wished Marwa hadn’t come to Glen Meadow. Winnie wouldn’t have understood, plus she would’ve asked a ton of questions.
“Yeah, mostly,” I replied. “Do you have someone to talk to?”
“My dad and I have all kinds of interesting talks.”
“I meant a kid,” I said.
“I have friends. But a best friend? Not yet. Maybe soon.”
We stopped at the Bradford pear. In early spring, it resembled a giant snow cone. Now it was surrounded by dead leaves. I kicked them up and watched them rain back down. We watched Austin throwing rocks at the fence on the other side of the schoolyard.
“That’s one angry kid,” Marwa said.
“And a pretty weird one. Do you think he has problems at home? Like Gilly?”
“Who knows?” she said. “I saw him talking with you earlier. Was he saying mean stuff?”
I shrugged.
“He’s said mean things to me too.” Her voice was quiet but firm.
“He has?”
“It started after the apple incident,” she said. “Until then, I was just a strange bug for him to stare at.”
“What’s he been saying?”
“He says that outsiders should stay out of his country’s politics.”
She said it as though it was a funny joke but it was not.
It’s because of your hijab
, I wanted to say. But instead I asked her how she had handled it.
“I had to think about it a little,” Marwa said.
“And?”
“And … I asked him to vote for me in the election.”
“Oh, wow. What did he say?”
“Nothing. He was too shocked that I’d spoken to him. I told him I’d noticed that the other kids always listened to him. I said I probably wouldn’t win without his vote.”
“But his vote isn’t going to help you win the election.”
“I know that, but he doesn’t.”
“That’s pretty sneaky,” I said.
“What’s wrong with making someone feel good?” Marwa replied. “It’s only a teeny white lie and it’s not hurting anyone.”
“Did you also get
that
from your dad?” I asked. “Anyway, what did Austin do?”
“He gave this yeah-right! snort and left.”
“I can’t believe you’re running for class rep, though!” I blurted out. There, I’d said it.
“You can’t?”
“I mean, you just got here. You probably don’t even know all the kids yet. How can you be sure they’ll vote for you?”
Marwa shrugged. “I
don’t
know if they’ll vote for me.”
“Well?”
“But I hope they will.”
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose?” I asked.
“My dad says one never thinks of loss until it happens and then one deals with it. And anyway, if I lose …” She shrugged and went on. “I’ll never know unless I try, right?”
I found myself wanting to protect her from the hurt she was bound to feel when she lost the election. “Maybe you should’ve waited until next year to run for office.”
Marwa shook her head. “My dad says there’s no timelike the present. He says the present’s the only moment we can control.”
The bell sounded and we walked back to the building. Marwa’s words replayed in my head the whole way in. She hadn’t sounded at all wishy-washy. She had sounded like a person whose mind was made up. Period.
“Well, good luck,” I said, giving her a thumbs-up. It seemed the right thing to do.
“Thanks,” she said. “Good luck to you too.”
Choti Dahdi
H e called you a
what
?” Mom shouted, dropping her fork. The dinner table went silent.
“An alien,” I repeated. “That’s what he said.”
“Alien sounds like Aliya,” Zayd said. “She’d be a Martian if she were from Mars.”
“Be quiet, Zayd,” Amma snapped.
“See?” Mom said, turning to Baba.
“See what?” Baba asked.
“I can’t believe how casual you are about this.” Mom threw both her arms in the air. “Your daughter is bullied at school and you can sit there as placid and still as a pond?”
“People are afraid of what they don’t understand, Aliya,” Baba said. “They say and do stupid and—”
“And the innocent get hurt!” Mom
“Yeah, mostly,” I replied. “Do you have someone to talk to?”
“My dad and I have all kinds of interesting talks.”
“I meant a kid,” I said.
“I have friends. But a best friend? Not yet. Maybe soon.”
We stopped at the Bradford pear. In early spring, it resembled a giant snow cone. Now it was surrounded by dead leaves. I kicked them up and watched them rain back down. We watched Austin throwing rocks at the fence on the other side of the schoolyard.
“That’s one angry kid,” Marwa said.
“And a pretty weird one. Do you think he has problems at home? Like Gilly?”
“Who knows?” she said. “I saw him talking with you earlier. Was he saying mean stuff?”
I shrugged.
“He’s said mean things to me too.” Her voice was quiet but firm.
“He has?”
“It started after the apple incident,” she said. “Until then, I was just a strange bug for him to stare at.”
“What’s he been saying?”
“He says that outsiders should stay out of his country’s politics.”
She said it as though it was a funny joke but it was not.
It’s because of your hijab
, I wanted to say. But instead I asked her how she had handled it.
“I had to think about it a little,” Marwa said.
“And?”
“And … I asked him to vote for me in the election.”
“Oh, wow. What did he say?”
“Nothing. He was too shocked that I’d spoken to him. I told him I’d noticed that the other kids always listened to him. I said I probably wouldn’t win without his vote.”
“But his vote isn’t going to help you win the election.”
“I know that, but he doesn’t.”
“That’s pretty sneaky,” I said.
“What’s wrong with making someone feel good?” Marwa replied. “It’s only a teeny white lie and it’s not hurting anyone.”
“Did you also get
that
from your dad?” I asked. “Anyway, what did Austin do?”
“He gave this yeah-right! snort and left.”
“I can’t believe you’re running for class rep, though!” I blurted out. There, I’d said it.
“You can’t?”
“I mean, you just got here. You probably don’t even know all the kids yet. How can you be sure they’ll vote for you?”
Marwa shrugged. “I
don’t
know if they’ll vote for me.”
“Well?”
“But I hope they will.”
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose?” I asked.
“My dad says one never thinks of loss until it happens and then one deals with it. And anyway, if I lose …” She shrugged and went on. “I’ll never know unless I try, right?”
I found myself wanting to protect her from the hurt she was bound to feel when she lost the election. “Maybe you should’ve waited until next year to run for office.”
Marwa shook her head. “My dad says there’s no timelike the present. He says the present’s the only moment we can control.”
The bell sounded and we walked back to the building. Marwa’s words replayed in my head the whole way in. She hadn’t sounded at all wishy-washy. She had sounded like a person whose mind was made up. Period.
“Well, good luck,” I said, giving her a thumbs-up. It seemed the right thing to do.
“Thanks,” she said. “Good luck to you too.”
Choti Dahdi
H e called you a
what
?” Mom shouted, dropping her fork. The dinner table went silent.
“An alien,” I repeated. “That’s what he said.”
“Alien sounds like Aliya,” Zayd said. “She’d be a Martian if she were from Mars.”
“Be quiet, Zayd,” Amma snapped.
“See?” Mom said, turning to Baba.
“See what?” Baba asked.
“I can’t believe how casual you are about this.” Mom threw both her arms in the air. “Your daughter is bullied at school and you can sit there as placid and still as a pond?”
“People are afraid of what they don’t understand, Aliya,” Baba said. “They say and do stupid and—”
“And the innocent get hurt!” Mom
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