Beneath the Abaya!

When i walk past all the black long Abayad women all covered up with their tight Hijabs, i long to know who/what lies beneath the Abaya! What lies behind those eyes. Before i came to Saudi, i used to think i could look into someones eyes and dig out their happiness, dig out their sadness. I know, sister magic! What a shrink! But thats mostly because i could still see the whole face, the shape on their lips and the wrinkles or fine lines on their faces. We all have some ability to see through people especially the people we have grown close to. 

I walk past strange women now and through their eyes, i can figure out their innocence, their anger, their worry, their happiness. Their quiet character in public doesnt help much to uncovering them but sometimes it feels like we are not in the same world. And for sure we are not, i mean how can you be if all i have under my Abaya is a bikini and all they have is piles of clothes that make them look twice their size!

I wonder what they see underneath me. If only they knew, i have this river flowing under that breaks all the banks, it overflows with energy, anger, love, and all these things hidden beneath. I feel like theirs is a spring flowing silently, quietly, suppressed and am afraid it might soon dry up. I feel like reaching out and if not to uncover them, just to know what energy lies there. I am glad everytime i see their eyes sparkle!

They told us during orientation that Saudi has chosen the Black Abaya. The reason is so that people cant see through and i sat there thinking, see through what? My legs? My body? My brain? Or it a way to classify me? As one of those people who should cover up, who should be monitored, who should never sit infront in a car being driver by a man who is not your husband, who should boil under the 50+ degrees while men can bask their skins to direct vitamin D? See through what? Does anybody really sit and try to see through? Really?

Me and my pals

The other day, i was sitted patiently in the mall as it was prayer time, all shops close during prayer and everyone just sits and probably try to see through the Abayas. 2 ladies walked in, with their Abayas open, showing off their blue jeans and sleek tops. Their hair was well covered in their hijab! The reaction of men was one to scare! They talked in high tones in a language that i could not understand and if even it was one that i would understand, i still wouldnt get it. They clearly didnt want to see their jeans and some older men summoned them to close it up. What is sexual about blue jeans and well covering tops, what is indecent about that? What is sexual about a woman who showed not even a part of her skin? Not even the neck? What is in the mind of that old man who 'saw through' them?

All i saw were women in their 20's who yearned to belong to a world they see only in television and magazines, who wanted to catch up with a style i caught up with since birth, who wanted to be free, who were courageous! The women in Kenya walked the streets the other day fighting for their rights to wear miniskirts, their friends in the Middle East are fighting to wear jeans! They cant even walk in groups like that!. They say we come here by choice and so should follow the rules, i have no problem with following the rules, i have a problem with all the sad eyes walking around underneath the Abaya!

And to you my friends from another world, cover up your sexy ankles and hands! I never knew how sexy knees and ankles can be till this year, wear something else other than a bikini underneath, yea, i know its hot but am just thinking incase you fall in the mall or slide.. ...

Wait..what if King Salman woke up today and said that women don't need to wear Abaya but dress decently, even if he still maintains the Hajib! Maybe we can look like this? Dream on Lizzet! Dream on

By the way I am also loving all these women rocking their Abayas and Hijabs in style.. Am just not into all of us being ordinary!