"Rana, babe, come on, it's almost time for prayer," said Mariam Joseph, and the young Haitian woman shook her girlfriend by the shoulder, snatching her out of whatever reverie she was caught up in. Rana Gazuyeva blinked, and flashed Mariam a rather dreamy smile. This woman I love so much is so not okay, Michelle thought, shaking her head.
Rana Gazuyeva, who'd grown up in a Chechen War Zone prior to coming to Canada, had her good days and bad days. Most of the time, the lovely young woman was quite normal, looking and acting just like any regular gal on a lively, friendly college campus. Not quite just another face in the crowd, but pretty damn close...
Other times, Rana zoned out, completely forgetting where she was, pulled by her past, her memories. She simply froze, as though she were in a movie and someone hit the pause button. These "zone-outs" of hers were unpredictable, to say the least, hence why she couldn't drive a car, among other things. This posed a challenge to those who care for her, like her partner Mariam.
"I know, Mariam, thank you," Rana said softly, and the young woman readjusted her Hijab, leaving a few stray strands on her forehead. Rana's concession to her hidden wildness, of which her partner was well aware. Mariam grumbled softly, and Rana grinned, then leaned over and pressed her lips against hers. Mariam hesitated, then kissed Rana back passionately.
"Is this your way of shutting me up?" Mariam asked, and Rana smiled and shrugged. The two of them sat at a wooden bench in the sunlit quad at La Cite Collegiale. It was a warm, sunny day in mid-September, and the only French-language institution of higher education in Ontario, Canada, was in splendid form.
Mariam Joseph, a recent convert to Islam from a Haitian Catholic background, could be considered a study in contradiction. Six feet tall, curvy and lovely, with smooth charcoal skin, and long, neat dreadlocks, the young Haitian-Canadian woman has often been told how much she resembles Hollywood icon Grace Jones. Mariam couldn't see the resemblance and didn't like the comparison...or so she claimed.
"Yes, mademoiselle, somebody has to," Rana said, and she took Mariam's hand and brought it to her lips. Mariam blushed, touched by Rana's sweetness. The two young women couldn't be more different. Mariam, clad in a BLM T-shirt, blue jeans and black Timberland boots, seemed socially conscious, or downright militant, depending on whom was looking.
In the City of Ottawa, Ontario, a place noted for its boring facade and the passive aggressive nature of its residents, an outspoken young Black woman like Mariam Joseph definitely stood out. She was passionate about human rights, and issues of racism and police brutality were close to her heart. Mariam is proudly Muslim, openly lesbian, and speaks her mind about controversial issues. Yes, the lady is indeed a handful...
Rana Gazuyeva couldn't be more different from her partner Mariam Joseph...on the surface. Standing five-foot-nine, a bit on the chubby side, with alabaster skin, long dark hair which she almost always hid under her Hijab, and lively green eyes, Rana is lovely in a wholesome kind of way. She is as passionate about her Islamic faith and Chechen heritage as she is about her police foundations classes.
Rana Gazuyeva was born in the City of Gudermes, Chechen Republic, and moved to the City of Montreal, Quebec, with her parents, Marat and Dinara Gazuyeva a few years back. The young woman at first experienced a culture shock after moving from Chechnya to the area of Montreal-Nord, which was filled with Haitians. It was where Rana ended up meeting her best friend Mariam...
Fast forward a few years, and Rana and Mariam have left Montreal and settled in the City of Ottawa, Ontario. The two of them attend La Cite Collegiale. Rana is studying police foundations, in preparation for a career in the Canadian legal field, and Mariam is studying Nursing, in preparation for a career in health care. Rana is estranged from her parents, who haven't spoken to her since they found out that she and Mariam are more than friends.
"Let's go to prayer, babe," Rana said, and she and Mariam exchanged a smile, then headed to the prayer room located near the administration building. La Cite Collegiale is a fairly small school, with a few thousand students, but it's the only French-language college in the province of Ontario, and has a sizeable population of Muslims among its student body.
When Rana and Mariam entered the prayer room, they went at the back, to the Sisters Corner. The men prayed at the front, as per tradition. Rana and Mariam sat side by side, and focused on the ceremony. The visiting preacher, Imam Khabib Letuchaya, a grizzled older gentleman originally from Russia, spoke to the gathered Muslim brothers and Muslim sisters.
"As Salaam Alaikum, sisters and brothers, Jummah Mubarak to you all," Imam Khabib said, his deep voice resonating throughout the prayer room. The hall could fit a hundred people, but there were perhaps thirty people in attendance, twenty men and about ten women. As the preacher spoke about the importance of upholding Islamic tradition while adjusting to life in the West, Mariam and Rana exchanged a smile.
Mariam winked at Rana, who blushed and briefly looked away, then returned her smile. From the moment Mariam first laid eyes on Rana, she knew...something. Mariam, the only daughter of Haitian immigrants Suzanne and Jacques-Henri Joseph, grew up in a devout Catholic household. She attended church regularly with her parents and her older brothers Leonard and Leopold. All was well, until Mariam met Rana...
Prior to meeting Rana, Mariam was fully aware of the fact that she liked girls, but she never acted on it. One day, Mariam saw Rana, and her heart went pitter-patter. The tall, beautiful but socially awkward young Haitian woman didn't know what to make of her feelings for the tall, curvy, Hijab-wearing young Muslim woman from Chechnya. Why do I feel like this? Mariam wondered, lamenting her situation.
Rana remembered feeling nervous for some reason whenever she saw Mariam, the tall, tomboyish young Haitian woman with the long hair and the enchanting smile. They lived in the same block, on Saint-Germain Street in the north end of Montreal, Quebec. One day, they ran into each other at the local public library, and sparks quite simply flew...
Mariam's friendship with Rana changed her life. The young Chechen Muslim woman was not as shy or as demure as she first appeared. Mariam found that quite funny. Upon meeting Rana, Mariam thought the other gal was soft and sweet. Mariam, who's tall and athletic, was quite shy, though she had a loud voice and walked with swagger, by copying moves she'd seen her older brothers do.
