I Can Wear My Hijab

Chapter 37

Ok, it was 7am in the morning and we were all in the airport on the way to Lebanon for the big day!

Megan, Rob, Waleed, Jedayel and I got seats at the front of the plane and the four parents got seats at the back of the plane. 

"I call dibs on the window sit!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sitting next to Ameerah," Jedayel grinned.

Megan, Rob and Waleed sat in the middle row. Thirteen hours till we reach...

"Ameerah get up, we landed," Jedayel shook me, I lifted my head off his shoulder and straightened my hijab.

We got off the plane and into the air conditioned airport.

"Our car is waiting outside," My mom said,

"Yeah, so is mine," Jedayel said craning his neck to look outside.

"Ok, so you three take care, we'll see you tonight," My mom said, Waleed and Rob were staying at Jedayel's place and Megan was coming with us, tonight was the engagement party.

"Ok, see you then,"

The four of us got out of the airport and were immediately greeted with the hot gust of wind and summer sunshine, there was not a single cloud in the clear blue sky.

"Oh this place is great!" Megan squealed, "Sunshine, the beach, everything is perfect!"

We reached my grandparents house in no time at all.

"Oh Habibty (sweetheart)!" My grandma greeted me, and then Megan as well. Than my grandpa came out with his pipe in his mouth and greeted my parents.

"So where's the lucky guy Ameerah?" My grandpa teased in arabic, I translated it for Megan after laughing at it.

"Ok," My dad came into the room Megan and I were sharing, "Get some sleep, we'll wake you up in the evening to get ready,"

"Ok Mr Hasaan," Megan said.

"Ameerah, Megan!!" My grandma called, "Yallah ya banaat! (Quickly girls)"

"What?" Megan said opening her sleepy eyes.

"Get up," I groaned, getting out of bed.

"Ameerah!" My mom bursted into the room, "Go shower! Megan help me with the dress come on girls!"

"Oh Ameerah in a dress!! You'll look great!" Megan smiled widely.

I got into the shower and let the freezing cold water pour over my hot sleepy face, then I came out with my bath robe and my hair wet.

"Dry her hair, we don't want the dress getting wet!" My mom commanded, Megan immediately switched on the hair dryer and began drying my hair.

"All done," She stated. "Now go put on the dress,"

I changed into the dress, dark blue, tight at the top, till under my hips, and loose at the bottom, not puffed up like the Disney princess's dresses, with a white design made out of pearl like stuff on the left side.

"I swear I'm dreaming!" Megan joked when she saw me.

"I know right!" My mom agreed.

"And this hijab!" Megan said holding up a white hijab  with blue cashew nut like designs on it.

"Yes it's perfect!" My mom said twirling it around my head.

"And the rings in the box!" My mom remembered, "Jedayel's little sister is going to come up with the rings!"

"Wow, if this is just the engagement imagine the wedding!" I thought aloud.

"You have no idea," My mom laughed.

"Woah, so many people!" I thought entering the hall.

"Hey there princess," Jedayel said, I turned around. "Woah!"

"What?"

"You look amazing beyond words!"

"Aww," I teased.

"Hey stay close ok? I don't know any one from you're side of the family,"

"Ok," I laughed.

"Aaah so here is the lucky guy huh?" My grandma joked.

"Yeah, here he is," I laughed and so did Jedayel.

"Jedayel! Keyfik (how are you)?" Some one I didn't know greeted.

"Nice choice," My grandma nudged me when he had turned around.

"Ameerah this is my cousin-"

"Najah?" I said.

"No way, Ameerah?" She exclaimed.

"How do you two know each other?" Jedayel cut in, confused.

"Oh, Ameerah helped me out in a sticky situation," She winked at me, she sounded much less shy then she did when I saw her in University.

"Oh, right sticky situation, I understand," Jedayel said.

Both of us laughed.

"So how've you been?" I asked her.

"Much better!" She started, her eyes widening in excitement, "Since the day you told me what you told me, I realised if that was the case then I need to speak out and speak up for myself, I've even given a few lectures at the university!"

"No way!"

"Yeah, wouldn't have believed it myself a few years ago!"

"Every body, the rings!" Jedayel's mom announced from the stage.

"That's our call," Jedayel grinned.

Jedayel's little sister looked ADORABLE in her pink dress and her hair tied at the top of her head, the rings were in the cushion which was in her hands, as she came up, the crowd all 'awwwed'.

I took the ring first and slipped it on Jedayel's huge finger, a silver ring with a quite large sapphire stone, I knew he loved sapphires since like forever. Then he took his ring and put it on my finger.

"Awwww," The crowd went.

It was 2am in the morning and the party was still going on, that's how the Lebanese are, party till you drop.

Jedayel had gone missing for a while, I guessed he would be outside in the courtyard, I went out to find him because it was really awkward talking to his family and having no idea how they are related to him. I excused myself from the huge circle of people discussing god knows what.

"So here's where your lost," I said putting my hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah.. Lost in thought,"

"What thought?" I asked softly.

"Ameerah," He said, resting his forehead on mine, "I have nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"I have a job but the salary is barely enough to make ends meet, I live in a one bedroom apartment..              I can't give you anything." He sighed.

"I don't want anything," I said.

"If you want to back out -"

"No," I cut him off, tightening my grip on his arms. "I don't care what you have, I don't care if all you own is a ragged piece of cloth, I only care about you,"

"Did any one ever tell you you're amazing?" He grinned, looking like a weight was lifted off his back.

"Quite a few times," I joked.