Chapter One
Today is so hectic day for me as always, but I am happy that today is Friday, so I can sleep full day tomorrow, I just hope Linda will not disturb me and said we should go out shopping or have fun, Linda is my best friend and roommate. I meet her at the first job I work as part-time after relocating to this Country to be able to pay my school fees, she is the only one that stands by me when others make fun of me because am a Muslim and I wear hijab or turban cap, since then we are close, we went to the same school and graduate together but we work in a different place.
After the lady that will replace me as my shift end today, I make my way out of the hotel building, I work as the front office manager in one five star hotel in New York dealing with check-in and check out of customers, as soon as I get out of the building I take a cab and head to my apartment.
"Hey, Lin" I greet my friend as soon as I open the door because I saw her shoes by the door.
"Yaz, I am in the kitchen."
"Wow, that is why I love you, you know that I am hungry" She is in the kitchen cooking that is how we do if I am the one that first comes home, I will cook and if I can’t cook I will order delivery for both of us or call her to bring food.
"Hey, I am not cooking for you today, so get your lazy ass here and put something together for yourself" She slaps my hand when I touch the food she is cooking and as for her language I have to put up with it, I did not talk like her and that is how she talks there is nothing I can do, I tried to tell her not to use curse words she said sometimes but I see she is used to it.
"I know you can't do that, I trust you," I said and I take plates and prepare the table.
After we finish eating dinner, we settle in the living room telling me about her work and I also tell her about my work and we gist a lot.
"Yaz I am spending the weekend with Brandon and he is coming to pick me up," She said and stands up and heads to her room.
"Really, wow I am going to sleep all weekend Alhamdulillah (means Thank God)" Soon I started dancing.
"So you are eager to push me out, because of that I am not going anywhere."
"You must go, you know Brandon must have missed you so much," I said.
"And you don't have anyone that will miss you," She said looking serious "It is better to live a little because your boyfriend breaks up with you does not mean you should not give another guy any chance," She said and started packing her stuff that she will need.
"How many times am I going to give chance, you remember this is not the first one" I help her with her stuff and talk a lot.
After packing and take a shower like 30 minutes after, we heard a knock on the door and I know who is there, I stand up and open the door.
"As-Salam Aleikum, Hajia Yasmin," Brandon said and making fun of me, that is how he always greet me whenever we met, let say he is my second best friend after Linda, we met at college and he like Linda but she is stubborn sometimes and I help them a little to get together, he also always stand by me whenever some people are talking about my hijab, some people will say my families are part of the terrorist and all that, some will say what am I covering and that is it not the same hair that they have so what is the benefit of covering my hair. One day he saw me crying and he talks some sense to me that nobody will erase my fear of people except myself and I should try at least to fight for my religion if not for myself.
"Wa Aleikum Salam" I reply to his greetings and he side hug me, he steps him and greets his girlfriend by kissing her lip and I cover my face.
"Haaaaa, stop it hurts," I said I don't know that Linda is beside me and she smacks the back of my head.
"I hope your boyfriend will be a bad guy that he will be rough with you on the bed, maybe then if he wants to kiss you, you will have to cover your face, i***t, please try to live once and you will enjoy it," She said.
"Anyway, just go and come back next year," I said to her
"Really, hahaha it hurt" She feigns pain holding her chest.
"Just kidding Lin, you know I can't trade you for anything" I step toward her and give her a hug.
"Excuse me the two of you at least I am not invisible," Brandon said
"I think someone is jealous," I said
I hug both of them, we say our goodbye as soon as I lock the door after them I stretch my muscles and thinking of what to do, I don't have anyone to spend the weekend with, it is not that I never had a boyfriend but it always ends up bad.
Jason was my first boyfriend when I first got to this country, we met in our college cafeteria, he was 2 years ahead of me in school and he is lovely and caring that he never judges me by my religion or my hijab, he said he loves me the way I am, I am so happy about that. One day he invites me to his house, I am so scared, even Linda told me to go there if there is any problem I should call her and he will kick his ass. When I get to his house he makes food for us, we eat and watch movies, in the middle of the movies he moves closer to me trying to touch me, I shift and he said it does not mean anything since he is going to marry me.
"Since you are sure you want to marry me, why can't you wait for the right time," I said but I am not a fool that you will think of marriage now it is not even 6 months that we started dating.
"When is the right time? Engagement night or wedding night?" He said and his face changed, I said yes and everything went silent, soon after his phone rings and he excuses himself, he came back after some minutes and he said he sorry that he has something emergency to attend to and he will drop me at home.
Two weeks later from the time I went to his house, he behaves normally, he calls and text me to ask about me and sometimes he takes me for shopping to buy me cloth, shoes, bags and all-girl stuff but I told him I don't want all this but he insists I should take them but I feel like there is something to it because when we first dating he did not get all those things for me but Linda said I should take it but I never use them, I just keep them.
It's been 6 months that we are together I just decided to visit and surprise him, I decided to buy something for him like a gift because he always gets something for me. I knock on the door several times but nobody open up, so I decide I should leave maybe he is not at home, as I am about to leave, I saw Jason shirtless and some sweat on him and he so shocked to see me, soon after a lady comes behind him wrapped in a towel, I did not say anything I just decide to leave that is when the lady behind him talk.
"So this is your so-called girlfriend that covers everything, maybe she's once a slut that she decided to repent by doing this," She said but to my surprise, he never said anything to defend me like he uses to do, I decide to leave there.
The next day I went to his house early in the morning and drop all that he bought for me, he said I should keep it that they are for me and I will need it.
"Excuse me, why will I need it, I did not tell you that I don't have to clothe to wear or shoes to wear and I did not think I ever told you that I am running a charity program."
"I did not say that I think that you might need them because I know that the salary you get from the part-time job you are doing, you use them to pay your school fees so I just decide to help," he said
"Did I say I need your help or did you ever see me wearing any bad clothes at least Alhamdulillah I am satisfied with all that I have," I said
Before he said something to hurt me more I decided to leave and drop all the things on the floor.
Since then I decided to move on and my second boyfriend is not something good to write home about after like 3 months of dating I later realize that I am just a bet between his friends to sleep with me.
Anyways I think I am good the way I am like this, when the time comes, the man that is meant for me will show up.