creative nonfiction
essay
Here is my Creative Nonfiction Essay
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Draft 3
Rahma Anwar
Creative Nonfiction Essay
When my mom called me inside her room, I knew something was wrong. I was in my room laying on bed with the laptop sitting on my thigh and burning my skin. I put the laptop on the bed, got up, and stretched. I walked in her room and sat beside her looking at her eyes and ready to hear what she had to say. She told me that my brother Shahzad, who is two years older than I told her that I needed to cover my hair because he didn't like how one of his friend liked my hair open.
It’s been about eight years since we have been in America. Even when we were in Pakistan my mom or my elder sister never covered their hair because everyone has their own will and nobody had a problem with that. I understand that my brother is being protective because people believes that headscarves convey the message of purity and respect for women and prevent men from flirting. But covering hair is not a requirement in Islam.
It was Eid, the day Muslim's celebrates after the month of Ramadan, where people make sweets at home and distribute it to neighbours. I woke up in the morning with my messy long and wavy hair coming right on my face, and I went inside the shower. The warm water going through my hair and body and I am hoping for the day to go fine. I got out of the shower and blow dried my hair, ran a hair straightener through my hair. I started to iron my long “Anarkali” dress pink and white combination with beautiful beads on it. I wore my matching jewelry, put my makeup on. Suddenly I hear my sister calling my name, I ran down stairs. She asked me to come with her to wish the neighbors, “Eid Mubarak” not thinking of anything I jumped inside the car with my nieces sitting on the back seat of the car. On my way back I received my mom call, she wanted me to be home and that I shouldn’t have left the house without greeting especially my brother. As he asked for my sister, her kids and me and that maybe he was going to give us money as an Eid ritual. When I got home, I explained how I left in hurry because sister was about to leave with her kids in car and I didn’t wanted to be left out. While I am talking I feel the pressure of the tears coming, my lips are turning into frowning and my voice is fading away and suddenly I hear me talking loud in that uncontrollable anger that had hidden inside of me for a week. Letting it out on how he would have a problem with my hair not being covered. Not realizing that my brother had left before we got home and he wasn’t listening to our conversation.
I was still angry and upset listening my dad speaking for my brother, he was telling me how I should obey my elder siblings and that my brother wasn’t saying anything wrong. I hear the door crack opening, my brother walks in the living room and stood there for a minute, while I did not stop talking, his eyes looked down at the floor and it looked like something was going through his mind, he comes to my dad and tells him in a lower voice to leave the topic and then he went outside. My mom was neutral about the whole situation but she was hurt that I was upset, she tries to calm me down. While my dad wanted things to be calm in both the sides.
After few minutes I came to my room looked at the mirror, my red watery eyes, with messy eyeliner and tears itching my face and the combination of tears and makeup running through my cheeks. I washed my face and lay down on my bed. I thought of my mom and if she wouldn’t have complaint about me leaving the house then this day might have been different and how I shouldn’t have gotten so hyper and made this day very upsetting. I wanted things to be normal again I picked up my phone started to think what words I should write to text my brother. As I began “Hey! Sorry I didn’t wanted to make things like this especially on Eid day and I want things to be normal between us and I don’t want you to be disappointed in me so pls come back home J” Brother: “ hey sis its fine and ill come soon”. I got the feeling of relief after getting his text back. In the meantime I closed my eyes.
After few minutes, I heard someone talking in a serious tone. I got out the bed and started to walk down stairs. I see six foot tall wearing black and brown shirt with silver lining touching his knees and black pants underneath it. It was my brother looking straight into my parent’s eyes and had a very serious tone to his talking and explaining things and moving his hands to make his points. I went near him and put my arms around him and hugged him. I gazed at my parents and I see the smile on their face. Wishing this hug could clear out everything and we would just get back being normal. All four of us sat at the dining area, my brother looked into my eyes and said it is good if you cover your hair because you will be protected and no men will look at you in a way. While he was talking, in my mind I knew there’s only one point that I am going to say and I cleared my throat and I began to talk. I understand and respect your concern but I can’t do something without being mentally prepared.
Draft1
Draft 2
Draft 3
Rahma Anwar
Creative Nonfiction Essay
When my mom called me inside her room, I knew something was wrong. I was in my room laying on bed with the laptop sitting on my thigh and burning my skin. I put the laptop on the bed, got up, and stretched. I walked in her room and sat beside her looking at her eyes and ready to hear what she had to say. She told me that my brother Shahzad, who is two years older than I told her that I needed to cover my hair because he didn't like how one of his friend liked my hair open.
It’s been about eight years since we have been in America. Even when we were in Pakistan my mom or my elder sister never covered their hair because everyone has their own will and nobody had a problem with that. I understand that my brother is being protective because people believes that headscarves convey the message of purity and respect for women and prevent men from flirting. But covering hair is not a requirement in Islam.
It was Eid, the day Muslim's celebrates after the month of Ramadan, where people make sweets at home and distribute it to neighbours. I woke up in the morning with my messy long and wavy hair coming right on my face, and I went inside the shower. The warm water going through my hair and body and I am hoping for the day to go fine. I got out of the shower and blow dried my hair, ran a hair straightener through my hair. I started to iron my long “Anarkali” dress pink and white combination with beautiful beads on it. I wore my matching jewelry, put my makeup on. Suddenly I hear my sister calling my name, I ran down stairs. She asked me to come with her to wish the neighbors, “Eid Mubarak” not thinking of anything I jumped inside the car with my nieces sitting on the back seat of the car. On my way back I received my mom call, she wanted me to be home and that I shouldn’t have left the house without greeting especially my brother. As he asked for my sister, her kids and me and that maybe he was going to give us money as an Eid ritual. When I got home, I explained how I left in hurry because sister was about to leave with her kids in car and I didn’t wanted to be left out. While I am talking I feel the pressure of the tears coming, my lips are turning into frowning and my voice is fading away and suddenly I hear me talking loud in that uncontrollable anger that had hidden inside of me for a week. Letting it out on how he would have a problem with my hair not being covered. Not realizing that my brother had left before we got home and he wasn’t listening to our conversation.
I was still angry and upset listening my dad speaking for my brother, he was telling me how I should obey my elder siblings and that my brother wasn’t saying anything wrong. I hear the door crack opening, my brother walks in the living room and stood there for a minute, while I did not stop talking, his eyes looked down at the floor and it looked like something was going through his mind, he comes to my dad and tells him in a lower voice to leave the topic and then he went outside. My mom was neutral about the whole situation but she was hurt that I was upset, she tries to calm me down. While my dad wanted things to be calm in both the sides.
After few minutes I came to my room looked at the mirror, my red watery eyes, with messy eyeliner and tears itching my face and the combination of tears and makeup running through my cheeks. I washed my face and lay down on my bed. I thought of my mom and if she wouldn’t have complaint about me leaving the house then this day might have been different and how I shouldn’t have gotten so hyper and made this day very upsetting. I wanted things to be normal again I picked up my phone started to think what words I should write to text my brother. As I began “Hey! Sorry I didn’t wanted to make things like this especially on Eid day and I want things to be normal between us and I don’t want you to be disappointed in me so pls come back home J” Brother: “ hey sis its fine and ill come soon”. I got the feeling of relief after getting his text back. In the meantime I closed my eyes.
After few minutes, I heard someone talking in a serious tone. I got out the bed and started to walk down stairs. I see six foot tall wearing black and brown shirt with silver lining touching his knees and black pants underneath it. It was my brother looking straight into my parent’s eyes and had a very serious tone to his talking and explaining things and moving his hands to make his points. I went near him and put my arms around him and hugged him. I gazed at my parents and I see the smile on their face. Wishing this hug could clear out everything and we would just get back being normal. All four of us sat at the dining area, my brother looked into my eyes and said it is good if you cover your hair because you will be protected and no men will look at you in a way. While he was talking, in my mind I knew there’s only one point that I am going to say and I cleared my throat and I began to talk. I understand and respect your concern but I can’t do something without being mentally prepared.