beliefs and because of my principles. And I don’t mind being an outcast if it means at least I’m trying to fight my own jihad than succumb to temptations.”
Respect formed into my green minty eyes. Here I was lamenting about life when he was fighting his way through it just to please Allah (s.w.t), a kind of level f iman; I only hope to achieve and maybe surpass Inshaa Allah!
He then blabbers about his seven brothers and one and only sister---Sheva. I kinda vaguely remember the six year old girl who was in her kindergarten 2 in our school as well. She was literally the smaller girl version of Khalil. And then about his doting mother, his father who was busy doing da’wah all the time because he was an Aleem, so he retired early and gave it to one of his son to concentrate on doing da’wah. (call to Islam) But since Khali was in his senior high (grade 12) at the age f 19, his father let him focus on his school still.
He was such an open warm hearted person that I never expected him to be. Well, until now. I never really took notice of anyone aside from Andrew. Now I figured out why they were friends with each other, though Andrew’s father and Khalil’s elder brother---Hamza are arch-enemy at the business world, they were ironically friends.
He asks these silly little questions about me things like; what’s my favorite color: blue
My favorite band;
Maroon 5
My favorite site;
Wattpad just to read.
My favorite animal;
Polar bears
My favorite flowers;
The water lily, because despite of the messiness of it’s surroundings, it still manages to thrive on. I call it the “Survival flower”.
My favorite clothes;
Mango
My hobby?
Sleeping
I put my hands up, stopping him from consumning my whole entity that quickly. I mean I know he has been waiting for this for years, but I think he’ll like this question though; “Khalil, aren’t yu going to ask me the moost important question of them all?”
He frowns a little with thick eyebrows, I waited for it sink in he scratched his head in confusion, “I’m not done asking I thin?” Wait…” he saw my oh so innocent face, a smile was starting to form into his face. He had the expression of the “You-gotta-be-kidding-me-kind-of-look” but he still asks anyway; the sun was setting down, giving us a pink hazy orange atmosphere.
He sighed nervously, “Farhanna will you marry me?” praying to Allah (s.w.t) that I would answer him. There was a sparkle in my eyes that was the closest to a smile that I could ever give; I nodded my head and said yes.
YOU ARE READING
To See Her Smile (ON HOLD FOREVER)
Novela JuvenilI've been depressed since as far as I can remember. I guess it started when I was 9 when my grandma died, when she left she took a huge chunk in my heart. And the other reasons why I hated life are still unfathomable to me. I look healthy on the...
