“Why nobody wants to be friend with me?” Maya thought to herself. She glide from her bed to the window and sighs, “I got everything I want but not friends”.
One thing she never realise is that she thinks people are being arrogant to her. Her family is well-connected people and her father is someone important that works with the government. She is too, has the kind of looks that catches the eyes of the boys which made her more ignorant. She is nothing like Safirah.
Safirah is a sweet girl. She is very moderate, very pure and very traditional. She lives her life in accordance to the Islamic Shari’ah. She is the one that change Ija so much. Ija has a poor family background. Ija’s parents are divorced and she was wild before she met Safirah. Ija is easy to get carried away. Safirah is the reason why she keep in the safe track until today.
“Maya, have you taken your dinner?” Safirah asked. Maya was delighted with her concern. She replied to her without looking but in a soft voice, “No, I’m about to get dressed to dine outside”. “Where? With who?” Safirah has started to show more interest to know. “My parents will fetch me in minutes. We’ll dine at Shangri La”, she smiled to Safirah and walked out the door.
Ija heard their conversation. She began to mumble, “Humph, that’s just showing off”. Ija is sometimes, think negatively about others. Jealousy had driven her mad before. Now, she develops it back inside her mind.
Next morning, Ija was awake with the loud noise coming from Maya’s conversation with her mother on the phone. Maya keep yelling “Mum, I want more dresses”. Ija feel annoyed and interrupted, “Slow down your voice! You awake me!”.
“It’s my voice, it got nothing to do with you! I can do what I want!” Maya burst her angry out and hung up the phone. Ija jumped out of the bed and rushed to confront her. “What do you say? How rude! You aren’t alone in this room! Respect others will you??”
“Yea yea yea, what did I do?” she’s being ignorant, “I was just talking to my mum. What’s your problem?” Steams coming out from Ija’s nose, “Can’t you talk to her nicely? Do you really have to shout and wake me up? She’s your mother, have some respect.”
“We’re always like that. I used to do that a lot, she wouldn’t mind!” Maya is defending herself. Ija said with sigh, “Look at you. We’re girls, we’re Muslims, and we should be well-mannered, right?” Islam teaches us to respect each other.” Ija has starting to gain her cool back again.
“Wait potato. You don’t have to advice me. Look at you. We’re girls. Aren’t we supposed to get up earlier than usually? Why are you still sleeping at 10 in the morning?” Maya raised up her voice. Ija couldn’t say anything more about it. She knows Maya is right somehow.
Maya cleared her throat and continued, “You’re no different from me, it just that you’re poor and I’m rich. Mirror yourself first before you tell other people what’s right to do” Maya glance to Ija. That makes Ija feel bad and she asked “Ah, just because you’re rich, you can do anything you want, you can point out others flaw, you can give orders to whoever you like?”.
Maya feel even angrier, “Yes!” she claimed. “I have my status, my father is a Dato’ Seri and my mum is a businesswoman, all my relatives are the important people in the government. We are all well educated, and not just that, we’re all good-looking, unlike you!”
Ija was surprised with her arrogance, “You think, you can be like that forever?”, Ija had lost her patience and she yelled, “Those are your temporary wealth! Allah can take it all back whenever He wants! Do you realize that? Ever think of it?”
Maya’s eyes were wide, bigger as ever and almost popping out. “Look, I got no time for this. Don’t talk about religion now! You’re not qualified enough to talk about it. I know your past, and I believe it’s not something you should be proud of”.
“At least I’ve change!” Ija said in hesitation voice. She is trying to hold back her tears. “I was once ignorant as you. But I found a trustworthy friend who changed me. You are going nowhere Maya. Change now before you lose everything”.
“Have you lost your mind? What will I lose? Are you trying to scare with all your superstitious thing?” asked Maya.
“Don’t be so proud with what you have now. Go back to your Creator. Give your gratitude to Allah, the One who gave you all these. You should be grateful not prideful” Ija said firmly.
Maya shook her head with her eyes blinking for many times and purposely showed a boring face to Ija. She said, “Why are you telling me these? I don’t care what you think. I know what you know. You don’t have to tell me twice. Allah will not be cruel toward His servant right? Why would He give us the wealth in the first place? And now you say He is going to take it all back anytime He wants. Guess what Ija? I feel sorry for you. You’re trying to be smart. But you don’t know your god. You misjudge Him”
“You never thought that wealth can be your musibah. Allah is testing you with wealth. Wealth is not always good. That’s what you missed.” Ija stared sharply into Maya’s eyes.
“Said who? Your mother?” Maya raised her eyebrows pretending she was amazed. Maya spread her shoulder and said “Wealth gives you everything. People will look up on you, they’ll serve you first”.
“So you’re telling me that you’re happy to live like that?” Ija is being sarcastic. “You’re happy when people treat you first rather than others? You think they are loyal to you? They just want your money, don’t you think so??! Now, I wonder, how you access yourself in this university… Did your father pay them?”
Maya open her mouth wide before she could speak. She’s now began to point her finger to Ija’s face, “Don’t underestimate me butthead! I have my qualification! My father doesn’t have to pay anybody to get me here!” she shouted right to Ija’s face.
“Why so angry?” Is it true?” Ija asked while laughing like a hyena.
Maya loss her good mood and she wants to put this to an end. “Alright that’s enough. Say what you need to say. I.. I’m done with you” And she walked away leaving Ija untouched.
- to be continued