Where Do I Begin?

I think the title says it all. It’s been a longgggg day. I drove to my daughter’s school and got there just in time. I parked and immediately felt the eyes on me when I got out the car in my niqab. We walked towards the school and I talked to my husband about anything to distract me. I got to the door and realized her name wasn’t listed under any teacher. Odd. So I went into the main office, where, after some searching, they informed me she had been transferred to another school. ‘Excuse me?”. Yes, they transferred her without so much as a voicemail or email. “It’s only 6,7 blocks away from here.”. Gee, thanx. So on my way to the right school, my husband had to part from us and go to work. Nooooooooooooooooo. Niqabi…on her own……Deep breath. I finally found the school, then found some parking. I walked in and all eyes were on me in the lobby. I walked up to the secretary and she immediately leaned in as if I was so oppressed I couldn’t speak above a whisper. She hardly listened before she rudely directed me to the cafeteria, where the school’s orientation was already underway. Great, I’m late and lost in the conversation. Little did I know,but would find out at the end, that the kids were in the classes getting to know their teachers and classmates. Ya think the secretary could’ve let me in on that little secret? Of course not. So I’m sitting in the cafeteria, catching a few people staring. Surprisingly, the person who’s staring the most is a muslim, but that seemed innocent, like giving the salams with their eyes. Lol. While the rest of the parents went of a tour of the school, I was on a mission to find out what the heck was going on with my daughter’s registration. I slowly walked into the front office as people watched me struggle to get through the door with a stroller and 2 kids. I said why I was there was and was quickly told to go to another office, which isn’t where I needed to be, so after watching the fiascos in the nurse’s office, she told me my daughter wasn’t registered there and took me back to the first office I was in. Can you tell I was getting very aggravated at this point?

I got into the office, after once again struggling in since neither the nurse or the secretary who went in after her could be bothered to hold the door open, and was told my daughter wasn’t registered, but they had at least assigned her a class. Alhamdulillah, moments later, her teachers walked in to collect their mail, and I got to formally meet one of them. She seemed very nice and said she had muslim students before and understood the dietary restrictions and that there were more girls than usual in class this year. She also said if I had any concerns or any accommodations for her, just let her know, which was nice to know since my daughter doesn’t go by her birth name, so I was worried the teacher would have a problem with this. My daughter quickly corrected her when she called her by her birth name, saying “My name is ….”, and the teacher just asked me to send a note with the spelling.

So after being at the school for an hour and a half by now, I had to give them my lease and proof of address papers again. Alhamdulillah I brought it because they sure didn’t get it from the other school. Then I got the run around about the bus and decided to handle the rest tomorrow insha Allah because I had become increasing hot since the a.c. was barely on in the school. I knew my face was probably red under my niqab. I attempted to walk out of the school, but the kids with looks of curiosity and fright were blocking my way. After their parents finallllly moved them, I made my way to the car, packed in the kids, and got a few more stares before getting in myself.

What a day? The school kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. But I was proud of myself for facing the people at school with niqab on, well not really facing them. Hehehe. Once my husband had to go to work, I could feel a part of me losing my resolve, but I had committed to wearing my niqab and I wasn’t gonna back down now. I’m happy the parents, for the most part, actually acted like adults and didn’t stare or make comments. So tomorrow, I’ll have to take her to school insha Allah, since no bus is set up for her yet in, so I hope it goes well then too.