friend of Tina's sister, Soraia

Submitted by Cindi Whistler (United States), Dec 11, 2007 at 15:13

I put this out of my memory for years, every once in a while I would think of Tina, Soraia and their mother, Maria. I have fond memories of them and was sickened to find out what had happened.

Soraia was my doubles tennis partner at Soldan for two years. We rode the sports bus home every day to the confectionary store her parents had in South St. Louis. Her mother was always very pleasant, smiling. Her father never would say a word and i was apprehensive of him. Tina came to my house a few times with her sister to tag along and went with us to shop for prom dresses. Maria took Soraia, two other friends of ours and Tina shopping all over for these dresses, eventually ending up at St. Clair Square. Obviously, at the time, going to dances wasn't "too American". I do remember spending the night at a friends house was off limits or having a boyfriend.

Soraia would tell me about "men in suits" asking her nosy questions, wondering how her father could afford to go back and forth to Palestine all the time when they lived in a crappy little apartment in an even crappier neighborhood. Of course we all know why now, but I think the media made Tina's sisters to be just as evil as their father. I know Soraia was a good person, and I think some of the women in the family were in great fear of Zein.

Anyway, Tina will always be remembered and loved, she was such a sweet girl.

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