This is How We End

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Your hijab is not to protect you from men. It is to honor you as a woman..." my mother said gently as she pinned my old rose satin hijab. Ngumiti siya sa akin at ihinarap ako sa salamin. "You look beautiful, Parvana."

I stared at my reflection at the mirror. The sun's gentle rays entered my room, filtered with the thin white curtain and casted a soft glow on my face. My bespoken long-sleeve uniform, tailored to suit my needs is just as comfortable as I wanted it to be. I glanced at my dark-blue pleated skirt uniform. I'm sure it's at least three inches longer than the regular skirts of female students.

Nasanay na din akong ganito ang suot. Baba is over-protective when it comes to his only child. He's very traditional, my old man. He wants me to remain as a little girl and protect me from everything that might harm me.

"Do I look like a grown-up, already?" inosente kong tanong kay Mama Normillah.

She smiled at me and gently patted my head. "More than you could ever be, Parvana."

Sinipat ko ulit ng tingin ang suot na uniporme. I'm already 14 years old, a Grade 9 student. My long-sleeve blouse and hijab would probably keep the other students away from me. It's okay, though. Nasanay na din naman ako sa ganitong treatment simula nang dumating kami dito sa Pilipinas.

"Now, remember, you go home after your class. Huwag kang sasama sa kung sinu-sino..." mahinang sita sa akin ni Mama.

I nodded my head and grabbed my bag. Ibinigay ni Mama sa akin ang inihanda niyang lunchbox at sinamahan ako palabas sa aking kwarto.

I found Baba, sitting silently by the porch. A mug of coffee is rested on our mantled round table. Baba is old and very traditional. Maybe because we are Acehnese people, having to root from the old province of Aceh, Indonesia. I spent my childhood there as a little Muslim girl until one day, my parents announced that we are going to flee from the province and move here permanently in Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental.

Mama Normillah was not born as a Muslim girl. She is a Catholic and married my Baba when she was still 18 years old. I don't know much about their love story, because Baba rarely talks about it. All I know is that Mama Normillah converted her religion when she married my Baba and they conceived me, five years after their marriage. My Mama Normillah, being a Filipina woman, allowed me to speak Tagalog without difficulty despite being born and living in Indonesia.

"Baba... I'm going." Tumikhim ako upang agawin ang kaniyang atensiyon.

Baba glanced at me. A growl sounded in his throat before he nodded his head. Ibinalik na naman niya ulit ang kaniyang malayong tingin sa niyugan sa harapan ng aming terazza.

Mama Normillah adjusted her own hijab before gently taking my hands.

"Be a good girl at school, alright?"

"Yes, Mama Normillah."

"Alhamdulillah for having such a good daughter like you." she kissed my cheeks gently.

Nginitian ko si Mama Normillah at Baba bago ako nagtungo sa naghihintay na na tricycle para sa akin. I slid inside and adjusted my uniform bago ko nilingon si Manong Driver.

"Sa Maryknoll High School po, Manong..."

He nodded his head and started the engine. Walang ibang sakay ng tricycle kundi ako lang. We passed by a vast rice fields before the tunnel of trees claimed the sides of the roads.

I fell in love with this provincial town the moment we got here. It's like our town in Aceh, lots of trees and reminders of the nature's beauty. I had a lot of friends way back in Aceh, though I don't know if I could gain some new friends here. If it's Allah's plan to give me a whole new circle of friends, I would gladly accept them in my life.