anaya abassi

"So make sure you follow through. All teachers must wait until all of the kids who are car-riders in their class have been picked up safely by their guardians. This is only until some of the admin staff are re-hired. This is for safety, kidnappings have happened around the county twice in the past six months and this precaution has to be taken." The principal went on.

It was currently 6:30 AM and all teachers including Anaya had been here listening to her talk for the past hour. Anaya's eyes drooped of sleep, her head feeling as heavy as a brick. But she sat straight, well, because she didn't wish to get fired.

"That'd be all, good day." The principal finally finished.

Oh, Alhumdulilah- Anaya thought.

She sat up immediately and left the room. taking off to her classroom to set up for the day.

Taking two long sips from her sweetened iced coffee, she pulled out her binder and looked at the agenda she wrote last night for today, but just then she heard a knock.

She glanced back and it was Mrs. Sanders. One of the middle-aged teachers, her classroom was next to Anaya's so she always dropped by- but unfortunately, always with a wrong purpose.

"Hey, Anaya!"

"Hello, Mrs. Sanders."

"I was wondering if I could take a look at your lesson plan today?" She asked

Does she ever have her own? Anaya thought.

"Why?" Anaya hesitated.

"I have mine I just wanted to see yours for you know any new ideas," She said.

Anaya stayed quiet for a second, the anger bubbling deep in her chest, making her want to cry. She wanted to say no to her, but she couldn't.

She wanted to help everyone, but sometimes people would take advantage of her generosity- and she couldn't get herself to do anything about it because of her compassion.

"I-I umm." She turned around, trying to dodge her request.

"Oh is this it?, I'm just going to take a picture of it okay?" She said, finding the binder that Anaya had spent all night working on. She took a snap of it and left the room mumbling thanks.

Anaya sighed out of distress. Anaya wouldn't have a problem with this at all if the benefits went both ways.

However, since the year began, Sanders always asked her for the lessons she had prepared even though teachers were supposed to come up with their own. Last month Sanders got recognition for being the "Most Creative Teacher" when the principal had seen one of "her" lessons. Anaya had been upset, but she had said nothing and kept her patience.

"A'oodhu billaahi min ash-shaytaan ir-rajeem," She read quietly. to calm her frustration.

Getting back to work, she wrote the to-do list in pretty fonts and colors and then went to her desk to wait for the kids to come.

A few minutes later the bell rang so she stood by the door to greet the students with a high-five or a hug- whichever they preferred that morning. It was a sweet idea Anaya had thought of to make her students start the day on a positive note.

Each kid came in, most hugging her legs and the others high-fiving her. But she made sure each one of them was smiling for the beginning of the day. Until the last student came- who happened to be new, stopped at the door nervously looking at her.

She could see the glisten in her eyes, so she bent down to her level and took hold of her hands.

"Hi, my name is Ms. Abassi. What is yours?" She asked softly, with a big smile.

The girl sniffed and whispered a small "Ava."

"Your name is just as beautiful as you Ava! Why don't you follow me, and I will show you everything. Okay?" Anaya said, trying her best to comfort the kid.

She took a hold of her hand and led her to a group of desks closest to her own, and then walked to the board to begin her class.

"Okay, so let's all warm up!" She said, walking to the front.

"Today is 'Thinking Thursday' so let's all read the problem out loud," She announced.

"There are three dogs on the bench. How many paws are on the bench altogether?" The class read.

"Awesome! Now turn to your partners, and after two minutes I will choose someone to answer."

Anaya looked back at Ava, and the girls sitting around her who chatted amongst each other, while Ava sat silently looking timider than before. Anaya quickly walked towards her table.

"Hey, so any idea of how many paws?" She asked.

The little girl shook her head, as an innocent tear dropped on the side of her cheek. Anaya pouted at her, quickly getting a tissue and wiping her tear.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I will show you." She said, pulling a chair to sit beside her, taking a piece of paper and pen with her.

"Okay, so. There are three dogs, and each dog has four paws. So, one, two, three." She drew the paws and looked at her.

"So how many, altogether?" She asked her.

Ava looked at the drawing intently and then wrote a '12' on the paper quietly.

"Good Job!" Anaya cheered, grinning widely at her.

"See that was so easy," I added.

"Girls, meet Ava. She is new and very smart just like all of you. Why don't you introduce yourselves?" Anaya spoke to the three other girls at the table.

"Hi Ava," They said, then going around the table saying their names.

"Great job," Anaya said, and then got up and to go to the front again.

"Okay, so who has the answer?"

They all raised their hands shaking them frantically so she called on them with a little twist.

"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!" She chose randomly.

"Greg! What is the answer?" She asked

"12!" He said.

"12 is...drum-roll please!"

They all drum rolled against their desks per her request.

"Correct!" She laughed.

"Phenomenal work everybody! So now let's move on to English!" She beamed.

Anaya guided them throughout the day with Science, Math, and English. Staying with them through their lunch and recess- and before she knew it the day was over and the bell had rung.

All of the kids that went home by bus left through the back while all administrators watched over them, as she walked with the other ones to the front.

She waited for all of them to be picked up by their moms and dads looking at all of them smiling super hard to see their parents, and one by one they all left.

Exhausted, Anaya made her way back to her classroom. She cleaned up everything and even wiped the desks so when the custodian came late in the evening he wouldn't have to work so hard.

As soon as she was done, she took her handbag and left for her car.

All five days of her week, from August to May carried a new experience. Coming up with new ideas every day to not only get the kids to learn- but enjoy their time learning. It may seem easy but it was tough work. Tough work that Anaya adored.

When she had got into a university all her colleagues went into majors that they knew would make them the most money. And many times it would make her question her choices, but then she would remember her mother's words.

"Anaya, never run after the Dunya. Run after Islam and the Dunya will run after you." She had said.

She would always remind her to never care for money, that Allah was the giver and all she would ever need is faith. At that time, of course, Anaya hadn't understood her emphasis on wealth, but as she grew up she knew exactly what she meant.

You could have all the wealth in the world yet still be completely miserable.

The world was full of fitnah. Everywhere you looked everyone drooled over richness, every person spent every second of their day trying to make money. Anaya saw, and she knew. Anaya herself had been well off. Her family lived in a wonderful home, with an incredible housekeeper.

However, Anaya had been raised in such a way by her mother- that she didn't take any of her blessings for granted.

All Anaya needed was her deen. She prayed, read the Quran, did Zikr constantly. But most importantly, she believed. She believed in Allah and his rules immensely.

"Asalam Alaikum," Anaya said, entering her home.

Jameela- the housekeeper greeted her back, as she was usually the only one home.

"Come eat," She told her, setting up the table with various foods.

"Let me wash my hands real quick," Anaya replied.

"Okay, let's eat," She said taking a seat.

Anaya saw the home-cooked rice and kababs Jameela made, and her heart bloomed of warmth as she stepped forward to give her a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you so much. Thank you." She said.

Jameela was like her second mother. After Anaya's mother passed away she was only 10, so Jameela took care of her every single day from then on.

"Is father home?" Anaya asked

"No, he left somewhere at midnight again," Jameela said.

"Oh," She replied, confused as to why he would leave in the middle of the night.

Her father was very out of touch with her after his wife's death. The only time they talked was if Anaya asked him a question, and even then his answers would be quick and to the point without any eye contact.

She never asked him why he behaved in such a way, but it did hurt to never receive any affection, nay, attention from her own father.

"Maybe, I'll give him a call later," she said.

Jameela and Anaya talked to each other about their day's work and Jameela brought up stories about Anaya as a kid here and there, which Anaya thoroughly enjoyed- feeling so grateful to have someone who remembered her childhood.

When they finished eating, Anaya helped her clean, and then they both went to offer Zuhr salah.

Anaya took a quick shower and changed into her loose pajamas before she prayed and afterward she sat down comfortably to recite a few Juz's of the Quran.

She finished and she sat on the bed, getting into her blankets. She took her phone from the side table and called her dad.

"Hello?" He spoke.

"Asalam Alaikum, Abbu where are you?" She asked.

"I'm at work, I will be home soon." He said, hanging up the phone.

She pursed her lips, sitting still for a moment. She wasn't shocked, or hurt. Just as always, a bit disappointed.

This is how he was, but these were just the small things he did.

The day her mom died, Abdul was nowhere to be seen. Anaya was in absolute despair, crying day and night and he wasn't there for her. As she grew up he didn't attend any of her graduations, ask her anything about her university or her job, or any of her experiences.

Of course, she realized he was the one who afforded her a pleasant lifestyle all these years, but they were so apart and unknown to each other she didn't even know what his work was as a businessman.

Anaya had even started to pay the bills for the house after her job became steady, and he didn't even acknowledge her.

However, she held no grudge. Wallahi, if he was to come into her room to hug her right now- she would hug him back as lovingly as she could.

Anaya's mother had advised her to never disrespect her father because Allah's pleasure is in the pleasure of both the parents.

So once again, reminding herself of her mother's guidance, she laid back and closed her eyes. Doing zikr on her fingers as she began to fall asleep.

She was never discouraged because Allah had told her "Do not lose hope, nor be sad. You will surely be victorious if you are true in Faith."

So she closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful nap.