Reem Faruqi - Unsettled

Me I have a bump on my nose the doctor calls it a deviated septum. My nose is always stuffy, and a little crooked, and even though I dont want people to notice my nose, it is always making noise, so it gets noticed anyway, especially when it gets extra stuffy after I go for a swim, which is my favorite thing, ever, which is every day. My eyebrows are not inverted delicate Vs like my fathers but straight bushy lines like my mothers. My face is practical, too practical, but it envies my hair, a black mirror that in the brightest sunlight turns brown. My hair is always smooth and silky, it makes friends easily with my fingers and the comb.

If I choose to cover my hair, like my mother, what will my face envy? My Big Brother Owais, who is 2 years and 2 days older than me, 732 days to be exact, doesnt want to move either. His eyebrows hug each other as he pushes dal and rice around his plate, around and around. Instead of packing, he visits the swimming pool. Diving deep into the water, over and over again. Instead of packing, he visits the tennis courts, slicing the ball easily over the net. Ammi: My Mother Original owner of the thick bushy eyebrows. Ammi: My Mother Original owner of the thick bushy eyebrows.

My mothers brows are straight lines like Owais and me. If you were to pour tea, and add a little milk, and count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, that would be the color of my skin. If you were to pour tea, and add milk, you would need to pour, pour, pour, and count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 until the color of my mothers skin. My mother, Ammi, is prettier than me. I know it in the way she lingers at the mirror and I dont. Her delicate features boast at more beauty while mine have already accepted who they are.

But there is one thing of mine that is better than hers. Her hair knots easily, and mine never does. Her smile doesnt reach all the way to her eyes when she tries to sell us America. Baba: My Father My fathers eyebrows are the wings of birds flying into the horizon. Only when my father is mad, they become like my mothers. Nana Abu The father of my mother, Nana Abu, has two toes on his left foot that hug each other one a little in front of the other one a little behind the other that I call hugging toes. Nana Abu The father of my mother, Nana Abu, has two toes on his left foot that hug each other one a little in front of the other one a little behind the other that I call hugging toes.

Even with his hugging toes, my grandfather does not really give out hugs. But when Nana told him that we were moving, his tree arms reached out, long and loving limbs gave me a side hug. Asna Is the tallest in the class, taller than the boys, taller than Mrs. Zakaria even. I am the smallest in the class, smaller than the teacher, smaller than all the other boys and girls, but when I am with Asna I am the loudest. So Mrs.

Zakaria tries to move my seat far from Asna. Now that Im moving, my seat will be very very far. Now is Mrs. Zakaria happy? Last Day of School I make my eyes hard scoot my chair next to Asna close the space all the way no inches left not even a millimeter. I look around and dare Mrs. Zakaria to say anything.

She doesnt. Asna Asna is my friend. Not just any friend. Not just a good friend, but a best friend. Asna, who has a new baby sister, says but you have tobe herebut you have tosee her grow up... Have Have you Have you ever Have you ever said Have you ever said goodbye Have you ever said goodbye to Have you ever said goodbye to a Have you ever said goodbye to a best Have you ever said goodbye to a best friend?