The Night Before

Chapter 1: The night before

As a tossed and turned in my bed, I couldn’t fall asleep I was so nervous ,my brain was running a million thoughts a minute.

Everything was playing on my mind.

Will I be okay?

I hope I don’t get lost

Did I put my pencil case in my bag?

Is my hajiab the right colour?

My stomach had a thousand butterflies. I was excited nervous and scared.

Tomorrow I make one of the biggest steps into my future

My first day of campus

Gosh!  I’m such an idiot let me introduce myself before you think I’m a rambling idiot. My name is Sara Kajee .I am 18 years old. I was born and raised in a strict Muslim family.

You must be wondering why I’m so nervous about tomorrow, it’s just campus.
Well I went to an all girl’s Muslim school most of my life I have no social skills with the opposite gender even my teachers were female. My school had around 400 students.

Now I’m off to a mix gender campus.

One building is twice the size of my school and there is so many on campus .Most of the girls in my matric year are enrolled into high class cooking classes with big diamond rings on their left ring finger.

All to be married to rich Muslim guys taking over the family business or just finished his degree in either accounting, medicine or engineering – well those are the only ‘acceptable’ careers in and Indian community

These girls a most probably will move to Jo’burg and be good housewives in a few months time they only worry will be how round they roti came out or how they suspect they maid for something.
And probably have a baby next year this time.

I was one of the lucky ones. A handful of the girls in my school get to study. 90% through correspondence
A good Indian Muslim girl can only study teaching or pharmacy or if you where really lucky a commerce degree – these degrees are 4 years long and not too hard. No extra studies after getting your bachelor.

You can’t study anything else because you won’t find a husband because you will be too clever and it was ‘haraam’ to get married pass 22, only few lucky girls who have secret boyfriend’s on campus magically get married after 22.

I never expected my dad to let me study and that too on campus .My sister did a pre-school course for 2 years and was married by 20 -she’s now 25 and has 2 kids. I had a few proposals over the summer but nothing clicked for me. I wanted to be independent before I get married, well as independent as a Muslim girl in my community could get.

So here I was going to campus and guess the whole of Forest Avenue was talking about it- You heard Dr Haroons daughter. No not Fatima. The unmarried one she going to study .N o not teaching like fathi she’s doing some computer thing. Ay she’s going to end up like that Ayesha that girl is almost  25 and not married, to worried about been a doctor and studying.

She should have got married when she finished school so many nice boys came home for her.   Ay! If my Amina gets any ideas from Sara ,I will give her a good hiding with my valin.

Well that story, I did over hear Aminas mother on the phone when I was over at her house last week. I’m not making it up.
Well I can’t see myself as a housewife or doing teaching. I had 5 a’s in matric. I did compromise with my dad he said flat out no to engineering – too many boys he said. I was how ever allowed to study Computer Systems and Design- not many boys but enough to make the town talk.

Last time there was this big scandal  when Ayesha from across the street decide to do medicine .She now lives in Jo’burg all alone and is specializing and working there .Her poor mother nearly have a heart attack – I suspect it is all those oily curries that she prepares that will cause it not her daughter been a doctor.

I just hope all goes well. I really don’t care about these aunties I do plan on getting married just not now and I’m sure my husband to be will not rejected me for been too clever .

My phone beeped it was Amina

Good Luck for tomorrow <3 lve you

you will be fine. I have faith in you. amy:)

That made me feel a bit calm and my eyes closed and I fell into a dreamless sleep.