Free The Garden of My Imaan by Farhana Zia

I do,” I warned my brother, who was eyeing the many delicacies Amma had prepared especially for me.
    “Not to worry,” Amma reassured me. “There’s plentyfor everyone.”
    And she was right! My grandmother had enough food to feed a herd of hungry elephants.
    “Dua, dua,”
Badi Amma reminded me. Dutifully, I cupped my hand in front of me and quickly recited the short fast-breaking prayer at the table with Amma.
    Then I lunged for the food. I bit into a soft, sweet date and ate lentil dumplings swimming in yogurt sauce. The minced-meat samosa was flaky and the fruit
chaat
was out of this world!
    “Don’t gobble,” Badi Amma instructed. “You must chew your food like this.”
    “Badi Amma, you look like a fish,” Zayd giggled.
    “Kya bole?” my great-grandmother asked.
    “Nothing,” Amma said, giving Zayd a warning stare.
    After iftar, we got ready for the evening prayer. With mats angled properly and with bodies facing the holy Kaaba, we touched our thumbs to our earlobes and began with an Allahu Akbar. I tugged on my slippery scarf to keep it perched on my head, but it just wouldn’t obey. I finally let it go and turned my full attention to Allah.
    Praise be to Him, my first fast had come to an end, glitches and all!

    We sat down to dinner as soon as Baba returned from work.
    “How was your first fast?” he asked.
    “Pretty good,” I answered.
    “She ate a Funyun on the bus,” Zayd piped up.
    “Stop being such a tattletale, you jerk!” I shouted.
    “She called me a jerk, Baba!” Zayd said. “Is she allowed to do that when she’s fasting?”
    “I’m not fasting now, double jerk!”
    “Quit it, both of you!” Mom ordered.
    “A certain amount of amity would be welcome about now, eh?” Baba speared a chunk of chicken with his fork. “After all, it is a big day for us with Aliya fasting and it would be nice indeed to end it on a friendly note.”
    We ate in relative silence after that. It had been a long, hard day of fasting; I was tired and welcomed a little peace and quiet. I ate all the food on my plate that night.
    Wednesday, November 13
    8:00 p.m.
    Dear Allah,
    I did it!
    For a while there, I wasn’t sure, but I kept walking past the water fountain at school.
    So, not counting the small accident on the bus, I’d say that I definitely did it!
    Yours truly,
A

Weird Headgear
    I was on a roll. Waking up early the next day was a lot easier and it was fun to eat suhur with Mom and Amma. We spoke in hushed voices so Baba’s sleep wouldn’t be disturbed. My father wasn’t very regular about fasting—not because he was a bad person or anything, but because he was always making important decisions at his work and needed 200 percent energy. Badi Amma understood completely but it gave our Choti Dahdi one more reason to disapprove.
    Amma had prepared another elaborate breakfast for me.
    “I can’t eat this,” I mumbled. My dinner from the night before was still heavy in my stomach.
    “Eat up, Aliya!” my grandmother urged. “And drink plenty of water to keep hydrated!”
    “I’ve written a note to excuse you from P.E. today,” Mom said. “Be sure to give it to your teacher.”

    That afternoon Winnie and I headed toward our lockers, glad to be going home soon. I wasn’t looking where I wasgoing and bumped into Austin again in the hallway.
    “Hey!” he yelled. “I’m getting tired of you running me down!”
    “I’m sorry,” I muttered.
    “Somebody ought to give you a speeding ticket.”
    “
Hooold
on!” Winnie intervened. “This isn’t a road and I don’t see cars or cops anywhere! Besides, she apologized.”
    “Apology not accepted!” Austin barked.
    “I didn’t see you,” I said.
    “So? Get a pair of glasses like that new girl with the weird headgear,” he spat, “or your geeky friend here!”
    “Are talking about me?” Winnie screeched.
    Marwa closed her locker door and walked toward us. Her beige hijab looked great with her coral sweater. She held her head