Love from A to Z(57)

In reality, it was the opposite of peace in there. Excitement central would be a better way to describe it.

“Walaikum musalam!” she answered, infusing the greeting with bubbly energy. She looked at Hanna. “I heard there’s an awesome exhibit we’ve just got to see.”

“That’s right, the Rare Jewels of an Empire.” I gestured for her and Hanna to go ahead, and, when they did, I took a step to test myself, to check my abilities once more. This had become my way now whenever I started moving again after being stationary—ever since that fall off my bed, shocking more my mind and my confidence than my body. “I don’t know the specific empire we’re talking about, but have no fear; we have an expert with us. Hanna Chen, future gemologist.”

“It’s the Mungal empire,” Hanna told Zayneb, walking beside her, iPad out.

“The Mongol or the Mughal?” Zayneb asked.

“M-U-G-H-A-L,” Hanna spelled out from her iPad.

“The Mughals of India. So I know I’m going to love this. It’s part of my cultural background,” she said, slowing her stride to include me, to let me catch up. “My father’s family is from Pakistan, which was part of the Indian subcontinent, and of course under Mughal rule.”

I nodded, remembering some of Dad’s history lessons. “And your mom is Caribbean, obviously. Like Ms. Raymond.”

“My mom’s parents are Trinidadian and Guyanese, so yeah, West Indian. Which, I guess, means that that part of my family was also part of the Mughal Empire. Because they originally came from the Indian subcontinent.” She beamed. “I actually really like learning about my heritage. Because we don’t learn much of it at school back home. Mostly just Greek and Roman cultures. And Egyptian, sometimes.”

“You know, one side of my Dad’s family, generations past, migrated as laborers to Jamaica from China, decades ago. He’s been trying to get information on them for a while. He’s also into history in a big way.” I paused when we got to the stairs.

“I thought he was supposed to come today?” Zayneb stopped too and looked at the stairs. Hanna was already at the landing where the staircase split into two sides.

She held up her iPad and snapped a picture of us and then exclaimed, “Cousins forever!”

Zayneb and I looked at each other and laughed.

“I promise I didn’t tell her that,” I said, shaking my head, hoping I wasn’t turning red. Hanna. “My dad had a last-minute thing come up at school. Hey, I’m going to take the elevator, just over there. Mind going up with Hanna?”

“No problem!” She waved and proceeded to the stairs. “Meet you at the rare jewels?”

I nodded as Hanna bounded up and Zayneb began climbing.

? ? ?

In the elevator alone, I tried to tell myself not to think about what was happening right now.

Here was a girl I was interested in, way more than any other girl I’d met before. Actually, way more than any other person I’d met before.

Who had something, a spark, who showed an interest in things, who was confidently alive, and here we were having to split up because I couldn’t walk with her.

Adam, this may not be the time to begin anything.

And there it was, the voice of reason, of pragmatism, that ruled my life, that I didn’t want to listen to today.

Not the right time for love, it whispered again as the elevator doors opened.

I tested a tentative step out and then sped up, holding on to the wall, to leave that crippling voice behind in the elevator.

We were meant to meet.

I believe that there’s a connection between the things that happen to us, beyond ourselves. Like Dad taught me to believe.

And I’ve believed this way for seven years.

Zayneb and I were meant to cross paths. I want to get to know her, keep her showing up in my life.

This was the script I used to replace the thoughts I didn’t want inside anymore.

I want to keep her showing up in my life was in my head as I entered the darkened exhibit hall and saw the back of that blue hijab, under a spotlight, in front of a display.

She turned, face full of life, eyes dancing with excitement, and I thought, Yeah, she’s a marvel meant to be in my life.





ZAYNEB


SUNDAY, MARCH 17


MARVEL: ADAM . . . AND HIS SOUL


EXHIBIT A: HIM, AT THE museum.

One of the reasons Ayaan said she loves being Muslim is because it makes her feel like a natural feminist. “Like, hello? Our queen Khadija didn’t wait for the man she had her eye on to ask her, to get on his knees. Nope. Instead, she said, I like you, oh employee of mine. Will you marry me? And then, after they hitched, she just kept her job as his boss. Mad respect.”

She was talking about the prophet Muhammad. How he was proposed to by his boss, Khadija.

Those were the two I kept thinking about as we moved through the museum, with Hanna flitting around and between us and the other museum visitors like a butterfly, excitedly “landing” on a display of jewelry every once in a while to stare at the stones and pearls, read the caption sometimes, and then, always, take a picture.

I was thinking of Ayaan and the prophet Muhammad. And a third person too: Adam.

How Ayaan would just say, Tell him. That you’re interested in getting to know him seriously. Make a move, advance like our queen. Like you’re supposed to. Be the boss you’re meant to be, Zayneb.