Today, I'll tell you Alina's story. Alina lives in my building, she's basically my neighbor. She's 5 years old and these days, she roams around the entire society holding her grandmother's hand because her summer vacation is going on. I met Alina through a mutual friend, her grandmother. Alina doesn't talk much, she's quite shy when you first meet her. But I've heard her speak many times while talking to her grandmother. And she talks a lot.

Let me tell you, Alina's story is very interesting. When I met her, she was wearing a pink frock. I asked her, "Do you like frocks, Alina?" She said, "No, but I wear them occasionally. Mostly, I prefer wearing t-shirts and trousers." I won't lie, this reason was enough for me to befriend her. Yes, I know it sounds silly. But for me, it was enough that someone likes to be around someone like me. And that's how our friendship began.

Then, my friendship with Alina grew through small talk, starting with just saying hi and hello. She used to play outside with her grandmother, and I would talk to her from my balcony.

One day, Alina came to my house because she wanted to meet my cat. We talked about a few things, found some mutual interests, like both enjoying drawing and going out. She likes making friends. In the course of our conversation, Alina told me that she changed her school recently. I asked her why. She said she didn't like the dress there. Because she's young, her words aren't always clear, so her grandmother explained that now Alina goes to a different school where she's happy. She didn't want to go to the previous school because of the dress code. They made the girls wear a hijab there. Alina is only 5 years old now, but she started going to that school when she was 3. She had to wear a hijab all day, and if she took it off, her teacher would scold her. So, she didn't like going to school. When they found out at home, they changed her school. I asked Alina if she likes the new school now. She said, "Yes, I like this school where I'm going now. I have made many friends here."

I was silent for a while. How is it possible that I see myself in such a young girl? But it felt good to see that this girl has more courage than me. Sometimes it takes us a lifetime to stand up for ourselves, and we still can't. We impose our happiness, stubbornness, and culture on others without using our senses. But Alina had the courage. Imagine, even at this age, she has it. Do we have it too?


© Sarah✨️