"Ah, the glamorous life of an exile," Najma Al-Duwaish Obaid thought to herself as she surveyed her neighborhood. Located in the heart of Vanier, Ontario, the two-story red brick building overlooked the nearby park that occupied much of Donald Street and bordered McArthur Avenue as well. Although the place was alright, all things considered, it was a far cry from her old digs in the opulent Al-Dhahab neighborhood of metropolitan Riyadh, that's for sure.
Not for the first time, Najma cursed the day that her philandering husband, Mohammed Obaid, met Fatima Said, unhappily married daughter of one of Saudi Arabian society's wealthiest magnates, legendary cleric and architect Hussein Said. The two of them carried on a torrid affair, which led to their discovery and arrest by the Mutaween, the Saudi religious police. Mohammed Obaid's family blamed Najma for his indiscretions, and after some lengthy and expensive legal wrangling, they left her destitute.
"You should leave Saudi Arabia for your own good, witch, your life is forfeit," said Khadra Obaid, Najma's mother-in-law. The old Saudi woman spat on the ground as she spoke to her daughter-in-law, whom she always despised for many reasons. Not the least of which being that Najma had grown up in the City of Toronto, Ontario, and wasn't "Saudi enough" for some. Nevertheless, Najma took the old woman's unsolicited advice, and left the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Ontario, Canada.
Najma's dual Saudi/Canadian citizenship proved to be a saving grace under the circumstances. Now here she was, thirty eight years old, starting over in a new country. Just call me the Saudi Arabian Muslim version of The Starter Wife, Najma thought bitterly, as she recalled her fondness for that short-lived U.S. Network series starring Debra Messing. Like her favorite character, Najma was a woman rebuilding her life after the end of a relationship. Living in a two-bedroom apartment in a seedy neighborhood didn't appeal to her one bit, but Najma had no choice. For now.
"So, you graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2004, what are you qualified for, as far as today's competitive workplace?" said Vincent Templeton, the stocky, bald-headed white guy working at the employment agency which Najma visited a couple of weeks ago. Glaring hatefully at the annoying little man, Najma resisted the urge to slap the shit out of him.
Clad in a black leather jacket over a red turtleneck shirt, black silk pants and knee-high black leather boots, her raven hair tucked under her Hijab, Najma knew that she cut a dashing figure. Unfortunately, her charms left Templeton cold, as evidenced by the picture of him all hugged up with a tall black guy while they were both holding rainbow flags. Najma hadn't lived in Canada in over a decade. In that time, the country had changed a lot. Interracial couples seemed to be everywhere, and gay marriage got legalized. Fascinating stuff, to be sure, but it wasn't getting her anywhere.
"I'm looking for a job, any job for which I'm qualified, you're an employment agency, aren't you?" Najma said icily, and Templeton shot her a look and pursed his thin lips. For some reason, he reminded her of one of the teachers in the Harry Potter movies. And not in a good way. So this is what my life has come down to, needing help from the dregs of the universe, Najma silently lamented, and she forced herself to stay calm.
Najma Obaid came to the City of Ottawa, Ontario, when it became clear to her that rent in Toronto wasn't something she could afford in the long run. After all, when all was said and done, Najma only had sixteen thousand dollars when she arrived in Canada from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her late husband's family made sure that she left the country penniless and heartbroken. Lucky for Najma, she'd begun stashing money away the day the Mutaween stormed the Obaid residence, and dragged her husband Mohammed Obaid away in handcuffs.
After a rather brief trial, Mohammed Obaid and his lover/accomplice Fatima Said were found guilty by the Criminal Court of Saudi Arabia. Pleas for clemency were sent to King Salman of Saudi Arabia, but fell on deaf ears. The law was the law, even for the wealthiest members of Saudi Arabian society. Adultery carried a death sentence in the Kingdom. Thusly, Mohammed Obaid and Fatima Said were summarily executed at the infamous Deera Square, a bloody corner of Riyadh were public beheadings are carried out. Najma remembered fainting on that hot, gruesome day.
"Frankly, Miss Obaid, I don't think it's your resume or your educational credentials that are holding you back, it's your attitude," Templeton said, and the little man's face was suddenly beet red. Najma smiled, resisting the urge to squeeze his nose. With his short stature, and the weird cap he always wore, he reminded her of a garden gnome. Yeah, it was true what they say about the little guys. Always insecure, and with hidden anger issues...
"My attitude is just fine, shorty," Najma said, and she looked Templeton up and down, smiled and grabbed her purse before exiting the employment office located on Catherine Street. There was an abundance of buses going to and fro, but Najma decided to go for a walk. As she walked by a nearby school, a tall, well-dressed and handsome black gentleman looked sharply in her direction. Najma smiled politely and continued on her way.
"Najma Al-Duwaish, is that you?" the stranger called out, and Najma turned sharply and faced him. She hadn't been called by her maiden name in ages. In Saudi Arabia, a woman's maiden name disappeared completely after marriage. They didn't have the practice of hyphenating it like they did in western countries. The tall black man looked at her like he knew her, and Najma found that profoundly puzzling.
"Salaam, do we know each other?" Najma asked cautiously, and the man smiled and nodded. When he smiled, Najma's heart skipped a beat. Memories she'd long cast aside came back, unbidden. Najma thought of her halcyon days at the University of Toronto, and one face stood out among the countless people she met there. Nasser Mukalay, the handsome, proudly Muslim, Congolese-born star of the University of Toronto's Varsity Basketball Team in the early 2000s. Oh, and he was also her college sweetheart...
"Come on now, Najma, it's Nasser, you forgot a brother this easily?" the handsome, chocolate-hued stranger said casually, and he flashed her that fearless smile that had the power to make her melt, once upon a time. Najma smiled and swiftly crossed the distance between them. Sidestepping decades of Saudi social and cultural conditioning, Najma held out her hand, and Nasser Mukalay gently shook it.
"Good to see you again, Nasser, you look amazing, how are you?" Najma said, looking him up and down. Although he was in his late thirties, Nasser looked almost a decade younger. Black doesn't crack, Najma thought enviously. Try as she might, she couldn't hold back the bloody sands of time. With a steady diet, a rigorous exercise routine and lots of creams, Najma kept herself looking good. Nasser on the other hand looked like a man in his late twenties, when she knew he was a decade older. Dammit, it just wasn't fair.
"I'm fine, Najma, I didn't know you were in town," Nasser said, and Najma felt a pleasant frisson as he suddenly pulled her into an impromptu hug. Hmmm, someone smells good, Najma thought appreciatively. Nasser smiled at her. Najma did not remember how they got into the nearby Greyhound station and sat down for a quick bite, nor did she care. It felt good to catch up...
"So, you're a Dad now?" Najma said, as Nasser showed her a picture of him standing next to a light-skinned, skinny and freckle-faced, dark-haired young woman, and there was a chubby, blonde-haired white woman in the picture as well. For some reason, Najma's heart winced when she saw Nasser next to ladies she presumed to be his wife and daughter. It bothered her, and for the life of her, Najma couldn't tell you why...
"That's my little angel, Nadia, and the blonde gal is my wife, Kirsten Bernstein," Nasser said soberly, and there was a haunted look on his face. Najma nodded and smiled, even though the name Bernstein definitely rang a bell. Where had she heard that name before? Najma wracked her brain for answers, and she slipped into memory lane, back to the University of Toronto, her old stomping grounds...
"Kirsten Bernstein, that chick from the Jewish/Muslim Interfaith Alliance? Coach Lincoln Bernstein's daughter? You married her?" Najma exclaimed, and Nasser smiled and shrugged nonchalantly. Smiling on the outside, Najma quietly fumed. Back in the day, she and Nasser were one hot item. A lot of people were stunned to see the tall, athletic Congolese-Canadian Muslim stud with the pampered young Saudi Arabian woman, but they nevertheless carried on a passionate relationship for years and years.