For all her sixteen years on this planet family for Leena, narrator of Khadijah VanBrakle's My Perfect Family, family has consisted of herself and her mother, Asiyah, a home day care operator. Now don't get me wrong. She adores her mother. But she's longed for the love and support of a larger family.
One night her distraught mother tells her they have to rush to the hospital. Asiyah's father, the grandfather nobody told Leena she has, has suffered a heart attack and may not make it...
...He does pull through and is delighted to finally meet his only granddaughter and wants desperately to spend time with her and get to know her.
"His offer is something I've dreamed about since elementary school.
Family. People who love and support you. People who are with you from the cradle to the grave. People you come from, who carry your history with them. Relationships that weather any storm. Hands that link around you, protecting you."
Although Asiyah doesn't prevent Leena from seeing him and his sister with whom he lives, the opinionated and outspoken Samira, she makes it abundantly clear that she does not approve. From bitter experience growing up she fears that any kindness they show Leena will be accompanied by pressures to adapt to a strict version of Islam and marry a boy they choose, to super achieve academically and attain a prestigious position, and to give up any passions they consider unsuitable.
Leena finds her plight very frustrating. She wants a relationship with her grandfather and possibly Samira. But she hates constantly sparring with and keeping secrets from her mother. She yearns to bring the parts of her little family together.
But what if she can't? Will She have to choose one side over the other?
On a purrrsonal note, I had an amazing day yesterday. The highlight was the traditional higher education Christmas party. It was in Elizabeth Allan's (head of the program) beautiful home. A delicious supper was followed by a lively Yankee swap. The program is very close and supportive. So the party was like family minus haters. It's definitely one of the highlights of my Christmas season. Today, after a very fruitful trip to the thrift shop and a library visit, I participated in the weekly vigil. There were 19 of us holding signs and flashing peace signs. I counted that 159 vehicles honked horns and/or waved. That was wonderful. What wasn't wonderful was the wind chill. When I got to campus it took me awhile to thaw out.
A great big shout out goes out to Dr. Elizabeth Allan who deftly steers the higher education program through turbulent times while valuing and affirming each individual student, the wonderful higher education family, my faithful fellow vigil participants, and the drivers who affirmed us through honks and waves.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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