What We Learned Along the Way Read online

  What We Learned Along the Way

  WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT WWLAW

  The following statements have been taken from online review sites (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords.com). They have not been altered in any way.

  “This book is a KEEPER. The characters were so realistic that you could identify with them on so many levels. The story covers so many issues that may be found within the Muslim community and the greater community at large that the reader will find it hard to deny that it touches home. The Author did an excellent job from page one of drawing you in and not letting you go until the last word on the last page of the book was read. Impatiently waiting for the sequel!!!!.. Would definitely buy another book from this author. Well Written and Well Said.”

  “I started reading this book at 8pm and could not put it down until 3am. I believed some people can identify with the characters in the book. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel.”

  “This is a very good book really glad i read it loved the story from start to finish, read it in one day and cants wait for the next one, but PLEASE hurry up i hate waiting.”

  “Nadirah Angail is the premiere novelist for the current and future generations of readers. The female and male characters display personalities that's familiar and extraordinary. The plot is intriguing with every page read. I'm proud of Nadirah for bringing for realistic examples of

  The human experience!”

  “So glad I bought this book. I figured I'd try it since a friend suggested it and I'm so glad I did. I saw a little of myself in every character, especially Aliya. The writing is really easy to read also. I read it all in one day! Highly recommended for muslims and non Muslims.”

  “The only thing I didn't like about this book was that it ended too soon! I hope there is a sequel.”

  “This book pulled me in and wouldn't let go.

  I'm not sure I could have less in common with these women, yet at the same time I wanted to know all about them and felt for them on so many levels. The author has created a myriad of characters that feel real in a setting that is timeless, facing the same challenges we all face. I'll be keeping my eye out for more from Nadirah Angail.”

  ~

  For more information about Nadirah Angail and her other books (future and previous) visit nadirahangail.com. Sign up for the fan list to stay up-to-date on future releases, blog posts and giveaways!

  What We Learned Along the Way

  by

  Nadirah Angail

  * * * * *

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Nadirah Angail at Smashwords

  What We Learned Along the Way

  Copyright © 2011 Nadirah Angail

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  * * * * *

  For: Everyone searching for self and those who have already found it.

  * * * * *

  Glossary of Islamic Terms

  Abaya- over garment, worn over clothes

  Al-Fatiha- Opening chapter of Quran

  Alhamdulillah- means “All praises due to God.”

  Allah- Arabic word for “God.”

  As salaam alaikum- greeting, means “peace be upon you”

  Ayatul-Kursi- Famous verse from the 2nd chapter of Quran

  Eid- Muslim holiday, literally means “reoccurring festivities”

  Hijab- In this context, used to refer to headscarf worn by women

  Imam- Muslim religious leader

  Inshallah- means, “If it is the will of Allah.”

  Khutbah- speech or sermon given by an Imam

  Kufi- religious hat Muslim men wear as a marker of their faith and devotion.

  Mosque- Muslim place of worship

  Nasheed- Islamic singing and chanting

  Wa alaikum salaam- response to greeting, means “and peace be upon you too”

  * * * * *

  Chapter 1- Malikah

  “You’re wearing that?” Malikah’s mother asked as she stood in the half-open door and gave her daughter a disapproving glare.

  “No, mother, I just wanted to put it on and stare at myself in it,” Malikah said sarcastically.

  “Honestly, Malikah, do you even care about finding a husband? You can’t expect to meet a nice young man if you’re not at least presentable.”

  Malikah let out a loud huff. “And what would you suggest I wear, mother?”

  “I don’t know, but not that,” she said as she started to leave the room, but not before sticking her head back in the door for one last comment. “It makes you look fat,” she added. Then she left.

  Malikah slammed her door and walked over to the closet to find another, more presentable outfit. The sound of her phone ringing pulled Malikah from her search.

  “Hey, girl, I’m outside.” Malikah pulled the curtain back and saw Mariam’s blue Honda in the driveway.

  “On my way,” Malikah told her. She took one last look at her outfit in the mirror. “Why bother,” she said with a small sigh. She closed her closet door and left her room, careful not to cross her mother’s path.

  “As salaam alaikum,” Mariam greeted her as she hopped in the car.

  “Wa alaikum salaam. So, where are we going?” Malikah asked with a curious smile.

  “Don’t worry about it. I told you it’s a surprise. It’s your birthday. Just relax and have fun,” her friend reassured her. Malikah smiled, but she felt a little uneasy. She hated surprises and remembered how horribly her last surprise had gone. The plan was to have a simple dinner party at Starr. Everything was going well until Muhammad, the surprise guest Malikah had been in love with for years, showed up. She hadn’t seen him in months, but was pleasantly surprised when he walked into the dimly lit room looking better than ever. Her plan was to let out a cool “Hey, how’s it going?” as she casually leaned on the big glass fish tank beside her.

  It started off fine, until she realized the tank was not stationary, but on wheels. Too late. She had already leaned her weight into it and was scrambling to regain her balance. She fell to the floor and had no choice but to watch the fish tank slide into a table and crash to the ground, leaving a flood of smelly water and helpless fish flopping around on the floor.

  The mere thought of that day made her cringe.

  Mariam saw the horror in her friend’s face and felt the need to comfort her. “Don’t worry. There won’t be any fish tanks where we’re going,” Mariam said, flailing her arms around in imitation.

  “Oh, that’s real funny, Mariam. That’s just what I needed, but seriously, where are we going?” Just as she asked that question, she recognized the neighborhood they were entering. They were going to Jaime’s house. “Jaime’s coming?” Malikah asked in disgust. “I don’t want her ruining everything.”

  “Malikah, come on. You know you two are always getting into fights. Then, you make up and act like nothing happened. It’s what you two do.”

  “No, Mariam, it’s what we used to do. I’m tired of her looking down her nose at me, treating me like I’m such a heathen. I may not be the model Muslim, but that’s no reason for her to act like she does.”

  “You know how she is, Malikah. She doesn’t mean anything by it. She can’t help it; look at her parents. Let’s just all go out and have fun,” Mariam pleaded.

  Malikah took a second to think. “
Well, her parents are the most judgmental people I’ve ever met,” she admitted. “Remember how shocked her father was when he first met us? He couldn’t believe we wore pants.” The two of them laughed until they pulled up to Jaime’s house. “Okay, you’re right. We have been friends forever, but she’s not going to keep treating me like this. We’re getting way too old for this.”

  The two of them were still chuckling when Jaime approached the car.

  “What’s so funny?” Jaime asked as she opened the car door.

  “Nothing,” they said in unison.

  “You look nice,” Mariam complemented Jaime. Malikah didn’t want to admit it, but Jaime did look nice. Even though Jaime only wore Islamic clothing, she always looked great. Her long A-line abayas were always covered with delicate details and flowed so nicely on her body. She and her parents traveled a lot, so most of them were from other countries. Malikah never wore abayas. She thought they made her look short and dumpy, but not Jaime. On her long, lean, statuesque frame, they looked perfect. Though Malikah would never say it to her face, she thought Jaime looked like the Muslim Miss America. Malikah wished she could look half as beautiful.

  While they drove, Mariam talked to Malikah and Jaime talked to Mariam, but Jaime and Malikah said nothing to each other. Malikah loved her friend and hated giving her the silent treatment, but she was tired of her snide remarks. Jaime was smart in both secular and religious knowledge, and she made sure everyone knew it. Any chance she got to make herself look good at someone else’s expense, she took. When Sister Khadijah, mother of the only two decent looking young men at her mosque, began to inquire about Malikah, Jaime made it a point to suggest herself as a far more fitting option.

  “Oh, Malikah, she’s a wonderful sister,” Jaime told Sister Khadijah in her sweetest voice. “She’s in college and is really going somewhere in life. In fact, she spends so much time at school that she’s hardly ever at the mosque. You know how busy the women of today are,” she chuckled. “Never any time to pray or study the religion.” She then gave a long speech, as if running for political office, about how she was ready for marriage and extremely dedicated to being a great wife and mother. Malikah would have never known about Jaime’s scheme had it not been for her sister Kalimah, who happened to overhear the whole thing. When Malikah confronted Jaime about the situation, Jaime apologized, but Malikah felt the apology was just as fake as every other one she had ever given.

  Chapter 2- Aliya

  “Not another one way,” Aliya complained as she drove through downtown Houston, looking for the concert hall. She hated driving her new car through congested areas like downtown. The last thing she needed was a dent in her fresh, red paint. After driving in a few circles, she finally saw a sign that read “Divas All-Stars Concert, This Way.” She let out a huge sigh of relief and let the huge arrows lead her in the right direction. Now that she knew where she was going, she could relax. Aliya put the window down to let in some fresh air. She loved the feeling of the wind blowing through her big, wild hair.

  Aliya was the only one in her group of friends who never covered her hair. When she was younger, she covered all the time and never imagined there’d come a day when she wouldn’t, but things had changed. It started when she was 16, after her mother died of cancer. In one year’s time, she went from being the head of her Muslim youth group to not going to the mosque at all. Now, four years later, she had basically removed all aspects of Islam from her life. One day she would reconnect, but not now.

  She pulled into the parking lot and checked the time. The concert started at 8 o’clock, and it was only 7:15 pm. She called Mariam to see how far away they were. When Mariam told her she had just picked up Jaime and still had another 30-minute drive, Aliya decided to walk around a bit. There were a lot of men in the parking lot, and Aliya couldn’t help but smile. Unlike her friends, she was not looking for a husband. She just wanted to have fun. Every other Muslim woman she knew had been looking for a husband since the age of 14, but that was the last thing on Aliya’s mind. She didn’t care if he was Muslim, Christian, or any other religion. She was an equal opportunity dater.

  Ironically enough, she had found through her years of dating all different types of men that she liked Muslim men the least. She felt they were too strict and always trying to control her, just like her father. He always had something to say:

  “You’re pants are too tight.”

  “Why don’t you wear hijab anymore?”

  “You don’t pray anymore.”

  She couldn’t stand her father’s nagging or the arguments that inevitably ensued, so she kept her visits short and sweet. That was the only way she could consider her relationship with him peaceful. Plus, she knew it broke his heart to see his only child so far removed from the religion.

  As Aliya walked through the crowd, she was surprised to see so many men at such a girly concert. After she thought about it, though, it made sense. What better place to catch women than at a “Diva’s All-Stars” concert? She wondered if there would be nearly as many men inside the concert as there were in the parking lot, but it really didn’t matter. They were there now. That’s all she cared about.

  As usual, men flocked to her, but she ignored them all. She sauntered past the whistles and cat calls like she didn’t even hear them. Aliya used to talk to those kinds of men, the immature, aggressive ones that would start a conversation with “Damn, you fine, girl,” the kind that felt completely free to grab her hand—or any other body part he saw fit— without asking permission. But she was 20 now, and she was looking for something different, someone different.

  She saw a small refreshment stand and decided to get a drink. As she walked toward the stand, she studied the menu. She studied it so hard that she didn’t even notice she was walking directly into a man who had knelt down to tie his shoe.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said as she began to walk away, eyes still fixed on the menu. She didn’t even see his face and wouldn’t have paid him any more attention if it hadn’t been for his voice.

  All he said was “No problem,” but that was enough to stop her in her tracks. His voice was so deep that she could actually feel the vibration in the hand she had placed on his shoulder to catch her balance. She turned around to see the face the voice belonged to and, to her surprise, it was even more breathtaking. Among all the gold teeth, baseball caps and sagging, male skinny jeans, she had managed to trip over a gorgeous man in pair of nice fitting dark denim jeans with a crisp white button down and a thick head of freshly twisted locs.

  Aliya was usually pretty witty when she talked to men, but this time she couldn’t think of a thing to say.

  “You alright?” he asked as he dusted off his shoe and stood up with a million-watt smile.

  She couldn’t think of anything more to say other than what she had already said. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated. Aliya had talked to many men before, and this was the first time she had been rendered speechless by one.

  “It’s okay. I guess I picked a pretty bad spot to tie my shoe.”

  “Oh no, it’s all my fault. I mean, I should have been looking where I was going. I’m not usually this clumsy. I’m actually pretty graceful, or at least that’s what people tell me. I’m not crazy, you know. I don’t make it a habit of walking into cute men.” Oh no, did I really just say that out loud? Aliya was nervous. She couldn’t stop talking. She couldn’t believe she was becoming one of those goofy, rambling women she usually felt sorry for.

  He could tell she was nervous and thought it was cute, but he knew he had to rescue her from herself. He put his hand on her shoulder and cut her off in mid-sentence. “My name is Langston. What’s yours?” Finally, she had stopped talking.

  “Aliya,” she managed to say after a deep breath.

  “Well, Ms. Aliya, I have to get going. I hope you enjoy the show.” He shook her hand and then began to walk away. Aliya stood there in shock, trying to get herself together. She watched him walk toward the entrance, and the
n turned around to walk back to her car. She had forgotten all about that drink and needed to sit down. Just as she turned around, she heard Langston’s voice rise above the crowd. “Aliya,” he said in a loud and firm voice. “Thanks for bumping into me.” He flashed yet another one of his addictive smiles and walked into the building.

  Chapter 3- Mariam

  Mariam was only a few minutes from the concert, and she couldn’t wait to get out of the car. She couldn’t stand the tension between Malikah and Jaime. For as long as they’d all known each other, she had been the peacemaker between the two of them. She had been the backbone of the whole relationship, and it grew tiring at times. Because of the vital role she played in their friendship, the other girls nicknamed her Mama Mariam. She liked that her friends looked up to her for advice, but sometimes it was more than she could handle. She wondered at times what they would do once she got married and started her own family. She and Rashad were pretty serious and he could propose at any moment.

  After they passed the third “Divas All-Star” poster, Malikah started to get suspicious, but when they pulled into the crowded parking lot of the concert hall, her suspicions had been confirmed.

  “You got tickets to this concert? They’ve been sold out for weeks! I can’t believe it!” Malikah blurted out. She had been dreaming of going to this concert for months, but had written it off as impossible. The tickets were sold out before she even got a chance to try to buy them. She was excited to actually be there and forgot all about being mad at Jaime. When they got out of the car, she gave both of her friends a huge hug. “Thank you so much,” she screamed.

  Mariam didn’t have to call Aliya to see where she was. Her long, curly hair and brightly-colored outfits always made her an easy target. It only took a few minutes for them all to meet up. Together, the four of them looked like an odd bunch, their personalities and personal styles as different as they could possibly be. They didn’t at all look like they would hang out together. Jaime and Aliya looked like polar opposites, one completely covered in beautiful Islamic clothing, the other dressed like a bohemian model in a bright yellow, backless sundress with a huge, golden brown curly afro.