Worlds Apart by Azi Ahmed Page B

shook Kev’s hand. God have mercy on you both, I prayed silently.
    The walk back to college was not full of the usual chatter – it was awkward. I couldn’t come to terms with people who wanted to kiss someone of the same sex. I felt deceived and tricked, as if he had hurt me intentionally.
    Thankfully, when we got back I spotted Vanessa and broke away from Mark. Vanessa was an extremely attractive mixed-race girl. She had been brought up in the most deprived and gun-ridden area of Manchester called Moss Side. Her father had left when she was a baby and she had recently turned to religion.
    ‘Where are you going?’ I asked, as she walked past. I knew she was on her way to church ‘to get some peace’, as she put it.
    I decided to tag along, which surprised her as much as it surprised me. I had never been in a church before nor did I know any existed in the close vicinity. When we got there, the church was empty. We sat in the middle row of wooden benches, staring ahead at the stained-glass windows and a statue of Jesus hanging on a cross. It felt strange. I was used to the bright lights of a mosque, sitting on the floor with lots of noise around. However, as the minutes passed, I feltthe warmth of the place and began to understand what she meant by ‘peace’. It gave me time to think back to Mark. I realised that the issue lay with me and not him. I was the one with the prejudice, the conditioning, and if I let it control me, I would be the one to lose. He was still my best friend, the one I wanted to share my toasted teacake with in the morning, so I had to find a way of getting over it.
    * * *
    ‘W hy do they keep coming over?’
    Mum was preparing yet another feast for the Longsight couple’s arrival.
    ‘Because we have things to talk about that unmarried girls should not be asking about.’
    ‘Who’s getting married?’
    Mum was saved by the shop bell.
    I put my pinny on and headed over. The living-room door was open as I walked past. Dad was inside watching the news. Iraq had just invaded Kuwait and America had gone over to help. It had kept him on an adrenalin rush. He hated America and what it stood for; a country that only took action if it benefited them, in this case – oil. The shop customers had mixed views on the situation, but most of them supported America poking itsnose in and quoted from what they’d read in the papers. I didn’t feel I understood enough to have a view.
    Tim, one of our regular customers, was stood at the shop counter.
    ‘Hiya, love! Can I have a kebab?’ He pointed at the doner spit. ‘Make it a large one with that garlic stuff and chips.’
    I smiled politely. I was not in the mood for small talk tonight but he was a regular. Luckily, the noise from the electric carving knife as I sliced the doner meat made it impossible to hear what he was saying.
    However, when I switched it off and turned back round, Tim had his elbows sprawled over the counter blowing smoke rings into the greasy air. I couldn’t believe it, there was a ‘no smoking’ sign on the door before you walked in. Everyone was getting on my nerves today.
    ‘That Madras you made the other night nearly blew my bloody head off,’ he pointed the cigarette at me. ‘Tell that beardy to put less chillies in next time.’
    Tim was referring to Hajji, who did have a rather long beard, come to think of it. Ever since the shop opened, I had dreaded getting one of those random health and safety inspectors coming round and closing us down. If women had to tie their hair up, why didn’t men put their beards in a net or something? But there was no wayI could approach Hajji on the topic; he would accuse me of blasphemy.
    ‘I told my boss where to go the other day.’ Tim was off again. ‘He didn’t like it but the tosser had it coming. I’ll go on the dole if I have to, council can pay my rent for a change.’
    I tried to think of something to say but couldn’t. I kept thinking about the Longsight couple. I