Today, we played Uno with Ibrahim for an hour. They have basically the same game in their country and they played it growing up. Ibrahim is a bit more competitive, so he had his eyes on the cards the whole time. Amirah asked what the word competition was, and I said the look in his eyes. She laughed and I explained to her that it was a drive to win, or to one up the others’ playing. She and I both are more ambivalent than most when it comes to winning, and I enjoy connecting with her on the fun of just playing a game. She has a wonderful smile and though we never held each other at an arm’s distance I can tell that with time, her smiles would grow more frequent. I ask about the henna on her hand and she tells me that Wafa did it for her and that they both spent time with Ms. James and her house over the weekend. She said they brought special desserts and coffee and I found myself jealous that I missed out on this particular girls’ night. The community of women is special in her country and their hesitation towards men is because of their total lack of involvement with men not immediately related to them. It strengthens the relationships and comfort levels. I agree that men can be dangerous, but I wonder if it contributes to the gap of freedom and understanding.
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