If I run

Chapter 17 (Abigail)

"Hello mom" I said walking to the table she was already at "hello Abigail" she said sweetly "so what did you need to tell me" I asked, desperately wanting to know "well dear, your grandmother, my mom apparently saw an issue of cosmopolitan where you were on the cover in lingerie... she called me and she was worried you weren't being a good Muslim" she said and I started laughing "your joking right?" "no, in afraid in not, she's old and who knows how much longer well have her, please come back to Missouri with me, just show her your still a good girl and it will all be sorted out" she said "wait a second isn't Ramadan..." "yes it is, please it would mean the world to her and me, you mean the world to her... besides Robbie will be there and all the cousins" she said trying to tempt me "Rahjet Kurd?" I asked "yes that Robbie, you've never once called him Rahjet in your life... I remember the first time you met, oh I was so happy when they finally came over from Pakistan..." she said remembering her early childhood life in Pakistan and her best friend poppy, that's what I've always been told to call her, I'm not even sure what her real name is actually. "Robbie, was such a cute little boy... especially with you" she said "mom, Robbie and I were friends and I haven't seen him in years... besides he was like a brother to me" I said and she sighed "why don't you like Collin?" I asked "its not that I don't like him... but you worked so hard to get away from those people and you just kind of fell back into the hole you finally got out of." she said "I understand, but I don't think I am, I'm happy with what I have, whatever it is" I said "but is it stable, he's a writer they don't have stable incomes, you do... but I'm telling you now that when he's living off of you because he hasn't written something in years and his hair is falling out and he's fat... you may regret everything.. and what would you do if you got pregnant? your career is over for 9 months and maybe more and then your figure is all messed up" she said "well, I don't have to worry about that part.. because I can't have children... I tell everyone I take birth control, but it's a lie I went to a doctor an everything, I can't have kids" I said plainly "oh sweetie, I'm sorry" she said hugging me as we walked out "its fine, it just makes everything easier, I don't have to worry about it ruining clothes or swelling my feet" I said but she hugged me again "Abigail, you may act like you don't care, but it takes a toll and it affects you. you care because even if you didn't want to have kids the option was taken away from you and you can't get it back" she said and I leaned my head on her shoulder "why is it that Tony and I are the only ones that look like you, were tall and have the tan skin and dark hair, while Emmy, Oscar and Maria all have pale skin with light hair?" I asked "I'm not sure, I was never good with genetics, but I was certainly surprised when I saw you and Maria together as twins and you looked nothing alike" she said smiling and remembering my childhood. "so when am I leaving, for the US?" I asked "well, tomorrow, so go home and pack and bring that boy with you, if he can survive Ramadan then he's a keeper, especially with my family" she said laughing, we said goodbye and parted "don't forget your veil and hijab and that clothing you hate so much" she said with a smile and smirk... why does everyone seem to like smirking at me? Shit, where is the closest Muslim supplies store? I went back to my apartment and he was still here "hey, so you can either say yes or no... but I have to go to America for Ramadan and you can come or not" I said and he looked at me weird "what's Ramadan?" "it's a Muslim holiday where you cant eat or drink or have sex or anything close to it or anything sinful from dawn to sunrise" I said and he looked at me again weird "your Muslim?" "yes and I'm not a terrorist" I said annoyed "so you have to wear those veil thingys?" he asked smirking "yes I do and also a hijab and this really annoying dress that floats off you, and you can't see a line or shape" I said sighing "well I probably should come with you since I'm just now finding out your Muslim" he said laughing "no, Collin this isn't like a funny thing, this is serious. my grandparents immigrated from Pakistan with my mom when she was 6 years old, they left behind everything, their family and friends and had to start all over. they take this holiday very seriously, an they take being Muslim very seriously so when my grandma found me on the cover of Cosmopolitan in Lingerie she about died in the grocery store" I said and he tried to told his laugh in "I get it, when are we leaving?" he asked pulling me into his lap "tomorrow" I said and he left after having a mini heart attack, I had to dig through my closet for my veils and hijabs, they were old and hadn't been worn in a while... I felt kind of guilty, but at least ill have a traditional Ramadan. I found a book my mom had bought each of us kids, 'Islam for Dummies', my dad was Christian and not... he was pale that's the easiest way to describe it and I went to St. Patricks Cathedral every once and a while with my other grandparents but, religion was kind of neglected in my house hold, so we were given these books so my moms grandparents wouldn't be upset. it really narrowed down my packing, knowing that the entire time nobody would see skin besides my hands and sometimes more then my eyes on my face. of course, my grandparents have become more modern with the times and traditions a little, so I'm also packing long sleeve shirts and jeans and leggings so I can run... but if I get so much as a disapproving look I'm changing into that shapeless dress and Collin will just have to such it up. he came back over and we had sex one last time before a long time of no sinning. the next morning she was knocking on my door, "hurry up children" she said ushering us out the door to the taxi which we then just sped off to the airport and boarded the plane "here, this may help" I said handing him the book and he looked at me like seriously "it's easy to offend people and their very traditional" I said and my mother let out a short laugh "traditional? the first time I brought your dad home to meet them and they saw he was white they nearly shut the door on me, think about when they saw their three white grandchildren and two tan" she said smiling "you are just like her" he whispered "no I'm not" I said getting offended "your laugh and smile are just the same and your eyes and height and hair... must I go on?" he said "shut up and read, because things will go terribly wrong if you do anything wrong" I said "wait, Maria is your twin... but she doesn't look like you" he said confused "were fraternal twins not identical" I said pulling my hair back getting ready to put my veil on. "oh" he said returning to the book. Through out the trip he kept asking me questions and completely failed at saying traditional greetings and almost anything else. when we got off the plane and found my uncle he looked at us and shook his head "were going to my house before, you have to change" he said laughing a bit and my mom hugged him "my little brother, always looking out for me" she said slapping his cheek lightly and squeezing them laughing as we went out to his car, oh his lovely Italian sports car.... that wasn't here instead it was my aunts Subaru. "uncle Siaid, don't tell me you sold your baby" I said and he laughed "oh no, I love that car as much as Drew and Sadie" he said getting into the car "how's mom doing?" she asked worried "Relax, Areeba, mom is just fine.... after the incident in the store" he said looking at me trying to hold his laugh back as we pulled into the driveway of his giant house in Forrest park. "this is where your uncle lives? what does he do?" Collin asked going into the bathroom to shave after learning that cleanliness is extremely important in the Muslim culture "well he's a lawyer and my aunt Zuny is a doctor" I said taking out the full head to toe veil that I despised.... in France it's banned and illegal to wear it or the hijab... I put it on and was consumed by the shape and the blackness, at least I could wear a colorful veil on top but the hijab was black. he came out of the bathroom and was taken back by me, the only skin you could see was my eyes and hands. we went down the stairs. "oh Aisha..." my uncle said hugging me "oh yeah, probably a very good idea you don't call me Abigail" I said turning to Collin "why?" "because, my real name is Aisha and as I've said before, they are very traditional" I said fixing his hair, if only I could dye it darker and put spray tan on him....