Straightening Ali (33 page)

“
What made you run away?” Trevor asked.

“
It wasn’t right for me,” Ali said.

“
Why?” Naureen asked.

“
Because I’m gay,” Ali replied murmuring his response not looking at Naureen in case he saw an adverse reaction.

“
That must have been difficult for you. Do you think you’ll go back home?” Trevor asked.

Ali considered the question. “No,” he finally replied after a long pause. “When things are not going well I sometimes think about going back. Then I remember how unhappy I was.”

“
How do you think you would benefit from living in supported accommodation?” asked Sarah looking up from her notepad.

“
It would give me a home. I’ve been sleeping in my car for the last few days. I also need help finding a job. It would be nice to talk to someone and sort my head out,” Ali said.

“
What are your goals?” asked Sarah once she had finished jotting down his answer on her notepad.

“
I don’t have any long-term goals right now. All I want is to find a place to stay and then I can start looking for a job,” Ali said.

“
How long do you think you would need to live in a supported environment?” Trevor asked.

“
I don’t know,” Ali said. “Maybe a year I guess.”

“
If you’re not successful in getting a place here what will you do?” Naureen asked.

“
I don’t know. I really don’t know,” Ali said. All his hopes rested on getting one of the vacancies. He had not considered what he’d do if he didn’t.

“
Well, that’s all the questions we have. We are trying to keep the interviews as short as possible,” Naureen said. “Do you have any questions for us?”

“
How many people have you interviewed,” Ali asked, curious about the level of competition.

“
You’re the fifth and the last person we’re interviewing,” Naureen told him.

“
When will you be able to let me know if I’ve been successful or not?” Ali asked.

“
We’re giving everyone a call back in half an hour. As you don’t have a fixed address we can either telephone Opendoor and let them know the outcome or you can wait in the lounge area,” Naureen said.

“
I’ll wait in the lounge, if that’s okay,” Ali said.

“
You can go back out through that door,” Naureen said pointing at the door Ali had entered. “The lounge is through the door opposite. We’ll let you know when we’re ready.”

“
Thank you,” Ali said getting up. He smiled at everyone before leaving the office and going to the lounge, hoping that he had given them a good first impression.

The lounge was typical of a family room. There was a blue sofa and chair in the center of the room, with a mahogany coffee table. A large crowded bookshelf stood in one corner, while in the other corner, a television set flickered.

Ali sat down on the side of the sofa closest to the television. He hadn’t watched television for days and tried to pay attention to the flickering images, but his attention was on more important things. “I want a place to stay,” he thought. He felt sick with trepidation. “What if they turn me down? What am I going to do then?” The only reason he surmised he would be turned down would be because of Naureen, especially if she was anything like Yasmin.

Ali turned his attention to the television screen, trying to distract himself from the nervous wait, but the door opened startling Ali and making him jump. It was Naureen and Trevor.

“
We’ve made a decision,” Naureen said with a stern and serious look on her face. Ali’s face dropped at seeing her expression. She looked as if she was about to deliver some bad news. He didn’t want to hear the words, knowing he wasn’t prepared for them.

“
We’ve decided to offer you one of the vacancies,” Naureen said her face bursting into a smile.

“
Really?” Ali asked in disbelief unable to believe what he’d heard.

“
Yes, really,” she said. “Trevor will sign you up for the property right away. I’ll leave you in his capable hands and let him go through the details with you. I’ve got to make some calls to the other people we interviewed.”

“
Thank you, Naureen,” Ali said feeling overwhelmed. He couldn’t believe his luck. He had been so wrong about Naureen.

“
You’re welcome, Ali. I know that we’ll be able to help you sort yourself out,” Naureen said. She came over and shook Ali’s hand before leaving the room.

“
So, you must be pretty chuffed?” Trevor asked.

“
Yes, I can’t believe it. I can now finally sort myself out,” Ali said.

“
Good. We’re all pleased for you. We all felt you would benefit the most from our help,” Trevor said. “Your flat is going to be in the Maidstone Road complex. I’ll go through the paperwork with you, and then you can have the keys to your new place.”

Trevor spent the next half hour explaining the conditions of tenancy to Ali before getting him to sign the tenancy agreement. “You’ll be entitled to full housing benefit which will pay your rent until you find a job,” Trevor told him after helping Ali to complete a housing benefit claim form. Ali tried to pay attention to the rest of the information Trevor gave him, but there was too much to take in when all he wanted was the keys.

“
Here are the keys to your new home,” said Trevor finally handing Ali a set of keys. “You need to come back to the office tomorrow, so I can take you to the job center and get you signed up for Job Seekers Allowance. It’s another benefit you’re entitled to.”

“
Okay,” Ali said taking the keys. “Thank you very much for all your help. You don’t know how grateful I am.”

“
I’m just glad we could help,” Trevor said modestly. “Are you moving in tonight?”

“
Yes, if that’s okay?” Ali asked.

“
Yeah, that’s fine. You’d better go and make a start then. Here’s a map showing you how to get to Maidstone Road,” he said handing Ali a photocopy of a page from an A-Z. “Don’t forget I’m seeing you tomorrow,” he reminded Ali.

“
I won’t,” Ali said getting up. He gave Trevor a wave on his way out.

It was dark and raining outside, but that did not dampen Ali’s spirit. He had the keys to his new home safely tucked away in his pocket and he was happy. It was wonderful to know that he wasn’t going to spend another night in the car. He smiled contentedly at the thought.

Ali walked back to the student halls with a new spring in his step. The rain was getting his hair and jacket wet, but he didn’t care. He got into his car and using the map that Trevor had given him, managed to drive to Maidstone Road in record time.

The building housing his new flat was set away from the main road and on the edge of a newly developed housing estate at the bottom of two tower blocks. Ali parked his car and eagerly raced to the building. He opened the main door, let himself in and went up the brightly lit staircase to his flat, which was on the first floor.

Ali struggled with the set of keys, trying to open the door to the flat. Eventually, he found the correct key and went inside. It was dark inside. He found a light switch, but after pressing it several times, he realized that the electricity was switched off. The light from a street lamp outside a window allowed Ali to see his new home as his eyes adjusted to the dim light.

The room that he’d stepped into was a large lounge. Ali could make out a sofa and a coffee table. He walked through an adjoining door, which led into the kitchen. It had everything, a cooker, a washing machine and a microwave. Ali could even make out pots and pans set out on the work surfaces in the dim light.

Another door opened into a bedroom with a double bed. Ali sat down on the bare mattress and surveyed his surroundings. It was perfect. He didn’t even need to buy anything. Everything he needed was here. He couldn’t believe his luck.

Tomorrow, he would have to sort out the electricity supply and then telephone Haseena to let her know that he was okay. For now, all Ali wanted to do was to get on the bed and sleep.

He considered going to his car and bringing all his belongings in, but he didn’t want to leave the comfort of his new home, not even to get the duvet from the car. In the end, Ali took his shoes off and curled himself into a ball on the bed, fully dressed and wearing his thick jacket, which was still slightly damp.

Feeling secure and safe for the first time in ages, Ali let go of all the pain he’d been suppressing and let the tears flow. His pitiful crying echoed loudly in the bare room. It felt as if his heart was going to burst when he let himself think about Steve and life without him. He hugged himself in comfort as his body shook, wracked by grief at the loss. Eventually, his mind turned to thoughts of Sajda, and his tears turned to those of guilt.

In the morning, things would be better, but for now he let the tears of pain flow freely.

Chapter 1

Goree – English Girl

Salwar and kameez suit – Salwar are loose trousers and the kameez is a long shirt

Ammi – Means mother in the Urdu language

Sharara – A traditional suit for women

Dupatta – A long scarf essential to Indian and Pakistani suits. It is long seen as a symbol of modesty in South Asian women.

Hajj – Is the Pilgrimage to Mecca in Islam

Kafir – It is a term used to describe a non-Muslim

Hijab – Clothing or demeanor that protects modesty by creating a barrier in this case it is a head scarf, covering the hair and ears

Eastenders – Popular English Soap

Mecca Medina – An Islamic pilgrimage site

Chapter 2

Aloo paratha – Indian butter bread layered with potato

Samosas – Savory Pakistani snack made from fried triangular pastry filled with peas, potato and fried onion.

Chapter 4

Abbu jee – Dear father/ Father dearest

Ammi – Mother/mom

Shah Jee – Meaning Sir when speaking to someone in authority

Chapter 5

Urdu – National language of Pakistan

Jang – Daily Pakistani newspaper

Halal – Meaning permissible in this case meat slaughtered to Islamic specifications

Chapter 6

Kuthie – Bitch

Mir-pouri – A Pakistani dialect based on Urdu

Jungalee – Wild/ primitive

Saag – Spinach

Lamb pilau rice – A rice dish first cooked in oil and then in a sauce containing either vegetables or meat

Roti – Pakistani bread

Chapter 7

Mehndi – Henna ceremony at a Pakistani wedding

Bollywood – The name given to the popular Indian film industry

Mosque – Place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith

Aishwarya Rai – Highest paid Bollywood Actress and model

Shahrukh Khan – Highest paid Bollywood male actor

Aap Jaisa Koi (Someone like you) – Popular Bollywood song from the film Qurbani

Qurbani – Seventies Bollywood hit movie

Kali – A Hindu goddess

Bindi – A forehead decoration available in a self adhesive form

Saris – The sari is long strip of unstitched cloth worn by Indian and Pakistani women, ranging from five to nine yards in length, which can be draped in various styles

Rani – Means Queen in Hindi

Chapter 8

Kurtha – A long shirt worn my Pakistani men