Rebelled Against Her Mother. She

¶ … rebelled against her mother. She was only 17 years old. She did not want to move. She loved her home and the customs of her people. She looked forward to serving her husband and her religion for the reward promised after death. Her name was Ashina, and she desired nothing more than what she knew.

Her mother felt differently. She came to Saudi Arabia from America, believing that she could make a difference. Ashina's mother was an American teacher. Shortly after her tenth birthday, she told Ashina that women were entitled to an education, just like men. Ashina found that difficult to believe. Surely the role of women was to provide help and support for their men. Men were the ones to educate. Men had the minds for education. Women were the hearts of the home.

Still, while living in Saudi Arabia with her family, Ashina grew up to believe in the customs of her people unquestioningly, despite her mother's repeated attempts to expand her views to something more. Although she would never admit it, Ashina found herself respecting her father much more than her mother. He would tell her legends and stories from ancient religion. He would use these to help Ashina understand her role in the Arabian culture, and how she could help to further the great cause of Islam in the world. Her role as supporter was vitally important to the survival of her culture and the success of her people.

At the same time, Ashina could never verbally disagree with her mother. Her father taught her that she was to respect both her parents equally. Because of this respect, she could also never find it in her heart to betray her mother. She knew if her father ever found out about what her mother had tried to teach her, it would be over. Her mother would be burned or stoned as a prostitute, or at least forced to divorce her father and leave their home. She would be left on the street, with nothing and no-one to fend for her. Out of respect and love for her mother,

Ashina said nothing to her father.

Ashina was comfortable with her home, her life, and all the aspects of her culture and her role in this culture. She was happy to nod and smile when her mother spoke, but tried not to listen. She tried not to be excited by the worlds and images her mother spoke about, because surely these were sinful for a mere woman to even be aware of. So she spent most of her time with her father, and wore the traditional clothing of Islam, and waited patiently but with excitement for her parents to select a mate for her.

But this did not happen. Ashina's father died. One day, only months after Ashina's seventeenth birthday, her mother rushed into her room and said that her father was shot in some sort of war. Being accustomed to not really listening when her mother spoke, Ashina picked up only shards of information. There were Americans. And they killed her father; the parent she loved most. Now she had to leave her home land for the United States, a country filled with Americans. She was terribly afraid. Ashina did not want to move, but her respect for her remaining parent kept her from saying otherwise.

She did not like it at first. Her mother was forced to work. Although she seemed to like it, Ashina felt that her mother missed her father terribly. When asked about it, her mother would smile and sigh, and return to grading her students' papers.

Ashina was first forced into a home education. Her mother employed some tutors to help her learn things like mathematics, English, and geography. Her mother also made her wear bizarre garments that left not only her face, but also her legs and arms, exposed. She said that these outfits would help Ashina make friends. When she was considered to be ready, Ashina's mother decided to put her into a public school in order to prepare for university and a career.

This was a difficult transition. Ashina would say nothing in her classes or to the other students. She felt hopelessly out of place in a world where everybody seemed to make their own choices naturally. They seemed to enjoy this freedom. Ashina found it all very out of the ordinary, bizarre, and upsetting as well. Still, respect for her mother kept her from saying anything to her about it.

Then one girl changed Ashina's life for good. During recess, Ashina was sitting by herself and eating the strange, unhealthy foods that Americans seemed to enjoy. Suddenly she was joined by an odd creature that she occasionally saw in her classes. Ashina only realized that Pam was a girl after hearing her voice. Her hair was short, black and spiky. She wore a lot of white make-up on her face and black lines around her eyes. But she was sweet, as Ashina would soon find out.