A few days later, Yusra found Yusuf in the kitchen. His eyes were squeezed shut as if in deep thought.
“What are you mumbling to yourself?” Yusra asked, poking him from behind.
“Go away. I’m learning my surahs,” Yusuf said, opening his eyes. He looked at the juz amma open in front of him on the kitchen table.
“Ohhhh,” Yusra said, amazement in her voice. “MashaAllah.”
Mama’s cell phone rang. Yusra grabbed it from the kitchen counter and answered it.
Yusra frowned and then said, “Yes, he’s here,” as she handed the phone to Yusuf.
“Who is it?” He asked, taking it from her.
Yusra shrugged. “Dunno.”
“Hello?” Yusuf said.
“Hi, is this Yusuf Rahim?”
“Yes.”
Mama entered the kitchen, asking, “Was that my phone ringing?”
“Congratulations!” the lady on the phone said. “Your name was picked in the raffle for the brand-new Nintendo MAXX!”
Yusuf sprang up from his chair, causing it to topple backward.
“I—I won?” he whispered.
Mama turned to Yusra. “Who is it? Didn’t we talk about you answering my phone?”
Yusra smiled sheepishly. “I was waiting for Amanda’s call.”
“Shhh!” Yusuf hushed them as he listened to the instructions.
“…will be sent by mail. Is there a parent I can speak to?”
“Ye-yes.”
With shaking hands, Yusuf handed the phone to Mama.
“Hmm. Ah yes, thank you,” Mama said into the phone. Then her eyes widened. Mama gave them their address and hung up.
Silence fell in the kitchen.
“I won,” Yusuf croaked. “I actually won the Nintendo!”
“You won?” Yusra gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.
But Yusuf didn’t feel excited. The excitement was there, blowing up like a balloon but then deflating before the balloon could be tied.
“What was that loud noise?” Abbu finally stepped into the kitchen. He looked at the chair on the ground, and the surprised looks on everyone’s faces. “Uh…what’s going on?” Abbu asked.
“Yusuf won the raffle for the Nintendo,” Yusra announced.
Abbu’s eyebrows flew up. “Oh, wow. SubhanAllah. What are you going to do, Yusuf?”
“What am I going to do?” Yusuf repeated, scratching his head.
Count the days until it arrived in the mail and then invite his friends over and play all evening, he thought but didn’t say.
“Let’s sit down,” Abbu said. “You too, Yusra.”
The family sat at the dining table, and Yusuf picked up his chair.
“We’re excited for you that you won,” Abbu said, “and we won’t tell you not to keep it. But I want you to ask yourself, is winning something that made you do something against our faith really winning?”