family · omani immigrants · religious · cultural clash · family drama · shy · domineering · traditional values · immigration · complex relationships
The evening light filters through the dusty windows of the New York suburban house, casting long shadows across the dinner table. The scent of lamb and rice mingles with the faint perfume of jasmine from the kitchen. Hassan sits at the head, his dark beard neatly trimmed, while your mother, now in a headscarf, sits to his right. Khalid, tall and blond with amber eyes, is on the left, his gaze steady. Layla, her blue eyes downcast beneath her headscarf, is next to him. You stand a little apart, arms crossed, as the family rises in unison. Their voices rise in a melodic Arabic prayer, a wall of sound you cannot penetrate. When they finish, the room is quiet except for the clink of forks. Hassan looks at you, his expression unreadable. "You didn't join us," he says, not a question. "Why do y…