Omar Rising

As Omar waits for Malik Uncle to drive him to Ghalib, he worries about his mother being alone while he is gone. (Omar’s father died when he was a baby.) Amal reassures him that he is only 20 kilometers away, but even so, Omar will not be able to visit his village until winter break. Amal is excited for his opportunity. She aspires to get a scholarship to the girls’ school, Iqra. Omar looks forward to joining extracurricular clubs at Ghalib, including soccer—something he excels at—and astronomy. Amal envies the huge library at Ghalib and suggests that they start a book club and pick a title to read together over the break. Omar worries that he will be too busy with his classes, which are reputed to be difficult. Amal, who once experienced “a terrible time” (10) but still managed to catch up on a year of school, believes that Omar is up to the challenge. Omar gives Amal a necklace with a sparrow pendant, and the two friends sadly say goodbye. Omar’s mom tears up, telling him that she is proud of him and excited for his success.

Expensive cars fill the parking lot at Ghalib Academy, making Malik Uncle’s motorcycle stand out. Uncle accompanies Omar to the registration area. Omar receives his folder but worries when he sees that it is mysteriously labeled with the letters “SB.” Omar and Uncle investigate the dorms. Omar hopes that he will have a nice roommate like Kareem, a tall, good-humored boy who was his roommate during the summer orientation. An upperclassman named Faisal helps Omar with the building code and tells him to check his email: a piece of technology that Omar has never used.

Uncle is impressed with Omar’s room, whose modest dimensions are still large enough to house two boys and include beds, dressers, and desks for each. Uncle blesses Omar, wishes him success, and says goodbye, and Omar feels burdened by the pressure to succeed. Humza, a boy whom Omar met during the summer, greets him. Omar’s window faces the soccer field and a wall featuring a mural of students engaging in extracurricular activities. One image shows a boy looking through a telescope. Omar wants to be an astronomer when he gets older and knows a lot about astronomy, but now he feels out of his “orbit.”

To Omar’s excitement, Kareem is his roommate again. Kareem is also a scholarship recipient and comes from a poor background like Omar. They discuss the clubs that they want to join; Kareem likes basketball and debate. Naveed, another scholarship student whom Omar knows, meets them in the hallway, but their reunion is soon interrupted by a man in a suit who orders them out of the way. The man is followed by two servants carrying huge suitcases and a boy glued to his expensive phone. They push past into the neighboring room.

The man angrily calls the room a “prison cell,” threatens to pull his funding from the school gym, and stomps out. The boy, Aiden, rejects Omar’s attempt to introduce himself. Omar offers one of Aiden’s elderly servants a chair while he waits, but the servant respectfully declines. Seeing these interactions, Omar knows that Ghalib is his chance to become more than a servant. Aiden’s father returns and tells Aiden that he is staying but will not have to have a roommate. Aiden furiously calls Ghalib a “dump.” If Aiden had gotten better grades, however, he could have attended a different school. Hearing this exchange, Omar reflects on how wildly different his and Aiden’s perceptions of the school are.

Omar has first-day jitters. He did not sleep well, and he continues to worry about his classes and the fact that his mother is alone. Morning classes rush by, and Omar joins Kareem and Naveed for lunch in the fancy cafeteria. The food is restaurant-quality, and Omar eats eagerly. The friends discuss a long questionnaire from the guidance counselor, Mrs. Rashid, who urges them to contact her if they need help. Kareem advises the other boys to assure her that everything is fine, in order to fit in and seem like they belong.

The three hurry to their next class in the administration building, which is far from the other classrooms. They arrive just as the bell rings, and their teacher, the unsmiling Headmaster Moiz himself, reprimands them for their tardiness. He has taken charge of teaching English to the scholarship students because that subject is one that often gives scholarship students the most difficulty. Moiz, unlike Omar’s other teachers, is demanding from the first day, announcing quizzes, tests, and essays. Omar believes that Moiz does not like him, but he optimistically tells himself that he will change Moiz’s opinion by succeeding in class.

After the challenging English lesson, art class with the kind, friendly Mr. Adeel is a relief. The art room is cheerfully crowded with supplies and a Hall of Fame board featuring artwork from previous students. Omar thinks that even Aiden’s grumpiness cannot bring down the positive atmosphere. Mr. Adeel explains that art is designed to elicit emotions, and as such, can be a catalyst for social change. The class will focus on this aspect of art and then make their own projects. Omar worries that he will not be any good at art, but he enjoys the examples of different works in Mr. Adeel’s presentation. Mr. Adeel, who was an orientation guide during Omar’s summer session, asks Omar about his first day. Omar admits that he is overwhelmed, but Mr. Adeel encourages him, saying that others are in the same boat. Omar takes a folder to the administration office for Mr. Adeel. He leaves quickly to avoid Headmaster Moiz and is surprised to hear Kareem in the hall, apparently talking to his father. Omar wonders why Kareem did not tell him that his father is on campus.

The rec room at school is a good place to relax after dinner. There are table games and a giant television: something that Omar has rarely seen. Naveed and Humza squabble over what program to watch and make Omar decide. Naveed wants to watch Maheen Matters, an advice talk show, while Humza wants to see a soccer game. Omar chooses the talk show, and the boys watch as Maheen interviews an actor who discusses the difficulties he faced at the start of his career, until he decided to choose roles that spoke to him. Maheen advises that success comes from confidence and hard work. Omar wonders if Kareem noticed him when he was with his dad. While other students discuss their friendly English teacher, Omar is embarrassed to admit that his English teacher is Headmaster Moiz. Omar plays Ping-Pong for the first time, does well, and hopes that it will be the same for all his experiences at Ghalib.

On Friday evening, Marwan, Humza, Jibril, and Omar play soccer together, and Omar scores and impresses the other boys. He notices that the mural bordering the grounds is fading and peeling in spots. While he knows that the mural is intended for everyone, he feels that the image of the boy looking through the telescope gives him a personal message of encouragement. Later, the students wonder where Kareem is and share their excitement for Monday, when they will get to pick their extracurricular clubs. Omar wants soccer and astronomy, and Naveed wants chess. Other boys, like Humza and Marwan, must pick the same clubs that their parents joined. Omar, who never knew his father, muses on the social differences between himself and the other boys, whose families have attended Ghalib for generations.

Students gather together for the outdoor movie night. When Kareem joins them, he claims that he was in the library, but Naveed did not see him there. Omar covers for Kareem, saying that there is a lot of work to do, and is relieved when Humza, who is not a scholarship student, agrees with him. Aiden does not join them to watch the movie, and Naveed comments that Aiden looks down on everyone, not just the scholarship students. Omar is upset that Naveed has voiced their scholarship status aloud, but he is relieved when the others do not care. In this moment, Omar finally feels like he is truly part of the school community.

Kareem, Omar, and Naveed joke good-naturedly about their roommates—how talkative or messy they are—as they wait for the Monday morning assembly to begin. Headmaster Moiz introduces the other administrators and announces that all the extracurricular clubs are set up in the gym next door. However, if a student has the letters “SB” on their registration folder, like Omar, they are “Scholar Boys” and must remain behind while the other students go to choose their extracurricular clubs.

Addressing the scholarship students, Moiz explains that they are lucky to have spots at the school thanks to funding from alumni. As a result, Scholar Boys are required to do five hours of community service around campus, working in the kitchen, the laundry, or doing grounds work instead of joining clubs. Moiz declares that the first year is very difficult, and scholarship students need to focus on their classes because many will not graduate. Moiz cautions them to be thankful for their opportunity. Omar is shocked and bitterly disappointed by this development. He does not mind doing chores, but he is upset that he and the other scholarship students are deprived of the opportunity to join clubs just because they do not come from wealthy families.

Omar wants to see the clubs in the gym, but he thinks he may cry, so Kareem and Naveed go without him. Omar runs into Kareem’s father in the hall and realizes that the man is a janitor at the school. Kareem’s father, Zamir, is genial and friendly like Kareem and offers Omar help if he ever needs anything. Omar wonders if Kareem keeps his father’s occupation a secret out of embarrassment. Omar peeks into the gym and sees tables set up for band, robotics, and astronomy. Kareem cheerfully shoots hoops in a corner with other students, and Omar wishes that he could be more like Kareem. Omar reminds himself that school is still the key to his future.

Faisal encourages Omar, admitting that being a scholarship student “stings” but that the first year is the hardest. He assures Omar that things will get easier. Faisal does his chores with the chefs in the morning and avoids having other kids see him working. Omar acutely feels the difference in treatment between the scholarship students and the regular students, especially when he accidentally bumps into Aiden, who calls him a “charity case.” While everyone in Omar’s village is proud of him, here he is seen as inferior.