Yo!
THE BABY SHOWER WAS A SMASHING SUCCESS!!! not. It was okay, but we were on a very high and very steep hill. Since it was the afternoon, the ☼ was like, right behind our backs.
Anywho, I should start at the beginning.
Abi and H left for soccer at 4 something, and we were frying the spring rolls. Well, I was actually getting ready and S and Ummi were laboring in the kitchen. (Don't think of that in a dirty way.) So I was ready for a long time until S called me to help her. Ummi told me to aluminum foil-ize a tray of halved spring rolls. Then Ummi ran upstairs to get ready. then S sweated over a hotfrying sauce pan. Ummi didn't trust me to cut the spring rolls in half (grr) so all I was meant to do was just arrange the rolls on a platter. How fun. How helpful. How useful I felt. Arrange them I did, while listening to S's complaints about the heat.
S accidentally burned a coupla spring rolls and after I cut them, S told me to get a plate and put the rolls there for ourselves later. After the rolls were wrapped up, S got ready. Ummi came down. Unfortunately we had to bring Z. We were bringing our volleyball, which apparently has my full name on it. I don't know why.
So we arrived and took some time to find the place. S called Nev and asked her where our place was. Up the hill, she said. We used all our strength to climb up the hill, and I was holding a platter of spring rolls.
Suddenly, Mar was in front of me, saying, "You're here! I thought you wouldn't come! I was getting so bored!"
"Yeah," I said.
Ummi told me to put the platter on the food table. So I did, and then I told Mar, "We were making something and it didn't cooperate, so that's why we're late."
"Oh," she said. "Yeah, we just got here too." She looked at her brother. "My brother has Hamoodi," she said, referring to the cute baby named Muhammad.
I stared. "Why is he here? This is only for girls!"
"My dad told us to bring him. He said, 'He's little!'" she explained.
"Not so much," I grumbled. "He's as tall as me!"
"Come on, let's go," she said. We went to where Nev stood, and Ra and S were lost in conversation.
Nev turned to me. "N."
"Hi," I said.
Suddenly she gave me a breathtaking squeeze. "I love you!" she said.
"Okay," I said. I saw S look at me with an angry face for no reason.
Nev was playing with a roll of pink streamers. She gave two strands to me and Mar.
"What's this for?" I asked. Nev didn't answer.
I turned to Mar. "I'm so happy!" I squeaked girlishly. "Everything is pink!"
"Me too!" she said. Then, pointing to me she added, "You're blue!" (Blue and purple are Mar's favorite colors.)
"Ooooooh!" I said girlishly. We giggled like littlegirls boys. Then we watched the ladies take their pink streamers and use them to measure the pregnant lady's tummy. Me and Mar watched in shock.
'That's rude!" we both said.
"Is this a game or something?" I muttered to myself. Aloud I told Mar, "This is a game!"
She didn't seem to hear, as she was watching the measuring people. Then she told me, "Oh, this is a game!"
"I told you that!" I said.
"Really? I didn't hear," she said. We giggled like littlegirls boys.
We finally got ahold of Hamoodi and we pushed him around in the stroller. Mar gave me her streamer to hold. "Your shirt is pink!" I said.
"Yours is blue!" she said.
"Let's trade!" we exclaimed. "Hahahaha!"
When we were done pushing Hamoodi around for some time, we went back to the party. I gave Ummi my streamer. "Here, try this one, Mom," I said, holding out both mine and Mar's streamers. "That's way too long," Ummi said.
"No! This is two; one is Mar's!" I said. "Try them!"
Ummi took Mar's and it didn't fit. But mine did...almost. "Oh wow! Almost!" Ummi said. She gave me back my streamer.
"Yeah!" I said.
"Good job," said Mar.
The ladies were now playing some strange game of plucking clothespins off of some rope. Me and Mar watched for awhile until we understood the concept. We shared an awkward feeling about who should go first, and then Mar went, but then someone pushed her away. Mar came back to me saying, "Okay...well that was awkward..."
And then I played the game. I got only EIGHT because I was being hasty and everyone was watching and ...yeah. Then Mar got ten, but S got a smashing blasted 17!!! The nerve of that girl!
After that it was finally eating time. I stood in a non-existent food line where women were randomly talking. Mar was with me and the moment was so awkward. then S called me to the real line. But that was in the wrong place. So we went to the right place and got plates. I gave a plate to S and then I held out a plate to Ra but she was looking at something else.
"Ra!" I said, and S giggled. Ra slowly turned her head and saw. "Oh sorry!" she said, taking it.
I took a spoonful of some weird spaghetti thing that Mar's mom made. And of course I got a spring roll. Whenever we make them for things like this we rarely get a chance to eat them. They go fast.
Me and Mar sat at the top of the hill while S sat with some random girls not quite so far away from us. I carefully put my cup down on the grass and so did Maryam, and we looked just ridiculous putting our cups up and down undecidedly. We finally just finished everything in our cups and ate.
Something nudged me in the side. It was Nev. "Move over," she said.
I moved, although I didn't have to because there was so much space. "Finally, our gang member arrived," I said. "What should we call our gang?"
"The Nevaeh Gang," Nev answered immediately.
Me and Mar giggled like littlegirls boys. Then Dzk, Aaq, Nab, Fzn, Auntie Na, and Kak Nora arrived. I saw Dzk walking towards us but I wasn't sure if it was him so I just watched until I was sure that the girl I was staring at was Aaq. Then Aaq and Dzk waved at us.
Aaq and Dzk came and sat in front of me. "Hi!" they said.
"Hi."
Dzk wanted to play volley ball with us but I was still eating. Then he said some junk in Malay/English. "See if you can understand me," he said. Then he said "Asalamualaikooom" in a hilarious Malaysian/Indonesian accent. "Waalaikumsalaaaam," I said.
"Nama kau apa?" he asked.
"Nuraaa," I said.
Nev butted in. "What language are you speaking?"! she boomed.
"Malay," we answered.
"Malindo," we both answered.
THE BABY SHOWER WAS A SMASHING SUCCESS!!! not. It was okay, but we were on a very high and very steep hill. Since it was the afternoon, the ☼ was like, right behind our backs.
Anywho, I should start at the beginning.
Abi and H left for soccer at 4 something, and we were frying the spring rolls. Well, I was actually getting ready and S and Ummi were laboring in the kitchen. (Don't think of that in a dirty way.) So I was ready for a long time until S called me to help her. Ummi told me to aluminum foil-ize a tray of halved spring rolls. Then Ummi ran upstairs to get ready. then S sweated over a hot
S accidentally burned a coupla spring rolls and after I cut them, S told me to get a plate and put the rolls there for ourselves later. After the rolls were wrapped up, S got ready. Ummi came down. Unfortunately we had to bring Z. We were bringing our volleyball, which apparently has my full name on it. I don't know why.
So we arrived and took some time to find the place. S called Nev and asked her where our place was. Up the hill, she said. We used all our strength to climb up the hill, and I was holding a platter of spring rolls.
Suddenly, Mar was in front of me, saying, "You're here! I thought you wouldn't come! I was getting so bored!"
"Yeah," I said.
Ummi told me to put the platter on the food table. So I did, and then I told Mar, "We were making something and it didn't cooperate, so that's why we're late."
"Oh," she said. "Yeah, we just got here too." She looked at her brother. "My brother has Hamoodi," she said, referring to the cute baby named Muhammad.
I stared. "Why is he here? This is only for girls!"
"My dad told us to bring him. He said, 'He's little!'" she explained.
"Not so much," I grumbled. "He's as tall as me!"
"Come on, let's go," she said. We went to where Nev stood, and Ra and S were lost in conversation.
Nev turned to me. "N."
"Hi," I said.
Suddenly she gave me a breathtaking squeeze. "I love you!" she said.
"Okay," I said. I saw S look at me with an angry face for no reason.
Nev was playing with a roll of pink streamers. She gave two strands to me and Mar.
"What's this for?" I asked. Nev didn't answer.
I turned to Mar. "I'm so happy!" I squeaked girlishly. "Everything is pink!"
"Me too!" she said. Then, pointing to me she added, "You're blue!" (Blue and purple are Mar's favorite colors.)
"Ooooooh!" I said girlishly. We giggled like little
'That's rude!" we both said.
"Is this a game or something?" I muttered to myself. Aloud I told Mar, "This is a game!"
She didn't seem to hear, as she was watching the measuring people. Then she told me, "Oh, this is a game!"
"I told you that!" I said.
"Really? I didn't hear," she said. We giggled like little
We finally got ahold of Hamoodi and we pushed him around in the stroller. Mar gave me her streamer to hold. "Your shirt is pink!" I said.
"Yours is blue!" she said.
"Let's trade!" we exclaimed. "Hahahaha!"
When we were done pushing Hamoodi around for some time, we went back to the party. I gave Ummi my streamer. "Here, try this one, Mom," I said, holding out both mine and Mar's streamers. "That's way too long," Ummi said.
"No! This is two; one is Mar's!" I said. "Try them!"
Ummi took Mar's and it didn't fit. But mine did...almost. "Oh wow! Almost!" Ummi said. She gave me back my streamer.
"Yeah!" I said.
"Good job," said Mar.
The ladies were now playing some strange game of plucking clothespins off of some rope. Me and Mar watched for awhile until we understood the concept. We shared an awkward feeling about who should go first, and then Mar went, but then someone pushed her away. Mar came back to me saying, "Okay...well that was awkward..."
And then I played the game. I got only EIGHT because I was being hasty and everyone was watching and ...yeah. Then Mar got ten, but S got a smashing blasted 17!!! The nerve of that girl!
After that it was finally eating time. I stood in a non-existent food line where women were randomly talking. Mar was with me and the moment was so awkward. then S called me to the real line. But that was in the wrong place. So we went to the right place and got plates. I gave a plate to S and then I held out a plate to Ra but she was looking at something else.
"Ra!" I said, and S giggled. Ra slowly turned her head and saw. "Oh sorry!" she said, taking it.
I took a spoonful of some weird spaghetti thing that Mar's mom made. And of course I got a spring roll. Whenever we make them for things like this we rarely get a chance to eat them. They go fast.
Me and Mar sat at the top of the hill while S sat with some random girls not quite so far away from us. I carefully put my cup down on the grass and so did Maryam, and we looked just ridiculous putting our cups up and down undecidedly. We finally just finished everything in our cups and ate.
Something nudged me in the side. It was Nev. "Move over," she said.
I moved, although I didn't have to because there was so much space. "Finally, our gang member arrived," I said. "What should we call our gang?"
"The Nevaeh Gang," Nev answered immediately.
Me and Mar giggled like little
Aaq and Dzk came and sat in front of me. "Hi!" they said.
"Hi."
Dzk wanted to play volley ball with us but I was still eating. Then he said some junk in Malay/English. "See if you can understand me," he said. Then he said "Asalamualaikooom" in a hilarious Malaysian/Indonesian accent. "Waalaikumsalaaaam," I said.
"Nama kau apa?" he asked.
"Nuraaa," I said.
Nev butted in. "What language are you speaking?"! she boomed.
"Malay," we answered.
"Malindo," we both answered.
Dzk then asked me, "What's your sister's name again?"
"Why do you keep forgetting? It's Skin," I said.
Dzk turned and yelled at S, "Zkin!"
"S not Z," I reminded him.
"S!" he yelled. "Speak to me in Malay to see if I can understand you!"
S looked at him but ignored him because she was talking.
Dzk turned back to me and bounced the ball in my face. "Tunggu lah," I said.
"Okee."
I was finally done eating and then I played volleyball with Ummi and Z and Aaq and a random girl and a nice woman. I was a fail.
Dzk joined us, and then it was time to leave. We packed up and left.
When we unlocked our van, a random man, or random mandom, in the words of S, said Salam to S. he asked for Umm Haazim. I ran back all the way to get her and she said thank you. when I got back to the van I was breathing so hardly and was sitting for about half an hour breathing. We quickly drove home and I made wudu. Then we went to the masjid.
Dzk turned back to me and bounced the ball in my face. "Tunggu lah," I said.
"Okee."
I was finally done eating and then I played volleyball with Ummi and Z and Aaq and a random girl and a nice woman. I was a fail.
Dzk joined us, and then it was time to leave. We packed up and left.
When we unlocked our van, a random man, or random mandom, in the words of S, said Salam to S. he asked for Umm Haazim. I ran back all the way to get her and she said thank you. when I got back to the van I was breathing so hardly and was sitting for about half an hour breathing. We quickly drove home and I made wudu. Then we went to the masjid.
Me and Ummi rushed through the masjid hallway and met up with Sr. "Did they pray yet?" Ummi asked.
"Yeah, they just finished," said Sr.
Me and Ummi rushed into the musalla now. We salamed Hb and Nr and then we prayed in front of the library. While we were praying, Abd-R and Dzk burst in through the library door. In a low voice Dzk said, "Be careful, don't go in front of them." So he and Abd-R walked behind us as if they were secret spies or something.
When we were done praying, I went in the hall where all the girls were hanging out. Vandalizing the halls. Cackling. All of them...oh, the evil minds of those individuals...
Just kidding. We just talked and watched some kid throw a ball in the air and we watched Abd-R stick his sock foot in a kid's face.
Suddenly Ummi came in from the musalla and called us. "S! N! Ra! Mar! Sr! Hb! Nr!" We followd her to a corner of the masjid, right where we had prayed. Ummi began talking about the Prophet Musa (عليه السلام) and then we discussed what we learned. We said what straaaaaaaaaaack us.
S: Don't judge people and everyone is different.
Me: Everyone is different.
Mar: Everyone is different.
Ra: What she said, everyone is different.
Hb: I don't know, everyone is different.
Nr: (dang it man I forgot what this girl said but I think she echoed the previous)
Some other girl whom I forgot her name but I know she was nineteen and a half years old: don't judge people.
Sr: Love who you are and love others for who they are.
Then we watched a video, and everyone watched it. Even Kylie, Dzk, and Abd-R. And Aaq and Nab and Fzn.
When the video was over, we discussed it and then the halaqa was over.
I left to go and talk to Mar and Hb in the hall. Hb asked me, "How was Las Cruces without me?"
I pretended to break into sobs."Horrible!" Then I grinned and said, "No, just kidding. I mean, I'm not, but, y'know."
Hb grinned.
"I was like, why isn't Hb here for Eid!!" I went on.
Hb began to look interested. "Oh, what happened on Eid? What was it like? Were there a lot of people?"
"Yeah," I said. "The place was filled, and we had to pray in the library, and we even had to walk in front of everybody! It was so embarrassing!"
Hb's face turned to one of shocked interest.
"What?" asked Mar, who was nearby.
"Remember we had to walk in front of everybody, on Eid, and it was so embarrassing?" I told her.
"Oh yeah!" She said.
"And then at the park there was something at 5pm. I was so tired," I said.
Hb nodded understandingly.
"How old are you?" Mar asked Nr and Hb.
"Eighteen," said Nr.
"Fourteen," said Hb.
Those guys left early, before isha. After isha, me and mar tried to find a baby to play with. We watched one of the Muhammads before I had to leave. I heard ummi's voice in the hallway...
"Okay, I'll talk to you next week inshallah! Assalamu alaikum!"
"Am I leaving yet?" I asked, looking into the hallway. "Oh! I am. Okay, toodle-oo!"
When I got in the van, something was being discussed. "What's the story?" I asked H.
"Kak Nora can't open her door again," he said.
We drove all the way to her house and saw Dzk and Kylie waiting for us. We pulled up and parked, and all of the kids came running to us. Ummi got out of the van and Dzk hugged her for no reason, absolutely no reason at all. Nab jumped all over me so I picked her up and told her tha she was my little sister now. "You are too," I told Aaq. She giggled.
Abi opened Kak Nora's door. "How do you do it?" asked Kak Nora.
Abi explained in Malay. "You put the key in and turn the doorknob at the same time, and then push."
After everything was settled, Ummi talked for half an hour and abi wanted to go because he was the only man there. Abi started the van and we pretended to leave without Ummi. Ummi finally got in and then we went home.
N
