The Perks of Being a Hijabi

Chapter Eighteen

Today is my wedding. Today I will be a new woman, a wife. The wife of Hussen. Today is the day my father will feel better inshallah. Today.

All I could think of were the events I wanted to happen today. I only wanted happiness on my wedding day, no sorrow, no anger. But sadly that is much easier said than done. My Baba was on his death bed, or so we thought. At exactly 12:00 the doctors announced his recovery.

I was making wudu for Fajir salah. And that's when my phone started ringing like crazy. I wanted to ignore it but the nasheed that was my ring tone started to annoy me. I looked over at the iPhone laying on my bedside. It was Hussen. What does he want right now?

"Asalamualakum Hussen, what is it?" I asked.

"It's your father Zainub." His voice sounded gruff, I was about to ask what about my father, but he already hung up. Panic rose up in my throat. What happened to my father? Did he get better? Did he... Horrible thought clouded my brain as I scurried to get dressed. I threw on sweats and an Aeropostale sweatshirt.

When I got downstairs Ummi and Asim were eating their breakfast quickly.

"We have to leave soon Zainub, the doctors asked us to come as quick as possible to the hospital." Ummi quickly poured a glass of milk and slid it to me. As I chugged the glass of milk, I glanced at Asim. He had been fairly quite this morning, which was very unusual, especially for him. I noticed that his face had dried tear stains, his long black eyelashes were wet. My baby brother, was crying. I placed my glass down with a thud and turned to him.

"Asim, look at me." He looked startled, but he eventually turned to me. "Why are you crying habibi?" I cups his small face with my hands. My question seemed to make him cry more. Tears began flowing down his face.

"Because," he looked down at his empty plate. "I'm scared for Baba." Those words hot me like a strike to the face. Before I knew it I was crying as well. This entire time Ummi was watching us from behind the counter. I looked at her. She was crying as well.

"We need to be strong for him, we need to pray to Allah for him." I wiped the tears off of Asim's face, then wiped my own. "Let's go, he's waiting for us."

We silently drove to the hospital.