Righteous Immigrant in a Liberal Country
January 1, 2025
Denya, 24, along with her husband Faroukh, 30, finally arrived at a small house in a slum area near Wall Street, Los Angeles.
"Hey, are you a ninja? Or a terrorist?" A group of Black teenagers walking by on their way to play basketball laughed at Denya, who was wearing a black abaya, a wide black hijab, and a black niqab.
Only Denya's eyes were visible.
"What's with your face? Why do you have to cover it? Got acne or something?" said the tallest boy, mocking Denya, greeted by laughter and high-fives from his friends.
"Hey, what are you doing! Get out of here, don’t bother them!" An elderly man with a tall, burly frame and graying hair shouted at the kids.
"Oh come on, old man. We're just messing around."
"Oh, so you want to play?" The old man walked up to them, grabbed their basketball, and threw it far across to the court on the other side of the street.
"Play over there if you want. Don’t bother the new neighbors."
"Ah, you're no fun, Uncle John."
They grumbled and went to fetch their ball.
The man named John walked slowly toward the couple.
"Sorry about them. Kids around here like to mess around."
"Thank you, sir," said Faroukh.
"You’re Faroukh, right?" John reached out his hand to shake.
"Yes, I’m Faroukh. Are you...?"
John cut him off.
"Yes, I’m John, the owner of this house. We spoke on the phone."
"And you are..." John pointed at Denya.
"This is my wife, Denya."
John extended his hand to her, but Denya declined. She greeted him with a gesture by pressing her palms together.
"Oh right, I forgot. Sorry," John said, pulling his hand back. "Women like you don’t touch men who aren’t family."
"Um… Sorry, just to clarify," Faroukh said. "You—or maybe the community—don’t mind my wife’s outfit, do you? It’s a little different."
"What? Oh, the niqab? No problem. To me, what matters is that you pay the rent on time."
"I’m relieved to hear that, sir. Back in Europe, we experienced pressure from the environment, and my wife had to stop wearing her niqab outside the house."
"You’re lucky you’re in America, kid." John patted Faroukh on the shoulder. "This is a free country. Everyone’s free here."
John handed the house key to Faroukh, but before letting go, he paused.
"If I’m not mistaken, you're immigrants from a conflict zone, right? Do you have a job in LA? Sorry to say, since you called first, I’m giving you the key. But this morning I got a call from someone who wants to rent for a full year."
"For now, I only have enough money to pay two months. But don’t worry. I’ve got a job already. I start tomorrow morning."
"Ah, that’s good then. Here, take the key." He turned to Denya again.
"You don’t need to worry. This is America. A free country. Human rights. By law, you’re free to wear a niqab—or nothing at all. So don’t let those bratty kids bother you."
"Thank you, sir."
"Okay, get some rest. I’ll be going now. My house is in the next block, right behind this one. Just go around the corner if you need anything."
John left them.
Denya and Faroukh entered their small house.
"Home sweet home," said Faroukh.
"This isn’t our home, Faroukh. We lost our home long ago."
"Take a rest, Denya. I’ll take care of everything," said Faroukh with a smile as he carried their large bags into the bedroom.
"Let me unpack the clothes. You check the water, electricity, and the roof. Even though it’s summer, it still rains sometimes. And this is an old house—there could be leaks."
"Yes, boss!"
Denya removed her niqab. Her face was sweaty from the heat of the journey. She took off her hijab and abaya, changing into home clothes: a white short-sleeved pajama top and calf-length loose cotton pants.
She unpacked clothes from the bag and placed them into the closet.
She paused when she saw an old photo album filled with pictures of her and Faroukh’s families.
If the war hadn’t happened… my family would still be whole. And I wouldn’t have to flee to such a foreign place, Denya thought.
Without realizing it, tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Water and electricity are fine. The roof looks okay too," Faroukh’s voice broke her thoughts. "I’m going to buy food. Stay here, okay?"
"Okay."
Faroukh knelt beside Denya, who was sitting by the closet.
"Listen, love," he said gently.
"Leaving our homeland was hard. But we have to survive. Our families fled too. Sooner or later, we’ll find them again. I promise."
"I understand." Denya smiled with teary eyes.
"You’re beautiful when you smile, Denya," Faroukh said, brushing her hair.
"Buy rice, meat, and vegetables. I’ll cook. It’s cheaper than buying food."
"Okay. The grocery store isn’t far. I’ll be back soon."
They had a simple dinner. Denya dished the food onto plates and brought them to the table.
Unlike her appearance outside, that night Denya wore a white tank top and shorts.
"You’re starting work tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah. I start tomorrow."
"You haven’t told me where you’re working or what the job is."
"Oh, it’s just an ordinary office job, Denya. A small office. Paperwork stuff. You wouldn’t really get it even if I explained."
Faroukh kept glancing at her chest.
"What are you looking at, naughty man?" Denya was uncomfortable with his gaze—but she smiled.
"Anyway, even if it’s a small office, I promise it’ll cover our needs."
"Oh right—you said a friend helped you get the job. Who is it again? You haven’t told me."
"Oh, just Natasha."
"A woman?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Nothing. Just surprised. You have a female friend—in America, no less."
"Before the conflict, she did research in our country while in college. I acted as her tour guide and translator. When our refugee life in Europe got hard, I suddenly remembered her."
"Thank God. There’s always a way."
"You’re not suspicious about me and Natasha, are you?"
"That’s not what I meant, Faroukh. I trust you. You’re a good man, pious and religious. I would never think bad of you." Denya cleared the dinner plates.
"It’s just unusual for you to have a female friend."
"Back home, it was conservative. Natasha is American. Male-female relationships are more casual. Sometimes too casual."
"That’s what I mean—we have to be careful. We fled to save our lives and find a new future, not to abandon our values."
"I promise, love," said Faroukh, "Even though we live in LA, our code of ethics, values, and teachings will never change."
"Then I’m relieved. My parents arranged my marriage to the right man," said Denya.
"Besides," Faroukh approached her.
"Why would I need another woman when I have such a beautiful wife?"
He touched Denya’s buttocks, sending a chill down her spine.
"A righteous woman so modest outside, but inside the house—so willingly revealing and sexy," he whispered.
"There it is—your naughty side again," said Denya, but she met his advances with a kiss.
Their bodies pressed together. Their breaths grew heavier. The dirty plates were forgotten—clothes fell instead.
Morning
Faroukh said goodbye.
"Remember," said Denya, "Work can be an act of worship if done with the right intention. This place is not like back home. Many women here dress openly. Don’t let your eyes wander, okay?"
Faroukh smiled and kissed her forehead. Denya put on her niqab again and walked him to the door.
She watched as he disappeared around the corner, heading toward the city bus stop.
"Has Faroukh left for work?"
Denya was startled by the sudden voice.
"Oh John, you scared me."
"Sorry. Just passing by. This old man needs to get more light exercise," he chuckled.
"Yes, he just left."
"Where does he work?"
"I don’t know. Just a small office, he said. Somewhere around Downtown."
"Seriously?"
Denya nodded. "That’s what he said."
"Strange… as far as I know, Downtown is full of elite offices. Rare to find small ones there."
"I don’t know. Maybe I misheard," said Denya. "He said it’s just a small office."
"Or maybe I’m out of date. Haven’t gone anywhere in a long time. I'm old, lazy to go out," John said, walking away, leaving Denya puzzled.
Meanwhile, Faroukh was deep in thought on the way: How long can I keep my new job a secret from my wife?
He stopped in front of a large office building. Noir Media—a company in the steamy adult entertainment industry.
Faroukh looked up at the logo and company name on the building wall. Beside the name "Noir" was a neon sign with a silhouette clearly showing a woman’s curves.
He hesitated.
Am I really going to work here—and throw away all my principles?
But in the end, he stepped inside his new office.
I need the money.