My story started out normally enough.
The way it’s supposed to in all households.
I can’t remember when I found out about periods,
But I remember mama casually explaining it to us.
My brother, my sister, and I.
We grew up knowing that girls get it and what that means.
That the girl becomes a woman and must get start wearing a headscarf.
I remember being so happy when I got it.
I went and told mama.
But then I started feeling trapped by all the restrictions.

We were in the North Coast at the time.
I was not allowed to go swimming,
Because I was wearing a pad, and it was going to get wet,
Making it known that I got my period.
Mama told me that I wasn’t going to start wearing the headscarf that very night.
So that people don’t know that I just got my period.
When we got back to Cairo, I started wearing a headscarf,
Without knowing much about it or understanding it.
I learned about it later.

Anyway, after that I wasn’t allowed to tell baba or my brother.
When I was on my period,
I had to pretend that I was praying and fasting.
I was against doing that.
I used to tell baba when he asked me about my prayers,
That I wasn’t praying then.
Mama’d fight with me and tell me,
“You’ve no shame!”
“This is something that I get like all girls,
Why do I have to hide it?” I’d ask her.
“You also have breasts,
But that doesn’t mean that we have to go around announcing that to people!” she’d reply,
“Baba is not people!” I’d retort.

When my younger sister got her period, she listened to mama,
So that she wouldn’t be mad at her too.
Baba used to ask me if my sister was praying,
Because he knew I’d tell him.
But thank God, my sister is more like me now.
We even tell our brother without being ashamed.
Because there is nothing to be ashamed about.
Everyone should know and be aware of it.