If We Ever Meet Again

She stared there looking at me, as if she was trying to say something. Yet she remained in her world of quietness; would anyone understand your silent languange, girl? I looked back at her, but then she turned her face away. Oh, she was getting me annoyed! I had no interest in picking a fight with her, and would never have such interest, I thought, so I just kept quiet and turned my face, sighed helplessly and continued writing.


Thought about Nancy disturbs me again, and the thought of her is just driving me crazy. She is just so weird. Is there anything wrong about me? Am I having four instead of two legs? Whatever is it, she should have react as normal people, that would come over and tell me, "Hey, what's wrong with you? You look like a traffic light with this striking colour of shirt!" (although I was not wearing such extraordinary shirt!) instead of just staring at me las if I am the alien from the outer space, right?


I do not know  how can I understand such a weird person. Okay, let me say it honestly, I can never understand her in whatever way! She spends her day looking at the surrounding, talking to no one, and the worst thing is, whenever we meet in coincidence, her eyes cannot seem to leave me in peace. She would stare at me as if she has nothing else to do.


I glanced at the clock in my room. Oh, it is about time for my Physics extra class! In a split second, I am already running into the bathroom with towel covering my head to clean up myself thoroughly before going for my class. After all, I would never go for my class with such unpleasant smell of a person that have not taken her bath!


However, in the car later, I sigh again. Going to extra class means, going to see Nancy again. This may sounds bad, but ... I am hoping that she will not attend today's class. I am totally annoyed and exhausted by her weird habit. Can she ever realize that she is disturbing me?


I think not, and my thought do come true. She comes earlier than me, and she has taken a place just right behind me. Purposely, I think?


During the class, I tried not to feel distracted by the strange feeling when you are really sure that someone is staring at you, but I just cannot help it.  I am now feeling like knocking her head! Enough with this, Nancy. If you are a friend, come and introduce yourself. If you are an enemy, just have a nice shot directly on my head with a machine gun. I would die in a few minutes, and also have a full stop for your strange look staring at me.


I do not know what to do and remain in silence. I am totally shocked when she approaches me after the class. Maybe she should have done this earlier so that I would not have hate her, somehow.

“Lisa, you look really nice with this scarf … or what Muslims call, jilbab?”she praises me. I smile, but deep inside, I am totally surprised by her impression towards me. Oh, only if she knows why am I wearing jilbab!

“Are you sure? I thought I look strange wearing this oversize jilbab.”

“No. Anybody saying that must have problem with their eyes. You look special. I often see Muslims, but not all have the same character like you, or at least cover themselves properly,”she speaks sincerely. Oh, why only this Christian girl have this way of thinking? Why not all my Muslims friends that are jeering me because of this jilbab?

“I want to wear this, someday.”

That is her last word before she went away with her family after the class, and that is the last time I see her. Deep inside, I am ashamed. I wear the jilbab because of my mother, not because of covering my aurat.

Oh, Nancy, I wonder where you are and what are you being right now? I do miss you now. Come over and tell me that this stupid Lisa is now missing the strange girl that always stare at her doing nothing!

Because of her, I changed. I wear jilbab sincerely. My mother can now smile happily, knowing that she does not need to force me to wear jilbab anymore. I do it by myself. I want to wear jilbab. That is the value of myself as a muslimah. I do not care whatever people say, but I know, because of this jilbab, the sense of pride of Islam approaches Nancy, a non-Muslim girl. Even though she is no longer around with me, I still want to wear jilbab. I want others to feel the pride of Islam too. Ustazah Najla told me, the sense of pride of Islam is called, izzah.

Nancy, I will never be the same, if we ever meet again! I am not the one who hates you. I am not the one who wear jilbab reluctantly. I am not the one feeling ashamed with the image of a muslimah. I am not that silly person any longer!

I am now, a muslimah, a true muslimah!

“Assalamualaikum,”

I turned my face. My eyes widen. Nancy!

“May I know you? My name is Natrah,”she shakes hand with me. She really looks like Nancy. Tears roll down my cheek. I miss Nancy, and now a similar girl comes over and approaches me. She wears oversize jilbab, just like me. Her voice, her face, her identity … everything is just like Nancy. Nancy, when will I see you again?

Just in a day, I feel close to Natrah. She is really nice. After all, the best part of our long conversation is when we discuss about jilbab. She wears jilbab because of Allah, but the one who inspires her to wear jilbab is her friend. I bite my own tounge, realizing that she is just like Nancy. Now, Natrah and I share the same ambition, we want to make others love and attracted to Islam.

Then, when I go home and tell my mother our ambition, she smiles, holds my hand and tells me, our ambition is what Muslims call, dakwah. The next day, Natrah approaches me and say,

“Natrah is Nancy and Nancy is Natrah. Natrah is a muslimah.”

*My first English debut in this blog. Comments please?