REACH YOUR IMPOSSIBLE DREAM!

10. ME AND AFRICAN BEAUTIES

🌷🌸Me and African Beauties🌸🌷

A true story by Elie Molly*

Beijing, 5 January 2019

Before I came to Beijing, I didn't have friends from Africa. After I met them, I regretted why I didn't have a chance to meet them earlier.

The first African friend I knew is Hamida, my classmate from Tanzania. She wore a hijab (headscarf) at class; that's why I approached her because I've never seen an African girl with a hijab before. And since the first time I met her, I was amazed by her beautiful smile showing her wide-open heart. When we had dinner in the campus canteen, I talked on the phone with someone that made me upset. After I turned off my phone, Hamida looked me in the eyes.

"Molly," she said. " Why are you angry? Haven't you heard the Prophet's story? When someone asked him what advice he could give to be the best person, he said, 'Don't be angry, don't be angry, don't be angry.' He mentioned it three times, which means it is essential to control your anger, especially in public like this."

Hamida's words stabbed my heart. Suddenly I was ashamed of my action. I thanked her for advising me. Since then, we have spent a lot of time together. She is not only my best friend but also my teacher in life and business.

I still remember when I presented my song and my book entitled "Shanghai Diary" in the class. It was November 2017. She was the one who first praised me, "Oh Molly, I'm so proud of you, you're such a great talent." Her words made me so happy that I hug her tightly. Later she advised me to start selling my book in China. She became my marketing manager, along with her own business of selling Tanzanian sweets named Ubuyu. With Allah's help through her support,  I have successfully held book signing events in several universities in Beijing and other cities in China, such as Shanghai and Nanjing.

Alhamdulillah. May Allah grants her more success than He has granted me; may He love her more than she loves me.

My second African best friend on campus is Aisha. She was a beautiful classmate from the Gambia. She wears a hijab as I do, but it was not her scarf that made me very close to her. It was her beautiful character that amazes me. She is much younger than I am but much more mature in the way of thinking and behaving. I didn't have any sister in my family, but she became like my own sister because we've been thru so many sweet moments together. I remember her advice to me, "Molly, you can't change other people. The only thing you can do is change yourself; then, hopefully, people are inspired to follow you because they see the goodness in you."

Before she went back to her country after finishing a one-year Master's study, Aisha gave me some advice. "Don't compare people because you never know what a person has been thru. Especially if you want to marry and have children, never compare your children because it will lead them to jealousy and endanger their self-esteem."

Ohh, I really miss Aisha, she is among the most knowledgeable person in my life. I miss her soft voice when speaking up her knowledge.

Other than Hamida and Aisha, I also have Safia, a beautiful girl from Mali. She is very young, a bachelor's student at the same university, but her way of thinking also amazes me. 

Of course, I also have other African girlfriends in Beijing. They are very friendly and helpful. I recently have new African friends in Nanjing, the city where I hold my latest book signing event. One of them is Dora, a sweet, beautiful girl who welcomed me warmly during an event in Celebrity City Hotel, Nanjing. It was our first meeting, but she treated me like she has known me for her whole life. She doesn't wear the hijab as I do, but it doesn't matter; she hugs me, treated me to delicious foods, and let me stay the night at her dorm without any condition. She is a girl with a very open and kind heart. Mashaa Allah.

Other than girlfriends, I also have a lot of African male friends. One of them is Keita from Tanzania. He likes to give me presents and to cook lunch for me. He cooks delicious chicken curry that has now become my favorite food, hee hee. He invites Hamida and me several times to have lunch at his dorm in a nearby university. It was him who first gave me pink chocolate as a New Year gift. Later I knew that he loved me, but even though I told him that I already have someone in my heart, he is still kind to me and cooks delicious food. Alhamdulillah. May Allah grant him a successful career and a beautiful wife in the future.

I also know Armand, an African student on my campus who I seldom meet and talk to. We say hi in the street. But when I once visited his dorm, he served me a plate of rice and chicken that he cooked. His hospitality so touched me.

Africans are pleased people. They sing and dance, enjoy life to the fullest. They never worry about money. They are very open to everyone, helpful with a sincere heart. That's why I was surprised when I heard that in China, there is discrimination against them only because of their skin color. I believe that God has created humans in the best form of creation. God has created us with different languages and skin colors to introduce and know each other. Therefore, skin and racial discrimination should be eliminated.

However, I'm also happy that China recently has built an African shopping mall on the 4th floor of Greenland, a big shopping center in Shanghai where I was also invited to hold book signing events there last year.

There are a lot of black people who are also my favorite figures of success, such as Halima Aden (world's top model), Oprah Winfrey (presenter), Will Smith (movie star), and many more. From them, I learn how to reach dreams with confidence and perseverance.

I love Africans. For me, they are not human. 

They are angels. 🌷🌷🌷

*Elie Molly, author of the book "Dare To Dream."

Visit her website:

https://eliemolly.wixsite.com/website