Personal Narrative: The Egyptian White Couple

The first couple is an Egyptian white couple came to California six years ago, the husband is working as an accountant and she is working as a preschool teacher. They have two male children, nine years and six years. They own their house and their socioeconomic level is average to above average. They have been married for eleven years, both are Egyptian, Christian, and straight sexual orientation. I know them because the wife is working at the same place with my wife, but we are not close friends.

How did you meet?

Wife: I met him at work while I was working at one of the international schools in Egypt and he was the school accountant at that time. We had a big fight during the first time meeting due to some mistakes happened counting my hours during the month. He was nice to me,

Wife: One day he asked me about which church I attend on Sunday because he felt that he saw me before somewhere else, when I answered him, he said yes, mostly I saw you there. She added, I did not see you there before, but he said I go there occasionally. He started to attend the my church every Sunday, one day, we went on a trip as a church group and he started to show his interest to me and he sat beside me in the bus. He asked me if I may agree his invitation to dinner next day because he wants to talk with my about an important issue. I answered him back saying I will contact you over the phone after getting the permission from my mother. I contacted him in the morning and I told him I agree, but I do not want to be late.

Husband: I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, attending the service at her church every Sunday although, it was not my church, simply because I am orthodox and she is Evangelical.

Therapist: They were laughing while they were telling me the story of the second question. The wife added he did not know that I knew that this is not his church from the beginning and he is Orthodox.

How did you decide to say “yes” to the first