'Another boring school day...' The first thought that came to Rachel's mind that morning, breaking through the alarm-clock sound. Some time later, after an uneven struggle with returning dream, she finally managed to get up, take quick shower and get dressed. Soon she was descending the stairs towards the kitchen.
Her mother and younger brother were already there, making their breakfast. Thomas smiled to her older sister with his mouth full of cereal. Rachel smiled back at him.
"The bus gonna be soon and you got up late again!" her mother said coldly. she looked at her daughter. She was not sure if the outfit her daughter had chosen was appropriate for school, but she gave up long time ago. Her daughter was as stubborn as Peter, her late husband. Sally sighed as she watched the way Rachel grabbed the juice jug. Exactly the way Peter had done it...
Rachel ignored her mother pouring the juice to her glass. It was really late and girl thought that maybe this time, today, her mother could drive her...
"You know I cannot drive you to school, I need to take Thomas and then go to work, and that's totally other way" Sally Ford said, just like she was reading her daughter's mind.
Rachel sighed 'As always' she thought finishing her juice quickly. She looked at Thomas, had still his mouth full, then she grabbed her bag and run off.
She reached the school bus in a nick of time, just as it was about to leave her stop. Luckily Sam, the old driver, knew her well. Bus moved a few inches, just for Sam's fun, but the back door got open and she was able to jump in.
The vehicle headed to the next stop.
There was something new on the bus. No... not some-thing. Some-one. Rachel was looking in disbelief at a person sitting alone in the middle row. This person (Rachel guessed it was a girl) was covered in a black cloth, head to toes. When the new girl turned her head right watching landscapes over the window, Rachel noticed whole her face was covered with a black cloth as well. Only the eyes were visible.
Rachel was not among most popular girls, but gained herself a safe, outsider status. Nobody would dare to bully her. But she did it, at least sometimes. It seemed the rest of the students stared at the new girl as well.
She took a deep breath and said clear enough for everyone in the bus to hear:
"I guess Halloween started earlier this year..." Rachel was watching with a small grin, as the whole bus started laughing, as expected. But the teen was more interested with the way the new girl would react.
Nuha kept her eyes to the window as she heard the student make a remark about her. She was still nervous about speaking to anybody and kept her eyes out at the window. When the laughing got louder, she started to hold back a tear and began to think to her self "These idiots don't respect people's race or cultures. they see me as an idiot and a laughing stock, I wish I was back at home with my father." When the bus stopped, NUha walked off the bus as other students laughed at her and pointed at her in intrest and weirdness. When she got into the school she headed to her first class but didn't say anything and sat in the back of the class as to not draw any attention on herself.
Rachel was disappointed. The girl didn't react. The bus stopped at the school gate and soon was emptied as students walked into the building. Rachel followed the new girl, keeping the distance, wondering what she was wearing beneath the cloth. The girl was just a bit taller (or was it the hood?) and seemed to be the same age as Rachel, perhaps they'd even share a few classes together... The girl just walked the corridors and entered her classroom. Different than Rachel's. As the bell rang the corridors were empty soon. Rachel run towards her classroom.
The rest of a school day gone uneventful. She was happy when Ben, a cute guy from a higher grade, offered her ride home. It took them almost two hours, but eventually she was at her home doors. Her mother and Thomas were already inside. When Rachel entered the home, she noticed there was a cherry pie, which probably mom had bought on her way home.
After asking her standard questions like "How's school?" and "Where have you been so long?" she pointed at the pie and explained that Rachel was supposed to take it to their new neighbors that moved in this week.
"I thought it's supposed to be a home-made..." Rachel said grinning, knowing well her mother had neither time nor skills to bake it herself.
Sally Ford didn't answer, just looked sternly at her daughter. To avoid fighting over a stupid pie, Rachel said: "OK, I'll just leave my bag." and soon was standing in front of the neighbor's home.
When the doors got open, Rachel forgot everything. Even her name. She was looking at a person who opened and couldn't say a word. She looked down, at the pie. She cleared her throat.
"It... It's a cake, a pie, my mom..." It didn’t work. Didn’t work at all. She took a deep breath and tried once more. She gave her prettiest smile and said: "Welcome to the neighborhood!"
Ruha's sister appeared at the door wearing the same type of covering like her mother and sisters. The difference though was that she was wearing a crimson red one, the other sister wore a dark blue, the mother wore a light purple, finally Ruha wore the standard black to keep it organized. The house had a smell of scent's in ranging from meadow valleys to mountains. It was arranged in a simple manner with some small cushions around a central table in the living room and the rest of the house was decorated in a Middle Eastern fashion.
Her sister took the pie and gestured Sally to come in and make herself comfortable. While going to the kitchen, Ruha and her other sister came in and set a pot of tea of the central table and poured a small glass for her while the mother came in and knelt down across from her while beginning to drink some of the tea. The sisters stood in a straight line beside their mother waiting for their next chore before they can be told to sit down and relax themselves.
"Tell me young one, why have you come to our home and give us that what you call dessert. You people put no heart or soul into what you give somebody, just buy the most expensive or in some cases the cheapest thing and think that shows what you care about people. Sorry about ranting like that, how may I be of help to you?"
When Rachel saw the person opening the doors it was like a train came over her. When she was lead inside the house she felt like she stepped into another dimension. The scents of the house... the clothes of the people... And she was in a neighbor's house, few yards from her own room!
It was the moment she realized all the people here were dressed the same manner as that new girl at school... With that Rachel's legs turned week. Like they were made of a jelly.
The lady of the house spoke. Rachel felt she was blushing. She probably was red as tomato.
"Well... I mean..." she started shakily. That was not good. She took a deep breath, put her hands to the front pockets of her jeans and started again. "Well, My name is Rachel Ford, I live in a house next to yours. It's a customary to welcome a new neighbor with something nice. I know it wasn't made by my mother, but I ensure you, that this traditional pie made in Mr. J.A. Seidel's bakery..." Rachel recognized the logo, she knew that good bakery well. "...is the finest in our state."
Rachel looked up at the girls standing behind the lady of the house. One of them had to be the girl from school. 'Does her mother know? Did she tell anything?' Girl thoughts were running through her mind with a chill running down her spine...
"We thank you for the offering and we'll be sure to try it later and see if it is good as you say it is. Would you care to explain to me why a nice girl as your self would make fun of my youngest daughter over there. She told me everything that happened and how you made fun of her clothing. If you were my daughter, I would have the right mind to smack one across you but I think I'll speak with your mother about this. She seems like the head of the home, am I right?"
The mother took her seat again and asked Ruha to come over and sit next to her. They spoke in their original language and were like this for a few minutes before she placed her attention back on Rachael. "Before you go I would like you to apologize to my daughter for what you did, and if you ever do something like that again. I won't be so nice next time and I'll take whatever heat comes from your mother or the police."
Ruha headed to the kitchen and got some more tea for her mother and sisters before they sat down and talked among themselves about things going on at home and in their lives. They forgot that Rachael was there and had a normal time like they usually did every afternoon.