The Imperials

Trouble

"Not you, me and uncle Hurairah. We are twins now, you know since we have the same heads!" Musa pointed at his skull, stroking it comfortably. "Who knew having a bald head feels so smooth? I mean look at the bright side, I would never have to brush my hair again."

"Oh good, at least everyone  could tell us apart now." I rolled my eyes, glancing quickly at the lab door up ahead once more praying that dad didn't storm down any second. If he did, we were in big trouble!

Musa sighed with annoyance. "Ah man, I know. That's a bummer. Sometimes, I used to just pass as you, and Uncle Hurairah didn't even say anything."

Being captivated by one of the oceanic blue chemicals kept high on the shelf ahead, I took dad's swivel chair nearest to me, climbed it while Musa held it stable, and brought it down. "It says, hazard...ous." I glanced at Musa with a raised brow, gesturing to the label plastered on the beaker. "Have any idea what that means?"

Musa took dad's white swivel chair and sat on it carelessly glancing at his reflection on the mirror in his hand, stroking his smooth head arrogantly. "Maybe it means 'edible' or 'juice', or 'no harm done'. Dad put up a sign that says 'dangerous' up on the lab door, but I don't see any dangers here. This place just looks too cool, that's all! Dad's just selfish, he doesn't wanna share this place with us."

On purpose, I spilled the chemical on dad's white polished long table and instantaneously the table surface dangerously melted away creating a huge gap in the middle permitting me to see the floor tiles down below. God, what have I done?

"Musa, Harun!" Dad screamed, his voice storming down with him as he thundered down the stairs. "Boys, what did I say?" Dad's eyes traveled towards me, and he immediately snatched the beaker out of my hand with rage keeping it safely away back on the shelf. "La hawla wala quwwata illa billah, what have you done to my table?"

"Uh..." I trailed off sheepishly, shifting from foot to foot under dad's gaze. "I was just... um experimenting!"

"Yeah, he wants to be a scientist like you dad." Musa answered cockily, still mesmerized with his bald reflection in the mirror, unable to take his eyes off. To be honest, I'd rather die than be a scientist. I mean who wants to work with dad?

"I said no boys down here!" Dad screamed loudly with furrowed eyes. "Why don't you both ever understand?"

"So like, if I dressed as a girl and came down-?" Musa bounced eagerly as he finally broke eye contact with his mirror.

"You still have boy parts--"

"Aww, that's a bummer! What if... I use Mymoonah--"

"No girls either!" Dad screamed on top of his lungs. "Tell me what would I do if that chemical touched your hand Harun? It would've melted by now. Do you think if your hand melts away, another one will magically grow--"

"Scientifically speaking dad," Musa interrupted confidently like he was Einstein himself. "Everything sprouts like a tree! You see, even my smooth head that looks like a shiny watermelon would be sprouting hair soon--"

"You shut up!" Dad screamed, stabbing his finger at Musa.

"Dad, are you jealous of my head? No worries, I'll let you feel it whenever you want? Not to mention, I can even shave your head if--"

"Shut up!" Dad immediately grabbed our shirts by the shoulder and pulled us up the stairs forcefully with rage. "If you boys ever go in there, I swear I'll lock you up in the attic with no food."

"Yeesh, so cruel of you dad!" Musa was back to staring at his reflection again. "I mean I'm not complaining or anything, I just need a mirror to swoon over my bald head--"