“Yah, how can I forget that day the first day you pushed me against the wall and claimed you knew me”. He smiled and showed her a photo, “take a look”.

Paths and difficulties in life?

I ran immediately after the school dismissed, wind was blowing my hair and my grey leather school bag kept on bumping on my legs away from the callings.

“Eh, come on Lzzy (short for Lily, her friends used to call her by this name). I’m sorry I didn’t mean that”. I kept ignoring her and walked as fast as I could. I bit my cheeks, so I wouldn’t cry and shout at her, but she didn’t give up,

“Please! I’m really very sorry. Look, seriously I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She was so close to me that I was forced to share my feelings with her. I couldn’t hold it anymore.

I tried to exhale and inhale, so that I could control my anger, but I couldn’t and turned around to face her. “You’re not sorry rather you already found out that I know what’s going on in your mind. I couldn’t help not shout at her. I said frustratingly, “WHAT, STOP PRETENDING TO BE SO INNOCENT”.

Tears fell down from my cheeks. I wiped them off angrily. “I’m never going to forgive you for that and I know that you’re not even sorry for what you have done this several times. I am not going to forgive you this time. Don’t think I am blind, I have seen you walking with Kirin and laughing about me, don’t even try to talk to me ever again.”

“Yes, you’re right. I actually didn’t mean a little thing with that word SORRY and yes, all those days that you saw me with that girl, we were talking about you and you cannot imagine how much fun I had. You’re just too boring! I never liked being with you at the beginning all you did was talking about nonsense. But Kirin, she is just too amazing! You can call me a cheater or anything you like. I have never pretended as much as when I was with you and I regret everything I have done with you and I am more than happy that our so called friendship is over! Haha BYEEE forever!”

My mouth fell open! I knew she didn’t care, I knew how she really was. But, her words were so hurtful that it felt like she had punched me in my face. I couldn’t control myself to not cry. I was totally shattered. When I reached home, I opened the door and got in. I took off my black winter shoes and my red wine scarf and threw them on the floor, not even bothering to place them on the shelf.

My big brother just came out of the room with his basketball bag on his shoulders, he was perhaps going for training. He stopped when he saw me.

He asked me softly, “Your face is a mess, what happened?”

I just shook my head.

He said, “Come on little sister, I’m here”.

I replied, “Its Mary”.

He just stared at me and asked, “Your best friend”.

I said, “Not anymore” He comforted me by saying, “Hey my little angel look, she doesn’t deserve your tears. Next time, she messes up with you, just tell her that there is this wall that she is welcome to throw herself at”. I laughed and hugged my brother. He smiled at me and left for his training.

My brother was right. I ran to change into comfortable clothes, pants and an over-sized t-shirt with pinkish flowers on it, I took a book and started to read it.

“Lzzy Honey, wake up …. Come on, wake up!” I heard a voice.

I asked, “What Mary?” It replied. “No, its me, honey”.

I slowly opened my eyes and I kept on remembering my friend, but then I once again remembered those hurtful words from her that were marked in my heart and at the same time, also remembered my brother’s words, “Always a wall that she is welcome to throw herself at”.

I quickly ran to the toilet to get ready for breakfast. But, since, I had heard the laughter from downstairs; I opened the windows and saw a big truck coming closer and closer to our house. As I moved back and changed my clothes to see who our new neighbor is, I noticed that it was Muslim family moving in. There were six of them, a father, a mother, two older brothers and sisters and two younger brothers and sisters. The younger sister seemed to be about 3 years old and the other sister seemed to be the same age as me. She was wearing a scarf on her head that covered her hair, she a long skirt with a black jacket on. Wow! I had to say this girl had some good taste of clothing.

The family looked around and saw me, I awkwardly walked down the steps and went towards them. The girl was really pretty. I said smilingly, “Hi, I am Lily, you can call me Lzzy”.

The girl my age replied, “My name is Noor, you can me Noore, everybody calls me Noore.” Oh wow! Her English was really good just as if she was born here …. What am I thinking?

I asked politely, “You need any help, ma’am?”

The dad replied, “No, Thank you. We will do this by ourselves. Please come and visit us when we are done. You are always welcome”.

I then invited Noor to come and see my room, “Hey Noore, come and take a look at how is my bedroom.” When she saw my room, she replied, “Oh wow, what a room! Can you help me to decorate my room, I must say your choice is really fab”. I said, “Why not? I will help, we will decorate it together”

Noor, on the other hand, was thinking about why she even used Noore as a nick name, she thought it was stupid. Since then, she has never told anyone her nick name because she never had one and simply used Noor as her name. The whole school called her that. She was really happy in her new house and she was really glad that she met Lily. This was because she was bullied in her old school every day because of her scarf and religion.

The next day

Oh no! Mary and Kirin are coming closer to the bus stop. Mary saw me and whispered something into Kirin’s ear and they were laughing out. I turned my gaze away from them. Tears started burning in my eyes, But, I was not going to cry this time especially in front of them.

Suddenly, I thought of Noor, where was she? I needed her. Oh God! Please let her come. It was a like a magical wish, which was quickly answered. I saw her coming from behind. Her chin was high up, which gave the feeling that you don’t want to mess up with her as she was filled with power and strength. I wish I could be as strong her. I watched every step she took.

I felt her face light up when she came, she immediately said, “Lzzy, Haha”, just as if she was so glad to see me. She didn’t even give Mary and Kirin any look.

When we arrived at our school, we passed a group of popular guys, suddenly one of them stepped out and pushed Noor to the wall behind her. I stared at him as he put his arm on the wall, blocking her way from escaping. My eyes met Noor’s eyes and she seemed so nervous she was trying to avoid the guy’s gaze and kept on looking at me and the floor. I looked around, everyone had shut their mouths and was staring.

Noor’s back was hurting hard on the wall behind her. She couldn’t move because this ugly brat in front of her had blocked her way. She kept on looking on me, but what could I have done. She felt that she had already suffered so much in her old school, she didn’t want to suffer again in this school. In her old school, the guy who used to bully her had the same dark brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. She kept on thinking I have seen him somewhere. But, how was that possible? So, she ignored her thoughts.

The guy seemed to move closer to her, everybody was breathing loudly and my heart was beating fast. He suddenly asked with a deep voice, “You’re new?” She stared at him, but because his voice scared her. She replied, “Yes, I am” very weakly. He then asked, “if he could help her” and she said “I don’t need help from you.”

As days passed by, he actually started to fall in love with her, but for Noor it was impossible to imagine about him as she was a Muslim. He told his friends that “there is something about that girl I never felt for anyone before, it is the first time for me to feel this way” Months passed by the guy, Will, wanted to marry her bring her into his life. When he told his parents about it, his parents shouted and said, “get out of this house and never come back again”. He was shocked at how could his parents tell such a thing to him.
He decided to talk to his friend Abdullah, who in fact also liked Noor and wanted to marry her. Will asked Abdullah to bring him to the Masjid, so that he could change his religion. He thought that this could help Noor’s parent accept him as a son-in-law more easily. After converting his religion, he changed a lot; he never looked at Noor because he began to understand the true meaning of being a Muslim.

On the other hand, Abdullah’s father calls Noor’s father to ask for Noor’s hand in marriage, but after that Will’s father calls her father too. After Will had left his parents, his mother got sick because she kept on remembering him. So, the father had met Will near a Masjid and the two them talked to each other and resolved their differences.

In the afternoon, Abdullah came to see Noor they talked for a while, but Noor’s father asked for some time because he knew that Will would be also coming at night. Noor was really surprised to see that he had changed his religion and had a new look.

The two guys kept on thinking about her. Abdullah thought, “I am so nervous or should I just stay happy because she will choose me. I have everything and Will’s new to Islam and I am born one”.

Will was worried, “Tomorrow is the day, I’m too nervous. I can’t sleep, I am new to Islam, but Abdullah has everything a Muslim girl wants in a man.”

Noor had made a decision, “Mom I have already chosen a guy”. Everybody was so excited to hear her decision. “I choose Will”. First they were shocked, but then they thought and said, “it’s your life and you know the best after all, you have to spend your life with him”. Everybody was happy except for Abdullah. But his parents tried to explain him, it took time, but he eventually understood.

“Do you remember the first time we met” said Will. Noor replied, “Yah, how can I forget that day the first day you pushed me against the wall and claimed you knew me”. He smiled and showed her a photo, “take a look”.

Noor was confused. “It’s me” she said. She was a kid then, playing on a swing, the wind was blowing her. He was the guy in her old school. “Yeah” he said and then folded the picture and put it in his pocket. “We met a long time before high school. I actually forgot I had this picture till I saw you”. They laughed and talked with each other. Days passed by and they got married.

Remember, God makes everyone for someone special; you just have to trust him for he knows what is best. Everything happens for a reason.