When she was done, she picked up the phone and the gift and walked back to her room leaving the door open for Ashmir. The next day, when Yusra walked into her son's room to ask him where his female f

Once upon a time, in sunny California, there lived an 11-year-old girl named Elise. Elise was energetic, creative, with a vivid imagination. Most of her friends found it hard to match up to Elise's endless reserves of energy. And then Elise met Ashmir, who was her complete opposite, quiet, respectful, and terribly introverted. But somehow, they became the best of friends. Elise was invited to her friend Ashmir's house. A journey that opened her up to a different culture, way of living, and a unique set of house rules. Ashmir's parents were rooted in their Saudi-Arabian cultural norms. Most notably Ashmir's mom, Yusra, who was 49 and didn't speak English. She had strict policies against gifts and cellphones being used inside the house. One day, Yusra noticed Elise clutching something in her hand. An iPhone and a small parcel, it was a gift, she had intended to give Ashmir. But Yusra, not understanding Elise's intentions, quickly took the phone and the gift away with an outburst of Arabic that Elise didn't understand. Upset, Elise decided to retrieve her belongings when Yusra left the house to go shopping with her husband. She crept into Yusra's room and was about to reach out for her belongings when something unexpected happened. Elise accidentally stepped into a pair of Yusra's flip flops which were lying on the floor of the closet. Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over her. Her feet began to shrink and look like Yusra's, and in fright, she dropped her gifts and phone. And then it escalated, Elise's clothing changed too, she was now wearing a long traditional Muslim dress, and her face was obscured with a niqab. Her age also increased drastically. Elise was no longer herself but had seemingly transformed into Yusra. The transformation also affected her mind, and slowly she began to forget her life as Elise and started remembering only Yusra's life. She saw herself in the mirror and was startled. As her mind now held Yusra's memories, she quickly adjusted the niqab that concealed her face without a second thought. The new Yusra, who was really Elise, suddenly saw the phone and the gift on the floor. She got angry seeing her room disturbed, shouted in Arabic for Ashmir, and picked up the gifts, grumbling about sharing the incident with her husband. She prayed to herself for calmness, a perfect Arabic prayer remembered from Yusra's memories. As she did, she mused over the missing Elise and wondered where she could have possibly gone, not knowing she was Elise all this time. In those final moments, Elise found herself obscured in another's life, place, and culture. The identity she thought she was so sure about, lost to a pair of magical flip flops. As the story ends, one is left to ponder over Elise's unusual transformation and the unexpected path she ended up taking. What an intriguing tale it was indeed!