At fifteen years old, Nisa was considered mature for her age. Mature, intelligent, and social. A very good combination if one is so inclined. Mature enough to handle the responsiblites of being an only child in a one parent home, intelligent enough to excel in her freshman year of high school, and friendly enough to not have too many enemies and a wide range of friends.
Never a day goes by when the phone isnt ringing or her inbox is empty. If her mother calls in from work to say shell be home late, dinner is prepared without hassle or complaint. Homework is never left unattended until the morning of its due date, and if it is, the completion will be done early enough so that she isnt too stressed about it during the day. Overall, a well adjusted life for a seemingly well adjusted girl.
There comes a time though, when all well adjusted people stumble. They find an obstacle in their paths that cannot be brushed aside or solved easily. When faith and loyalty are tested to the point where one yearns for the escape of sleep to avoid worry.
That time came for Nisa in the middle of her freshman year. Nisa knew who she was. She had confidence in her sense of individuality. Her nationality, her interests and political standings on many issues. The one thing she avoided speaking about or acknowledging was her religion. Being born into a Muslim family, she had a somewhat shaky childhood in terms of religion and cultural practices. One merged in with the other and the lines became blurred as to what custom and rule belonged in what category. Once she became older, she decided to not reflect on either issue and instead focus on her schoolwork, friends, and what little was left of her family.
As high school life progressed, her family life deteriorated. Her mother spent more and more time at work, and when she wasnt at work, she was at a local religion center for Muslims usually known as a Mosque or Masjid. What she did there, Nisa didnt know or care frankly. What her mother did was, Nisa decided a good while after her parents "seperation" was not any of her business. Just as her own life didnt concern her mother. At least, thats the agreement she thought she and her mother had reached without a word being spoken.
Without Nisas knowledge, her mother started attending classes to gain more knowledge about their religion, Islam. Many things came as a surprise to the older woman and a lot of things started to make sense. She had, admittedly, made many msitakes in her past, the most serious regarding her marriage and raising her daughter. Realizing that she needed to also enlighten her daughter on the religion they were a part of, she thought to also get her daughter involved in the lectures and classes provided at their local Mosque.
Naturally Nisa reacted with negatively to such a suggestion. Her mother had stopped being involved in her life for years and all of a sudden planned to bond over something as complex and vague as religion? In the modern world, no one put any emphasis on ones religion and if they did, they very well kept quiet on it. Making a huge issue out of it was out of date and frowned up. A little tacky as well.
After refusing to go for days, Nisas mother gathered courage from other muslim women and mothers she had been meeting with for the past several months. A confrontation arose one afternoon when Nisa arrived from school and was settling down in front of the television. Not understanding the sudden interest her mother had in her life, Nisa rebelled at the thought of doing anything to do with cultural backwardness, which in her mind, included religion. Her mother attempted to explain that religion and cultural identity were seperate issues but Nisa was not convinced. Angry words were exchanged and Nisa, in the midst of a normal, but not something that recrred in her life often, bout of anger left the house and spent the remainder of the day over at her friend Dominiques.
Dominique also attended the same high school as Nisa. Having the same interests and many of the same friends drew the two together. Dominique was not a person to be easily put into a category. He was an African American, adopted into a Vietnamese family at the age of four. He was conflicted over his sense of hetrosexuality and that embarrassed and unsettled him. As class vice president and a regular honor student, the last bit of information was not publicy known. Actually, the only person who knew was Nisa and she was trusted to keep it quiet. Both sought understanding from one another and the friendship became stronger.
(to be continued. not too much dialogue. at all actually. sorry)
Last update : 05-03-2007 20:11
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