Jedayel's Point of View
"Hey Jamal?" I said opening my brother's door slightly, hoping he wasn't drinking.
"What's up bro?" He asked sounding normal.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Sure thing, come on in," He said putting his laptop screen down and turning his chair to face me.
"It's about your drinking," I started.
"Oh no," He moaned, "If mom and dad put you up to this-"
"They didn't, and this is important."
He groaned.
"Do you remember anything you do when you're drunk?" I asked.
"It's fuzzy, you know like in a dream,"
"You called dad an amateur at his job,"
"I would never say that," Jamal denied, "I respect him, just not his ways."
"You said that loud and clear, you told him that he never did a good job in protecting his family,"
Jamal shook his head in disbelief.
"You broke the vase mom loved and the glass shattered right next to her feet, you could have hurt her!"
"Well then I won't come home when I'm drunk," Jamal concluded.
"There's more.."
"What are you talking about bro?"
"Mom's pregnant," I broke the news.
"No way," Jamal whispered, more to himself than me.
"It's going to be a girl, a baby girl."
"Our sister," He managed to say.
"She'll need you Jamal,"
"You're right," He said soflty. "I'll stop. I'll stop drinking."
"For good?" I asked hopefully.
He nodded.
"Well that went well," I thought.
YOU ARE READING
I Can Wear My Hijab
Teen FictionGrowing up in the west is anything but easy for the teenage Muslim Ameerah Hasaan where she is constantly questioned and bullied because of her hijab (headscarf) by her peers and neighborhood acquaintances. And if that is not enough, Ameerah is conf...
