Page 34 - A Woman Is No Man

didn’t want to ruin her reputation in the community by defying them. Or
worse, be disowned, banned from seeing her sisters, the only home and
family she had ever known. She was already abandoned and alone in so

many ways; to lose her remaining roots would be too much to bear. She was
afraid of the life her grandparents had planned for her, but even more afraid
of the unknown. So she tucked her dreams away, did as she was told.
“I just want to be happy,” she told Nasser. “That’s all.”
“Well, that’s simple enough.”
“Is it?” She met his eyes. “If so, then why haven’t I seen it?”
“I’m sure you have. Your grandparents must be happy.”

Deya tried to keep from rolling her eyes. “Teta spends her days
complaining about her life, how her children abandoned her, and Seedo
barely comes home. Trust me. They’re miserable.”
Nasser shook his head. “Maybe you’re judging them too harshly.”
“Why? Are your parents happy?”
“Of course they are.”

“Do they love each other?”
“Of course they love each other! They’ve been married for over thirty
years.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Deya scoffed. “My grandparents have
been married for over fifty years, and they can’t stand the sight of each
other.”
Nasser said nothing. From the expression on his face, Deya knew he

found her pessimism unpleasant. But what should she have said to him
instead? Should she have lied? It was already enough she was forced to live
a life she didn’t want to live. Should she really begin a marriage with lies?
When would it end?
Eventually Nasser cleared his throat. “You know,” he said. “Just
because you can’t see the happiness in your grandparents’ life, that doesn’t

mean they’re not happy. What makes one person happy doesn’t always
work for someone else. Take my mother—she values family over
everything. As long as she has my father and her children, she’s happy. But
not everyone needs family, of course. Some people need money, others need
companionship. Everyone is different.”
“And what do you need?” Deya asked.
“What?”

“What do you need to be happy?”