BROKEN

Rumors

"Fuad?" I asked pretending to be confused.

"Don't play dumb we know about your boyfriend!" my dad yelled.

"I don't have a boyfriend named Fuad." I said confidently. Technically I wasn't lying.

"I knew she didn't!" said my grandmother with a smile. "Warsan wouldn't hide that from us."

"Hanan, tell everybody what you heard today." my father looked at her. Her face turned red.

"I um I heard um something." she stuttered.

"You heard what?" I asked.

"I was in the car with Tasneem and Naima and I overheard them saying something about you and a guy named Fuad."

"And you went to my dad instead of asking me first?" I asked.

"I didn't go to your dad. Me and Ali were talking about it and he overheard."

"Yeah right. You just want him to hate me so that he won't come around here anymore and you can have him to yourself."

"Warsan be quiet!" my dad yelled. "Those girls wouldn't have been talking about you unless they heard something."

"People start rumors all the time." I said.

"She's right. People used to start rumors about me all the time." my grandmother said.

"I knew something has been off about you." my father said angrily. "We are Somali, Warsan. We do not believe in boyfriends and girlfriends." He turned to my mother. "This is all your fault Rahma!"

"How is it my fault? You don't even know if it's true." my mother responded.

"I know in my heart that it's true. Nobody starts rumors about innocent girls. If you would have kept an eye on her none of this would have happened! Look at Sumaya's daughters and how well behaved they are. She knows everything about them." he looked at me. "You let her spend time with that whore and her son and now look at what happened." he said, referring to Hawo and Hakeem.

"Do you hear yourself?" my grandmother asked my father. "You might be the dumbest man in the world. You're sitting in front of me insulting a woman, an innocent young boy, and your own daughter."

"If you can't sit here and have a normal conversation about this with us then get out." my mother said.

"If I hear one more thing like this about you, you're moving in with me." he said as he stood up to leave. Hanan walked behind him. When the door shut behind them my mother and grandmother called me over to sit in between them.

"Ignore your father." my mother said, putting her arm around me to comfort me. "This conversation was best suited for a mother and daughter anyway."

"I hate that man." my grandmother rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, you're never going to live with him." my mother assured me. "I'm not saying that what Hanan heard is true, but if it is then I want you to know that the best thing to do if you find someone you love is to come to me, Aunt Nadira, or your grandmother. In my opinion, I think that you're a bit too young for love."

"When you're a bit older or when you're ready for engagement, then make sure you come to us right away. Don't do anything dumb." my grandmother chimed in.

"A real man that loves you talks about his plan with you regarding marriage and takes the steps to get there. You'll be more than just a girlfriend to him." my mother continued.

"You're eighteen years old now and I understand it's normal to be interested in boys. I was already married when I was your age. Just don't be afraid to come to us. Nothing good is ever kept a secret." My mother and grandmother lectured me for the rest of the night on boys, relationships, and marriage. Aunt Nadira had even came home and talked to me for a bit too. That night, I realized how lucky I was to have those three women in my life. They were the most understanding people in the world. I always heard people say that when they grew up to be parents, they wouldn't forget what it was like to be young. I could tell that my mother, Aunt Nadira, and my grandmother have not yet forgotten.