I repeated sleepily, "The night of the 'woman'?"

"Yes, this is a night for women at the water park. Because many Arab 'women' and 'women' are not allowed to go to the public pool on weekdays, the special 'gate' has opened such a special session. ”

"Really?" I smiled wryly, "I'm not an Arab woman." ”

"Originally, everyone could go, as long as it was a 'woman'. Lian Pian held my shoulder and said softly, "Xixi, just go to play in the water and accompany me." ”

I looked at Lian Pian's earnest and worried gaze, 'rubbing' and 'rubbing' reddened eyes. Whether it's for relaxation or something else, there's no excuse to excuse yourself. If this can help me think more clearly, it can also clear my troubled thoughts. So, I nodded and silently agreed.

The next day, at noon, in the 'damp' daylight, it was dazzling as far as the eye could see.

Moussa came to the hotel and took the workers to move all my belongings to his 'private' house in the Palm. Standing on the beach, the drunken sea breeze blows the roots of my ears, but there is no refreshing feeling. The cheeks that were warmed by the sun compared to the cold fingers were incompatible.

Because of yesterday's black-robed incident, neither of us could bring up the excitement, and on the surface we talked and laughed, but it seemed that there was always something between each other, and there was no way to dissolve it. His anger at me was still there, and he was silent and vaguely restrained from his emotions.

"Still angry with me?" I put my hand on his waist, trying to resolve the oppression with gentleness, "I've been looking forward to living together for a long time, and you're happy, okay?"

Moussa grabbed my fingers and clenched them slightly: "Cece, do you think I'm 'pushing' you?"

I was silent, and after a while, I whispered, "I understand your thoughts, but if I want to accept it all at once, it's too difficult." ”

He groaned for a moment, then asked, "Cece, do you want to be with me?"

"Of course. I replied in the affirmative.

He looked at me steadily: "You should have known that if you were to go on, you had to be a Muslim." ”

"Yes, I know, I can be a teacher, I am even willing to wash my stomach, it doesn't matter. At first, you said that you would wear a black robe when you met your parents, but although I was down, I followed you into the store and thought it was okay to wear it once in a while. But then you turned your head and said to me that it was hard for me to accept that I should be like those 'women' in black robes on a daily basis, and that would make me adapt to such a life. ”

He looked at me blankly, frowned, and asked sadly, "Is it more difficult to wear a black robe than to wash the stomach?"

I nodded, whispering to explain my thoughts to him, "For me, that's right. Gastric lavage, which is just a formality, can be done with a minor operation. But the black robe is different, my social 'communication', interpersonal relationships, and lifestyle will all be affected. In the male-dominated oil industry, there are very few 'women', and even fewer 'women' in black robes. I still have a lot of friends who used to be Chinese students in my company, and most of my jobs are surrounded by men, if I wear a black robe, how can I get along with my colleagues in the future?"

"If it weren't for the constraints of your contract and your insistence, I wouldn't have wanted you to work in the first place. Moussa tilted his head and sighed, "Xixi, you have a contract that you have to work for two years, and we are not married yet, so I will not force you to give up your job now." But when you go around and show your face, it actually makes me feel bad. ”

His words made me stunned for a moment, and I bowed my head and groaned. Indeed, the local 'women' in the UAE are basically full-time housewives, and even if they have occasional jobs, they are all in inconsequential positions. For Arab men, it is a shame to let their wives go out and work hard to earn money. Think of Lemis, who has never worked before. It is really unimaginable for me to be a 'woman' at the forefront of the oil industry.

I silently stilled, hesitated for a moment, and then hesitated and said, "Musa, believe me, okay? You know, I only have you in my heart, so I will naturally keep my distance from other men." But after all, I need to be able to 'mingle' with people at work, right?"

Hearing this answer, his body stiffened slightly, looked at me quietly for two seconds, and sighed: "Cece, you still don't understand the most fundamental reason, and only see this as a form of bondage. He sighed deeply again, swallowed his throat, and whispered in my ear in a hoarse voice, "I really don't know what it takes to keep you with me and with Allah." ”

The air was filled with warm and cold currents, and the frustration and despair in his words left me at a loss. Stunned in place, I didn't know how to respond, I just felt full of emotion. The bright sun shone on my eyes, but my heart seemed to be in a 'cloudy' and rainy corner.

That afternoon, we lay quietly and slept for a sleepless nap. The air was quiet, and I looked at Moussa's familiar face and quietly reached out to wrap my arms around his body, feeling urgent and powerless. It was a little wet, a little hot, and a little stuffy. I thought it would be nice if we could stay in the stagnation of napping all the time, and grow old like this.

However, love is not enough to make us grow old. Perhaps, we have to add compromises, constant, sacrificial, and hidden compromises.

Where is the way out of balance?

Thursday. Dadi Water Park. 'Female' Night.

Located at the foot of Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Ildadi is Dubai's seven-star water park, home to a Middle Eastern-inspired castle and 'flower' garden, waterfalls cascading from high vantages and the Jumeirah Sceirah, the tallest and fastest water slide outside of North America.

Lian Pian and I changed into swimsuits, and when we came out of the locker room, we were stunned by the sight in front of us for a moment.

"Look, in those swimsuits, do you look like a squid?" Lian Pian pointed at the man, wearing a black 'colored' polyester swimsuit, from head to ankle, only 'exposed' a face, like a ball of ink floating on the water, if it wasn't for the water park's enough light, I wouldn't have seen it as a person.

"I thought there would only be 'women' tonight and they would be able to wear whatever swimsuits they wanted. As I spoke, I looked away and saw a woman swimming back and forth in the water in a dress that was not waterproof and a black color of the pantyhose.

"They usually have to wear black robes when they go out, and only in this kind of 'female' place can they have the opportunity to wear the clothes they want. But this is still a public place, you can't 'show it', you still have to wrap yourself tightly, just in case. Lian Pian sighed and shook her head, "For them, it doesn't matter whether they swim or not, the important thing is that they finally have a reason to wear clothes that they rarely have the opportunity to wear." ”

As I listened to Lian Pian's words, I remembered Mosa's words and thought in a trance: "Actually, I still don't understand why I have to wear a black robe. I can try to wear it once in a while, but that's out of respect for his beliefs. But I can't keep doing this, because I don't want him to treat me as his 'private' possessions, and it makes me very sad. ”

Lian Pian pursed his lips and supported me: "You are right not to accept it, how tiring it is to live." Xixi, look at these squid clothes in front of you, if you also wear black robes, maybe you will gradually be forced to become such a person. ”

I pursed my lips and slowly stepped into the pool, letting the ripples flood my skin. When I first came to Dubai, I felt very sad when I saw the 'women' from the UAE, and I secretly swore in my heart that I would never be such a person. I didn't expect it to be a prophecy, but today it was my turn to do such a struggle.

But what puzzled me the most was Moses' words, "I really don't know what it takes to keep you with me and by Allah." "He said I didn't 'understand' the fundamental meaning, so what should I understand?

Just thinking about it, Lian Pian pulled me out of the pool and shouted: "Let's go, the jumeirahsceirah water slide is open, it's 33 meters high, it's super exciting, let's go to the queue, it's too late!"

I followed her up the stairs and waited in line. When I took a side look, I found that a few 'girl' children who were wearing "fancy clothes" who came to swim in the "fancy costumes" we were talking about just now also followed. When I got closer, I realized that one of the 'girl' children seemed to be an Asian face. When Lian Pian and I were speaking Chinese, she also turned her head frequently and seemed to understand.

When I met her curious gaze again, I couldn't help but smile at her, and when she got a friendly message, she also relaxed, and asked us in Chinese: "Are you also Chinese?"

"yes. ”

She casually greeted: "Coming for a tour?"

I said, "No, we're going to live here for a few years." What about you?"

She smiled and narrowed her eyes: "I'm married." My husband is Syrian and we live in Dubai. ”

My heart jumped, and I was a little 'excited', and it seemed that I had finally found someone in the same way, and I couldn't help but say: "Syria is also an Arab country, don't you and your husband have different ideas?"

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled: "I was originally a Hui person, and the two of us have the same beliefs, so I don't think it's anything." It's more traditional here than in China, and the clothes are more conservative, and my husband doesn't want me to work, so the rest is no different to me. ”

"That's it......" I shook my look, and there was inexplicable emotion in my chest, and I poured out in a low voice: "I am a Han Chinese, but the person I love has his beliefs, and I hope I wear a black robe on weekdays." I don't understand, the Hui people in China can also dress freely, why do they want to wrap themselves in black robes here? I feel very depressed and difficult to accept. ”

"Well, you can't think like that. The 'girl' child waved her hand, moved a few steps forward with the 'tide' of people in line, and continued, "The people of our country really know too little about the black robe, which has caused many misunderstandings. In fact, this is not because of low status, but because of respect for status. I would like to wear a robe and a hijab because I don't like men looking me up and down with 'lewd' eyes, and I want them to respect me. If they were my friends, I don't think they need to pay attention to whether I am beautiful or not, but to see my intelligence and character. ”

Her words were sincere and sincere, but I still felt a little choked: "The body is not afraid of crooked shadows, respect is not only by clothes, but more importantly, words and deeds and hearts, what is the use of just using black 'color' to block." ”

She stared at me a few times and said calmly, "When you're not married, it's okay not to wear it." But when you get married, dress conservatively not only to protect yourself, but also to protect your family and society. Is there anything wrong with starting with what you wear, putting an end to the eyes around you that are predatory, and being loyal to love and family?"

As I listened to her words, something shook inside me. The same thing, from a different point of view, is indeed very different.

The 'girl' child smiled with a sense of accomplishment when she saw that my face was 'pale', and then said: "If you change to the atmosphere in China, the black robe is indeed strange. But here, everyone wears it, and there is nothing surprising about it. What's more, the black robe can also protect from the sun in Dubai's ghost weather, which is convenient and cool to wear. So I think you should change your mindset and not always think about depression, but see this as a kind of protection of feelings. ”

The 'girl' looked at the few people who had just come with her, and they were screaming and screaming at the people speeding down from the 'dew' heavenly waterway, their faces full of excitement and 'agitation'. The 'female' child smiled at them, and said to me, Nunu, "You see today's 'female' night, our group of people who usually wear black robes are not the same laughing and noisy, crazy? In fact, otherwise, we are still alive in our 'private' background, and we are still us. ”

"Still...... It's yourself. ”

I muttered the phrase as suddenly, the knot in my heart that could not be dissolved. The words of this 'female' child who married far away made me break away from my previous cognition and have a further understanding of the black robe and the 'female' people in the UAE.

I will still be me, and I will not be 'blinded' or changed because of a black robe. The only difference is that I respect Mousa and have more protection for love. If you accept it from this angle, your heart will also be opened.

As soon as our thoughts cleared up, the team on the slide came to an end, and it was finally our turn. Lian Pian urged excitedly: "Okay, okay, don't talk about it." Xixi, come on, I'll watch you roll down first, and enjoy your screaming, haha. ”

"Not kind. I smiled and gave her a white look, and lay down on the slide in a happy mood, falling three times in a row at a very fast speed, feeling the huge impact of the water, and the whole person was trapped in the whirlpool, and kept throwing it into the weightless sky, hearty and happy.

At 11 o'clock in the evening, the night of the 'women' ended early. Lian Pian and I came out of the water park, and our bodies and hearts were all refreshed. waved to take a taxi, originally wanted to go back to the house, but after getting in the car, after thinking about it, another location popped out of his mouth, and he drove towards the 'fine' black robe shop.