The Struggle Of Gaza Girl

Apartment

Exactly two days and three nights after leaving Gaza, they finally arrived in Cairo.

The city was breathtaking.

Modern buildings stretched toward the sky, their glass walls reflecting the golden light of dawn. Wide roads, bright streetlights, and towering apartments made it feel like an entirely different world from Gaza.

So... this is Cairo, Yumn thought, her eyes sparkling with amazement.

It was beautiful.

Before the call to Fajr prayer echoed across the city, the car came to a stop in front of a tall apartment building.

"We're here, Yumn," Nissa said with a warm smile.

Yumn stepped out and carefully unloaded all of their luggage from the trunk, making sure to carry both her own bags and Nissa's.

Together, they entered the building and took the elevator upstairs. When they reached one of the apartment doors, Nissa tapped a key card against the electronic lock.

The door clicked open.

"Come in, Yumn. This is where I live."

Yumn slowly stepped inside.

The apartment was spacious, complete with a cozy living room, a sofa, and a modern kitchen.

So... this is what people call an apartment, she thought in wonder.

Nissa headed straight for the bathroom to freshen up before the Fajr prayer. After she finished praying, Yumn took her turn. The bathroom was spotless—cleaner than any she had ever seen.

After praying together, they spent some time chatting until morning.

Around eight o'clock, Nissa prepared to leave for university.

"Yumn, I'm going to campus now," she said. "Please stay here and don't leave the apartment until I come back."

"What time will you return, Ukhti?" Yumn asked.

"Probably in the afternoon. You can watch TV or get some rest. If you're hungry, there's food in the kitchen."

Yumn nodded obediently.

As the hours passed, she realized she had no idea how to turn on the television.

Not wanting to touch anything she didn't understand, she performed ablution, prayed, and spent the rest of the morning reciting the Qur'an until she grew tired.

Later, she sat quietly on the balcony.

After pulling back the curtains, she gazed at Cairo's magnificent skyline while patiently waiting for Nissa to return.

She wanted so badly to go outside and explore the city, even if only for a few minutes.

But Nissa had forbidden it.

Perhaps she was afraid Yumn would get lost in such a huge city.

Around mid-afternoon, shortly after the Asr prayer, Nissa finally returned.

She carried several grocery bags—and another shopping bag that she handed to Yumn with a smile.

Inside were a brand-new pair of shoes, a backpack, and a smartphone.

Yumn immediately tried to refuse.

"I can't accept these..."

But Nissa gently insisted.

She then patiently taught Yumn how to use the phone.

"Please keep it," Nissa said. "It'll help keep you from getting bored while you're staying here. You can even access the internet with it."

Then she added,

"Tomorrow I'm visiting an Islamic school that supports orphaned children. I want to discuss whether they can accept you."

"Thank you so much, Ukhti."

Yumn hesitated before asking another question.

"Is there anything I can do around here? I don't see a broom or anything for cleaning. How do you clean the floor or wash your clothes?"

Nissa laughed softly.

"I use the apartment's laundry service. It's included in the rent. I only wash my personal clothes by hand."

She pointed toward a white machine beside the kitchen.

"That's the washing machine."

Yumn stared at the square-shaped appliance with wide eyes.

"So... that machine washes clothes?"

"That's right."

"I'll teach you how to use it later."

---

Yumn loved having her very own smartphone.

Almost every day, she spent hours watching YouTube videos about Indonesia while learning Indonesian vocabulary.

Sometimes she watched videos featuring Muslim fashion from Indonesia.

The dresses were elegant and colorful—very different from what she had seen in Gaza or elsewhere in the Arab world.

The women wore beautiful hijabs and had delicate features.

The men looked handsome and friendly.

Everything fascinated her.

She also discovered countless animals she had never seen before.

Her mother had once told her that there were many creatures beyond Gaza that she couldn't even imagine.

Now she finally understood.

She was no longer curious about how frogs jumped.

She had watched countless videos of them.

Recently, however, she had become fascinated by another creature.

Dragonflies.

At first, she had mistaken them for butterflies.

But after learning the difference, she couldn't stop watching videos of them.

There were so many species, each with different colors and wing patterns.

The bright red and golden-yellow dragonflies especially captured her heart.

I wonder... can people keep dragonflies as pets?I'd love to have one someday.

She also became captivated by the incredible variety of birds she saw online.

Thousands of species.

Thousands of colors.

The world was far bigger than she had ever imagined.

Her mother's stories about Indonesia's mountains turned out to be true as well.

The mountains there were enormous, many rising thousands of meters above sea level.

Compared to them, the hills surrounding Gaza suddenly seemed so small.

Maybe those aren't even mountains... maybe they're just hills

She was equally astonished by how many mountains Indonesia had.

Just how large is this country? she wondered.

Then she stumbled upon another fact that left her speechless.

Indonesia's population exceeded 250 million people.

She couldn't believe it.

Gaza had only around a million residents.

That meant Indonesia had more than two hundred times as many people.

"Allahu Akbar..."

"Can that really be true?"

Unable to contain her curiosity, she turned to Nissa.

"Ukhti... is it true that Indonesia has more than two hundred million people?"

Nissa smiled.

"It's around 270 million."

"As for Muslims, estimates are roughly between 150 and 200 million."

Yumn's eyes widened.

"What?"

"The exact numbers change because not everyone is officially recorded," Nissa explained. "But Indonesia is indeed a Muslim-majority country."

Yumn remained stunned.

"How do so many people survive? Is there enough food for everyone?"

Nissa laughed.

"Allah is Most Great, Yumn."

"My country is blessed with abundant natural resources."

She paused before continuing.

"Even if I became incredibly wealthy, feeding 270 million chickens every single day would seem impossible."

"But look at Indonesia."

"That's proof of Allah's limitless power."

"What seems impossible to us is effortless for Him."

Yumn slowly nodded.

"Those numbers are unimaginable, Ukhti."

"I can't even picture them."

Nissa smiled knowingly.

"I used to think the same way."

"Let's imagine every person eats just a quarter kilogram of rice a day."

"Can you imagine how many tons of rice 270 million people would consume in one day?"

"Now multiply that by a week."

"Then a month."

"And finally... a year."

Yumn quickly shook her head.

"My head already hurts."

"I'm terrible at math."

Nissa burst into laughter.

"Your country is truly incredible, Ukhti."

"We struggle to feed even a small population back home."

"I really admire how your government manages a nation that large."

Nissa smiled gently.

"When Allah wills something, nothing is impossible."

---

From then on, Yumn spent much of her free time using her phone, eagerly learning new Indonesian words every day.

Before long, evening arrived.

She took a shower and then helped Nissa prepare dinner.

Nissa was cooking something Yumn had never seen before.

"What are you making, Ukhti?" she asked curiously.

"Fried rice"

Yumn stood beside her, carefully stirring the food with a spatula as Nissa instructed.

After praying Maghrib together, they finally sat down to eat.

"So?" Nissa asked with a grin.

"Do you like it?"

Yumn took another bite before answering honestly.

"I've never eaten anything like this before."

"It tastes... a little strange."

Nissa chuckled.

"That's because you're not used to Indonesian food yet."

"Give it some time."

"I'm sure you'll love it."

Yumn smiled.

"When will you finish university and return to Indonesia, Ukhti?"

"Probably two more years."

"That's why I need to find you a free school and an orphanage here as soon as possible."

Yumn lowered her eyes.

"I see..."

"When you go back to Indonesia..."

"Who will I have here?"

Nissa reached over and gently squeezed her hand.

"Don't worry, Yumn."

"Allah has already planned everything."

"You just need to keep moving forward."

"Who knows?"

"Maybe one day you'll have many wonderful friends here."

Yumn smiled softly.

"I think you're right, Ukhti."

"I'm sure Allah has already planned all of this."