My Choice

Chapter One

CHAPTER | ONE | ALIZA | POV

I woke from a sudden force that was now jumping around on my bed. I squinted my eyes to see seven year old Mustafa going up and down whilst, shouting for me to get up; this was how being woken for Fajr usually was around my house. 

"Mustafa I get it! Stop jumping now or I wont get you a McFlurry tonight!" I warned him and he instantly stopped because to him, getting a McFlurry was like getting a brand new car every week. Yes, he happened to be obsessed with food. I don't blame him, so was I.

He finally stopped, that's when I saw my older brother Adam leaning against the doorway with his hands leaned across his chest and smiling smugly at the scene that just happened in front of him. It all happened so quickly that I don't think he expected the bear hug that I was about to give him. Well that's what his choking indicated anyway.

"Asalaamalaikum, I can't believe you're here!" I gushed over Adam as he bent down to his knees, trying to regain his breath that I almost took out of him.

Adam finally got back on his two feet facing me. He stared at me with wide eyes and began shaking his head before speaking again. "Walaikumasalaam. Damn I forgot how strong my little sister was. Looks like college is making me forget you guys," He said.

I rolled my eyes at how childish my older brother was. Adam was only a year older than me but still the oldest out of all of the kids in the house. He had been going to college in Florida since the beginning of the year and I haven't seen him since; I knew that he was coming for the wedding yesterday but I didn't see him at all which made me a little sad.

Adam towered over me at 6'5 while I stood at 5'6, nearly a whole foot taller than I was. Pushing past him, I made my way to the bathroom, but not before giving him one final hug and began doing the ablution, wudhu so I could begin my Salat.

Fajr was the first Salat of the day, when the sun rises and having my little brother jump on my bed every morning to wake me up for it was completely normal; and my friends ask why they can't sleep over. They'd be completely scared!

What wasn't normal though, was seeing my older brother come home from College after nearly being there for a full year without visiting. Which reminds, I need to have a little talk with him about his visiting schedule.

I got out the bathroom a little wet from the water but made no move to dry myself. It's considered a sunnah to pray Salat while you're still wet from your wudhu and I intend to do as much sunnah as I could.

In my room I got out a clean abaya from my wardrobe while slipping on a random Hijab that was lying on the back of my desk chair. Just then, Baba appeared in the doorway to my room just as I was about to set my prayer mat facing south on the floor.

"Habibi, I'm going to the Masjid with your brothers and I will have to leave early for work in the morning so I can't give you and your brothers a ride to school. Would you please-" I stopped him there and nodded while he smiled and left the room, closing the door behind. No parent should have to tell their kids 'please' to get them to do something; we obey our parents' no matter what.

Baba usually gave me and my twin brothers Asif and Akbar a ride to school in the morning, but since he has to go work, I'll have to get my car out of the garage today. Yes, I had a car and I could easily drive it to school, but I didn't like the fact that my parents' had spent so much money on me for my eighteenth birthday. So, I laid it aside and only used it unless I had to. Today was one of those days.

Focusing all my attention back to the prayer mat in front of me, I started my Salat as everything around me became a blur and the only thing that was clear to me was Allah SWT, as he should. When praying first thing in the morning, to me it was like I was starting a new day right with the help of Allah instead of myself.