Name:Nailah Lateef
Appearance:
Pleasantly Plain. Nailah is around 5’4” tall and slightly over average weight for a woman of her height. She dresses conservatively, even in these harder times, and she still wears a hijab.
Olive skin and amber eyes, her hair is a warm chocolate brown. Even before the events that lead to the disappearances, Nailah rarely wore make up or did much to accentuate her body.
Previous to the day of the Rapture, what was your character’s worst day?: Although not quite jilted, Nailah was engaged once, four years ago. Her parents had made a match for her and arranged for the two to meet. She approved, and he seemed to approve as well. The man stayed as long as his visa allowed before returning home to Egypt. They continued to communicate for nearly half a year as their wedding plans were finalized. Nailah would return home to marry him, and they would then return to the U.S.
As the date grew closer, her daily exchanges with her husband-to-be diminished. She thought perhaps he wished to create space between them before their marriage and found the notion whimsical, attractive even. Her parents called her a week before she was due to fly out with the the news that her fiance had broken off the engagement. He had decided to stay in Egypt and had no desire to move to America.
Nailah never did find out what had caused the man’s change of heart, she suspected it may have had to do with her attempts to change the subject when the Hajj came up in conversations. She had not yet revealed her loss of faith.
What was their best day?:Her graduation, three years ago, from Erie Community College, an A.S. in accounting. She worked hard to balance her school, her work, and her volunteering. Her brother wasn’t able to make it to the ceremony, but her father was able to fly in and see it. They had all had dinner together afterwards, at a local hookah bar. It was one of the few places near her apartment that offered kosher and halal meals. That day remains a bright spot in her memory, a time where all three of them had been happy with no arguments. A time where she felt pride, even from her somewhat belligerent brother.
Who was their first love? What came of it?:Qabeel, a boy a couple years older than her, from her neighborhood. Perhaps not true love, but her first love during her adolescent years. Qabeel came from a more liberal family, and upon finding out about the two teens fancy for each other, would invite Nailah and her mother over to give the two time to talk more freely. Nailah never felt comfortable to bring up her attraction or feelings about Qabeel to her mother, and her desire for the boy passed after a few months. Traits that were once adorable soon turned to be abrasive to young Nailah and she couldn’t remember what had ever drawn her to him in the first place.
What’s the one thing they would redo in their life if given the chance?:She wouldn’t have listened to her brother when he told her not to go after her bachelor’s in accounting. Her graduation from the community college had been an accomplishment, and one that she should have been satisfied with according to her older sibling. Nailah had taken his advice, but regretted it each day she was forced to work for her brother and live in the same apartment as the man seemed to deteriorate more and more into anger. She could have had her degree a year ago, been somewhere else, somewhere better...perhaps she would be better off somehow even now with all the disappearances. Even with the chaos, there have been moments that she still wishes she had not listened to him.
What was their first job and how did they feel about it?: Nailah’s first job came at a young age as she helped her mother and father tend to their shop, which eventually grew to several shops in the surrounding area. Starting around age 6, she would help out after school. Cleaning or straightening up, eventually helping the customers as well as learning the back end of the business when she got into her teen years.
She enjoyed the job when she was young but grew resentful of it when she got older. She was not really paid for the work she did, although she was certain she had a role in it’s expansion. Still, it was her duty to do as her parents bid. Responsibilities had to be fulfilled regardless of how she felt about it.
How about their family? Who’s still around, what’s the dynamic?: Her mother and father remained in Egypt when she and her brother immigrated to the U.S. six years ago. Her brother was almost a decade older than her, and she left with him to start a new life. Her parents were strict and fairly conservative, but open hearted even when Nailah came out as an agnostic. She has no idea what happened to her parents, having been unable to get in contact with them since the Rapture.
Her relationship with her brother has been more tumultuous. He was often a trouble maker in his youth and young adulthood, and coming to America only seemed to compound that. He swore to keep to his faith, yet fell into smoking and drinking. Nailah also awoke early some mornings to see a woman leaving their small apartment. Her brother could grow angry easily when confronted with his hypocrisy, especially after Nailah told him of her own disbelief.
While her brother did not disappear, she has not seen him in a month. He went out on an errand and hasn’t returned. She doesn’t know whether to fear him dead or to believe that he abandoned her.
Favorite game? (Of any sort):Beautiful Katamari. Nailah’s brother owned an xbox 360 and he bought her the game one year for her birthday. She never cared for his other games, but she genuinely appreciated his thoughtfulness on the gift, as well as liked the game itself.
What were they doing on the day of the Rapture?:She was working in her brother’s store. It was just entering the noon hours and many of the churches were releasing their parishioners from their services. It was a busy time of day for the shop, so Nailah was trying to wrap up the paperwork in the small backroom so she could be out front to help her brother.
She had heard screaming, and found her brother just muttering “they’re gone, they’re gone,” over and over. It took a while for Nailah to figure out what he meant, and longer to accept it as reality. The chaos she saw that day was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It didn’t get any better either.
Ever have any legal problems?: There were some initial problems with her and her brother’s immigration papers, but nothing that ever landed her in jail. She's had a handful of parking tickets, and a couple moving violations.
Do they believe in a god? A religion? A belief?:While she was raised in the Muslim faith (of the Shi’a sect), Nailah felt disconnected from her family’s beliefs. She stayed silent on this, desperate to feel the security that her parents and brother felt on the matter, until a couple years ago. She came out, quietly, as an agnostic. She doesn’t know what she believes exists beyond the mortal realm, or if it really matters. She still wears the hijab and dresses modestly as that is what she is comfortable in, but it is no longer a sign of her waning faith.
As a kid, what’d they want to be when they grew up?:A teacher. She was enamored with the idea up until she moved to America, though a part of her still held out hope of having a classroom of children to teach and mentor.
What was their occupation before the Rapture?: Jack of all trades when it came to her brother’s convenience store. She worked the register when he needed extra help, but was mainly there because she had a better head for the books. Nailah kept the store running, able to work out deals with suppliers, as well as make sure the proper paperwork was filed, taxes were done properly, etc.
She also volunteered at a local community center, helping immigrant families learn English.
