Part I<\/strong><\/p>\nDid I ever tell you how much I hate taking care of official business? I grew up in Saudi Arabia, where going to the bank, getting papers signed at the consulate, renewing passports, and getting visas were all my father\u2019s job. It never occurred to me that one day I\u2019d have to do that kind of thing. <\/p>\n
Well, today I had to pay a visit to an embassy in D.C., and I took my two 19-month-old girls with me, since my husband was at work. <\/p>\n
After we had left the house and were on our way, it occurred to me that I might get lost, so I prayed out loud so the girls could hear, and asked Allah to guide me so we wouldn\u2019t get lost. After a few miles, it occurred to me that I might not find a parking place, so I prayed for that, too. After a few more miles, it occurred to me that things might turn out very difficult, so I prayed that things would be made easy for me. <\/p>\n
Once we got to D.C., I found my way perfectly, easily found a parking space, albeit two blocks away \u2013 long walk for little kids, and parked. Surprisingly, the girls hadn\u2019t fallen asleep in the car, and they were raring to go. So I put their lion harnesses on them, got my handbag, the bag of books and pull toys I had brought to entertain them, and my file of important papers, and away we went. <\/p>\n
When we got to the gate, I pushed the button and a voice said, \u201cHow can I help you?\u201d I said I needed the consular section, and we were buzzed in, and walked up to the heavy doors. Inside, I had to put my bags to be checked in the machine, and we all three walked through the metal detector. The man was very nice and held the door open for us, then pointed us downstairs to the consular section. <\/p>\n
After our ordeal of getting down the 30+ steps, with the girls sitting on their behinds to get down, and me trying to not let them do that on who-knows-how-dirty steps, we entered the room, which was pretty full. In those situations, when there are too many people for my liking, i.e. more than one person, I tend to lower my gaze and just look at the floor. But as we entered I caught a glimpse of a covered lady \u2013 a rarity in the country of this embassy \u2013 and I said salam, and she replied. I then unloaded my stuff onto the nearest empty chair, told the girls they could play with their pull toys if they wanted, and stood in the line. Of course, everyone was eyeing me and trying to see what language I spoke, as I don\u2019t speak the embassy\u2019s language. I tried to seem cool, and just stood looking straight ahead. Alhamdulilah, there was another covered young woman two people ahead of me, so I felt I was in good company. The line was pretty much standing still. Very slow. <\/p>\n
When my turn came, finally, I stepped up to the window, and told the woman what I needed. She asked for two pictures (I had them!), my I.D. (I had it!), and a whole bunch of info. Then she asked why I wanted it, and I told her briefly. She said she highly doubted it would work, since that is a very strange thing to do, and why didn\u2019t I go to the Saudi embassy, or get it done as an American. I told her my reasons. She said, again, that most probably it wouldn\u2019t work, but that if it didn\u2019t it would be MY problem, not HERS. I wasn\u2019t about to let her dissuade me from my mission, so I said that was ok, thanks. Then she said she needed the filing fee, about $40, cash. Well. I don\u2019t carry that much cash around, but I have my debit card. We don\u2019t take cards, she said. It has to be cash, and there\u2019s an ATM machine in the Islamic Center right across the street, or if that doesn\u2019t work, then there\u2019s one in DuPont Circle. <\/p>\n
Well. I had no idea where DuPont Circle was, so I said I\u2019d go to the I.C. She said she wouldn\u2019t start working on my papers \u2019til I brought the money. <\/p>\n
I gathered the books and toys, dressed the girls in their sweaters and lions, and away we went. Up the stairs, out the door, out the gate, and across the street. Up the stairs, through the door, and.. <\/p>\n
\u201cOut of Service\u201d. <\/p>\n
Oh. <\/p>\n
Part II will be published on Saturday, inshaAllah.<\/em><\/p>\nAsiya Akyurt<\/p>\n
Asiya Akyurt lives in Virginia with her husband and twin daughters. She is an active MAS member with an ijaza (certificate) in Qur\u2019anic recitation and tajweed, and enjoys teaching, interpreting and translating.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Part I Did I ever tell you how much I hate taking care of official business? I grew up in Saudi Arabia, where going to the bank, getting papers signed at the consulate, renewing passports, and getting visas were all my father\u2019s job. It never occurred to me that one day I\u2019d have to do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1529,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-motherhood"],"yoast_head":"\n
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