Drawing a Veil (2 page)

“You don't have any sisters,” said Ellie. “You just have that great lump of a brother.”

“I mean my Muslim sisters. All over the world,” said Amina.

“Oh,” said Ellie as she walked down the stairs. “So is it to stop your god seeing your hair?”

“My God, your god, anyone's god, can see whatever they like,” said Amina. “No, I'm wearing it to show that I'm a modest Muslim woman.”

“Modest?” Ellie laughed. “Modest! You always do a turn at the school talent show. You're not modest!”

“I don't have to be modest about my skills,” Amina told her. “Just my body.”

“You're not modest when you score at netball,” said Ellie.

“I don't have to be modest about that either,” said Amina. “It's about not wearing miniskirts or low-cut tops, about not
showing off
my body.”

“What about fancy shoes?” Ellie asked, as Amina clicked down the stairs beside her in the highest heels she could get away with at school.

Amina laughed. “One step at a time!”

After break, Amina had history and Ellie had science.

Ellie sat down in front of a row of test tube racks, and Carlie sat beside her.

“So? What did Amina say about the scarf?” asked Carlie.

Ellie sighed. “Like I told you. It's a religious thing. It's totally normal.”

“Yeah. Normal for
her
. But what about you?”

“What about me?” asked Ellie.

“She won't want to pal around with you any more, will she?” said Carlie. “You don't believe in God. You're not going to wear a headscarf. How can you be her friend if you don't do the same as her? She'll want new friends. Maybe she'll go to a different school.”

“No, she won't!” snapped Ellie.

“But she can't go to discos with that on, can she? You could come with me, though. Just like old times,” said Carlie.

Miss Brown came in, and Carlie stopped talking. She scribbled a note and shoved it onto Ellie's folder.

Meet at 6 at the mall?
  Late night shopping!

Ellie put the note in her pocket. She hung out with Amina most Thursday nights. But perhaps Carlie was right, perhaps the new scarf-wearing Amina wouldn't hang out any more.

At lunch, Ellie found Amina in the canteen. They grabbed some sandwiches, then went to the playground.

Ellie ate her lunch first. She needed the energy to ask the question which had been worrying her.

When she had finished her sandwich, she turned to Amina.

“What about me, then?” she asked. “Am I not modest because I'm not wearing a headscarf? Am I a loose woman?”

Amina looked at her carefully. Ellie looked down too. Pumps. Tights. Short skirt. Shorter cardigan.

Amina grinned. “You look like my best mate Ellie. And if you're happy like that, great. But I wasn't happy like that. I'm happy like this.” She pointed to her longer cardigan, baggy trousers, and the dark scarf. “This is me standing up and saying I'm proud to be a Muslim…”

“STAND UP, YOU HORRIBLE LITTLE WORM!”

The roar of anger came from the wall by the car park.

Some Year 10 boys were gathered in a pack round a small red-haired boy.

The tallest Year 10 boy, Dale, shouted again. “You're sitting on our wall!”

There was a quiet answer, in a voice so squeaky it had to be a Year 7.

“That's Luke,” said Amina. “Liam's little brother.”

Dale turned to his mates. “What will we do with him?”

“Luke's got asthma,” said Amina. “We can't let Dale batter him.”

“I'll go and find Liam…” said Ellie.

But Amina said, “There's no time!” And she ran, on her stupid heels, straight towards the group of boys.

Ellie took a deep breath and ran after her.

Dale had already picked Luke up, and was shaking him.

Amina pushed Dale in the back. “Put him down. He didn't know it was your wall.”

Dale swung Luke into Amina.

She stumbled back, and Ellie put a hand on Amina's shoulder to stop her falling to the ground. Amina said again, “Put him down! He's got asthma.”

“Then he should be in the sick room. Maybe we should put
both
of you in the sick room,” jeered Dale. He shoved Luke at one of his huge mates, and stepped towards Amina.

Ellie looked around and saw Mr MacIver walking into the car park. “Teacher!” she said loudly.

Dale stepped back. His mate dropped Luke. Amina pushed Luke away, and said, “Get out of here, quick.” As Luke ran off, Dale grabbed Amina's arm.

Mr MacIver walked towards them. He had no idea what was going on. Teachers never do.

Dale and Amina looked like they were chatting, or even flirting. But really Dale was gripping her arm too tightly for her to get away. They all stood as if they were playing a game of musical statues. No-one would move or speak until the teacher walked past.

Ellie broke the rules, and the spell. “Mr MacIver!”

“Yes?” He stopped and smiled at her.

“Amina didn't see her portraits this morning,” said Ellie. “Could she see them now?”

“Of course,” said Mr MacIver. “Come and have a quick look, before the bell goes.”

Mr MacIver watched Amina and Ellie step away from the boys, then he turned towards the school, and the girls walked safely beside him.

They didn't get a chance to talk on their own while they were looking at the drawings, then they had to dash to their classes. English for Ellie, PE for Amina.

“See you tonight?” asked Amina as she ran towards the gym. “Usual time, usual place?”

Ellie didn't nod. She still had Carlie's note in her pocket. Carlie didn't stand out in the crowd. Carlie didn't stand up to bullies. Carlie didn't make Ellie ask herself hard questions.

Ellie left the house at 5.30, which gave her plenty of time to walk to the park, or get a bus to the shops for six o'clock.

She still hadn't decided where she was going.

She wasn't wearing a hat. Or a hood. Or a scarf. It was a nice night. There was no need to cover up. It was just daft.

What did ‘being modest' mean, anyway? Was Amina saying if you didn't cover yourself then you were showing off, or asking for trouble?

And this standing up and being a Muslim thing. Where had that come from? Amir and Yusuf prayed every lunchtime. Amina never did.

Ellie decided to go to the park first, to see if Amina was still wearing that scarf. She could always meet Carlie later.

She walked towards the kids' play park, where she usually met Amina. They didn't climb the rope frame or use the slide any more, but there were swings to sit on and trees to block the wind off the sea. Behind the fence some boys were having a kick-about.

She saw Amina pushing herself on a swing. Amina was wearing jeans, a long coat, and seriously high purple heels. She wasn't wearing the black headscarf.

Instead, she was wearing a purple and gold headscarf. It went with her shoes, and the big bag on the ground.

Oh great
, thought Ellie.
She's got a whole wardrobe of headscarves.

She stopped, halfway between the bus stop and the swings. She couldn't decide which way to go.

Amina saw her and waved. Ellie waved back, and walked over to her.

“I thought wearing a headscarf was about supporting your Muslim sisters,” Ellie said.

“It is. Why?” Amina asked.

Ellie sat on the other swing. “Well, if you want to show everyone at school that you're standing up with your Muslim sisters, I can understand that. But you don't have to do it when you're hanging out with me, do you? Can't you take it off just now?”

“No, Ellie. It's not a part-time thing. It's my life.”

Ellie twisted round and round on the swing. She didn't know what to say next.

“Oi! Al-Qaeda babe!” It was Megan's voice.

Megan and Kate stepped out from behind the slide. Amina and Ellie jumped off the swings.