Sunflower

Chapter One

PART ONE
SPRING.

If you is white, you is alright
if you's brown stick around
but if you's black, hmm brother get back, get back!!!

*******

"Afrah, did you see how easy pathology questions were, I bet you answered it all?" "Yes, I did Alwan, even if it wasn't the easiest I wrote."
"Yeah you sure did, if you don't answer it who will?" Soz teased. "I pray we pass with good grades, let's get to the library and get done with this degree," Afrah said gingerly.

"I need a break, aren't you guys tired, I mean we have spent days awake," Alwan said hotly. "I guess it was worth it, we could reward ourselves by going shopping. Sometimes I forget I am a girl."

"We should go shopping at Templar's square later, remember you wanted to get gifts for your nieces and nephews." "Okay okay fine, I'll go, but after that, we are going to go to the library," Afrah said firmly.
"Gee! sounds like fun to me Afrah," Soz said sarcastically. Afrah rolled her eyes skywards. They walked under the partly clouded sky, talking about everything and anything, sharing laughs...

All of it was exciting to Afrah but what was more exciting, was that she would be finalizing her exams in less than a month and she would bag that Mbbs degree in Oxford University, with both her friends, Soz and Alwan. Soz was from Istanbul, and Alwan was from Pakistan. They had been friends right from the very first day they met in the university, and since then their bond grew stronger than ever, all three of them lived together in an apartment in the west way square.

*****
They preened themselves in front of the full-length mirror as they tried on new shades."You should take this one if it suits you perfectly." Afrah said.
"I know right," Alwan said, scrutinising herself in the mirror. "What do you guys think about this coat?" Afrah draped the maroon fur coat on her body, and wore a shade,

"Looks like something I would want to have, don't you dare remove it, let's see if this shade of lipstick would match the coat," Soz said.
"Can I try this lipstick?" Afrah asked politely. "Of course you can, the lipstick is nice, but don't you think it is not perfect for your skin tone? Let your friends try it."

The saleswoman said to Afrah that she couldn't argue anymore or let someone else make her feel bad because of her brown skin tone, so she left.

"Let's unpack what you just said, you did racism," Alwan said to the lady... "I am sorry I didn't realize, no offence." "Nothing but offence was taken," Soz said heatedly.

****
They both sat beside Afrah on a lawn chair outside the mall. "Hey Afs." "Hi babes," Afrah said mildly to them.
"Are you alright?" "Yes, I am." "What that lady did was not cool," Alwan said. "It's okay guys I am used to it, it is everywhere I go and everything I do, I don't know why people should feel superior because of their skin tone."
"If it makes you feel better you are brown you still have some privileges that people with a much darker skin tone don't have." "Am cool, it is who I am, and besides if you don't see my colour, you don't see me. My sisters are so light-skinned, that people ask why I have a different shade from all my family members, it's a mantra to me. I love my skin colour, unapologetically, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, And one funny thing, is that in Nigeria, I don't feel this way, my family and friends always say my skin is golden and all of that, but here in London it is a different story, to be black and also be from Nigeria." Afrah huffed in annoyance.