Ghalia and the Blue Window
A fictional Saudi Doll story to read together or enjoy at your own pace.
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Chapter 1 of 4
Ghalia sat by the window at home in Jeddah with three postcards she had drawn: a courtyard plant, a blue sea and a wooden window. She wanted to send one to her aunt, whose visits she missed. She chose the window, then noticed a crooked line. She rubbed at it until the paper nearly tore.
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Full story transcript
Ghalia sat by the window at home in Jeddah with three postcards she had drawn: a courtyard plant, a blue sea and a wooden window. She wanted to send one to her aunt, whose visits she missed. She chose the window, then noticed a crooked line. She rubbed at it until the paper nearly tore.
Her mother set a glass of water beside the pencils. What did the window remind her of? Ghalia laughed. She remembered her aunt pointing to a bird behind a plant pot, and how they had searched until it appeared on the wall. None of that was in the drawing yet.
Ghalia drew a green leaf at the edge and a tiny gold star where the bird belonged; she did not know how to draw its wings. On the back she told her aunt about that afternoon and explained that the star marked their shared memory. She left the crooked line alone and asked her mother to help prepare the envelope.
A few days later her aunt called. She had remembered the bird before finishing the card. She put it beside her desk because it brought back their laughter. Ghalia looked at the two cards still on the table and began thinking about who might enjoy their stories.