Day 258 Breaking Fast and Fake Families

I don't get out much.

If I ever do leave my house, it's usually either for work, working out, food, or drinks...all of which I have auto-pilot for in my brain to the appropriate places. So the fact that I was able to drive out on unfamiliar roads to a place that I've only gone to maybe three times in my entire lifetime is kind of a big deal.


I'm exhausted once I get home, crashing onto my bed and acutely aware that I have to meet up with Mila in about tow hours. It happens that I haven't seen Mila in a very long time, so when we tried to get together and she suggested that I come over to her house to break fast with her family for Ramadan, I immediately agreed. 

I've never given much thought to Mila being Muslim. Granted, for the first years that we knew each other, she didn't wear a hijab and the only time her religion ever really came up was when we'd attempt to throw her a mini-party at school...only to back out when we realized that she was fasting. (I can't count the amount of times this has happened) She once asked me, after 9/11 if I was uncomfortable with her faith. I think I might've scoffed. 


I pull up on Mila's driveway and greet her mother with a hug and say hi to her brother. We chat and talk and laugh about how stressful school/work has been on us, lamenting that this wasn't quite how we expected to spend our early 20s. Eventually, her mother calls us to the table and I sit with her family and eat the small meal with hot tea with them. Mila announces that she needs to pray and her father invites me to join them and I happily accept.


Mila attempts to explain to me how we need to "cleanse" ourselves, which largely consists of us washing our hands, face, and feet before covering our hair and joining her father and brother to pray. I follow the motions since I can't understand the Arabic prayers and when we're finished, her brother points out the finer points of the actions and ways to pray. I take it in and simultaneously realize that the things we do in Catholic churches would probably confuse people too.

Her mother feeds me noodles and a lot of lamb curry and I relish the deliciousness. Her father and brother eventually go off to the mosque to pray and I have to say good-bye too, having gotten a text from Nicky and Susie that they've gotten out of the movie. I invite Mila and she says no like I expected since she has a busy day tomorrow. 


I head over to the restaurant, plop down in the seat across from Nicky and Susie and promptly demand wine from the waiter passing by. We sit, talk shit, and Susie tells us about a boy who seems to have developed a new interest in her...which she clearly doesn't reciprocate. It's lovely and nice and I adore the fact that I've seen Nicky a whole two times in one week!! I'm buzzed driving home and happy that no one pulls me over. I need another drink soon.