What We Learned Along the Way by Nadirah Angail Read Free Book Online

restaurant!
He spelled “last” in all caps.
    “What is that? A threat?” She finished off
the last of her food and picked up her things to leave. On her way
out, she saw Isaiah. She waved at him as she walked out the door.
She opened her car door and started to get in, but she stopped and
turned around. She went back into the restaurant and looked for
Isaiah. When she saw him, she walked over to him quickly. “I forgot
to give you my number.” She slipped him a napkin and walked out the
door before she could change her mind.
    Mariam couldn’t believe what she had just
done. In all the years she had been with Rashad, she had never
given her number to another man. Did that count as cheating? “How
could it be cheating?” she said to herself. “After all, Muslims
don’t have boyfriends, and I’m not married. So, technically, I have
no one to cheat on.” She smiled at her conclusion as she drove down
the street. She had to call Malikah and tell her what she’d done.
There was no way she was telling Jaime, and Aliya was probably too
busy working to talk.
    After a few minutes of small talk, she got to
the point. “What would you think if Rashad and I stopped
talking?”
    “I’d think the world was over and that there
was absolutely no hope for me whatsoever. Why?” Malikah asked.
    “Rashad’s just been acting weird lately, not
calling as much and standing me up. And you know he has that
temper. I can’t stand that about him.”
    “You said he’s been working a lot lately.
It’s probably the stress. Don’t worry. Things will get better and
you two will live happily ever after.” To Malikah, Mariam and
Rashad we’re the epitome of Muslim love and they gave her hope. She
couldn’t stand the idea of them not being together.
    “It probably is the stress, but I can’t take
him blowing up on me like this. He had a fit because I went to
another restaurant for breakfast this morning. Gave me this speech
about them being the competition and how I better not go back. Who
does he think he is?”
    “He thinks he’s your man. Rashad is a great
guy and if all he asks is that you support his job, then I don’t
think that’s too much to ask.” Malikah hated it when women with men
complained about them. She would die for a handsome man like
Rashad.
    “You’re right. Even though I can’t stand his
attitude sometimes, he is a great guy. So, I guess I better delete
this number out of my phone,” she said.
    “What number?” Malikah asked, confused.
    “It’s no big deal. I met this cute, Muslim
guy at Bertino’s and he gave me his number.”
    “Okay, I thought I was talking to my friend
Mariam, but I see this is some crazed woman trying to lose her
man.”
    Mariam laughed. “I said it’s no big deal. I
was just mad at Rashad. Relax, I won’t call him.”
    “You better not call him. Hell, you need to
give that number to me,” Malikah said jokingly.
    “Maybe I should. He was really cute. Hate to
let a brother like that go to waste.”
    “Girl, I was just joking. What am I going to
do? Call him up and say ‘Salaam brother, I know you gave your
number to my friend, but she decided to give to me. So what’s up?’
He would think I’m crazy.”
    “Yeah, that does sound a little crazy, but
maybe I could introduce you two. We could just stop by his
restaurant and you can take it from there,” Mariam said.
    “No, thanks. I’m done making a fool of myself
in front of guys. I looked so stupid yesterday in front of
Muhammad. Did you know he was married?” Malikah asked.
    “No I didn’t. What happened? How did you look
stupid?”
    “Don’t even ask. I don’t want to relive it.”
Malikah was still a little shaken up from the news. When Mariam got
off the phone, she looked at Isaiah’s number on the napkin. She
knew she told Malikah she would delete it, but now she wasn’t so
sure. She deleted it once, but in less than five minutes, she had
put it right back in. She daydreamed about how fun it would be