REMARKABLE

38

"Listen, Yahya. Nana's in the hospital, son. If we take you, who'll look after you all? Your mummy will have to take care of Nana and I'll be at the hospital, too. You won't stay, alone at the house. Next thing, I know, you'll want me to take you to the hospital, as well. Atleast, Rasheed chacha's here. He'll look after you and I promise- I promise, Yahya, I'd be back by Sunday. Punish me however you want if I am not back by then."

Bilal groaned,"You keep your nintendo and return it your mom by night. I also ordered something for you before my return. I expect it to be delivered, tomorrow. Let's see, you'd miss the parcel if you leave, today and and if you choose to trust me, I might just take you to meet her." Bilal faked a thoughtful expression with a barely concealed smile.

"Baba!" Yahya screeched, more upset and completely offended at Bilal's offer as he scrambled away from his lap.

It irritated Yahya whenever his father would mention her, he didn't know what his father saw in that girl. She was a pest and like every other girl, as an 8 years old boy he chose to run away from her. He remembered when she had offered him sweets just to spite him even when he had told her that he hated sweets. Ironic, he would grow to love'em macaroons.

''No! Let me go." Yahya struggled in Bilal's lap when he tightened his arms around his waist.

Munizeh placed herself beside Yahya and Yahya came to her. She held him close to her heart, wiping his tear stained cheeks and cleared the wisps of his hair off his forehead.

"I know right. He says something and does something else but Trust me, Yahya, I am telling you, he'd be back, this time. You trust me, yes?" Munizeh grinned as Yahya gave a light nod, somehow the atmosphere had changed from tense to playful.

Bilal ignored Munizeh trying to play hero as he caught Yahya's small hands, he engulfed them in his large ones,"Listen, I promise!I'll be back as soon as we can and I'll never leave you, alone, again. I'll take you with me wherever I go but for now, stay. You won't even know we are gone. Let's do that pinky promise. It's what Anaaya does, No?" He said as he held out a pinky for little Yahya Firas to take.

Yahya wiped his tears abruptly and jumped from his mother's hug, horrified at his father's suggestion.

"DAD!"

'Beta-' Bilal coughed trying to control the laughter bubbling inside him when his gaze met with Munizeh's, mirth shining in her eyes. Everyone knew, Yahya Firas died everytime Anaaya made him do it.

Yahya didn't want to hear another preposterous proposal from his father which he included a meeting with her, sooner than he had expected.

He put his hands on his ears as he tried to block him out.

"Blah Blah blah blah"

"Yahy-" Bilal called.

"Na-Na-Na-Na."

"Oii" Bilal tickled his side and he jumped on his feet.

'No! No, Dad! Please-no-tickling!' Yahya pushed his father's hand off him as he ran away from Bilal into the long corridor and yelled at the top of his lungs, smirking. His tears had dried but his nose along with his neck retained its adorable rouge.

"Anaam!Anaya! Amaan! Dad's calling you!" He waited against the wall, wiggling his naturally bushy eye brows at his father. Their happy laughter echoed in the doorway before he saw them racing to his father who waited with open arms and a big grin plastered on his face, for them. He hugged the trio tightly to his chest, falling on his back on the ground as he held them.

"Come on! Kiss your dad good bye."Bilal tapped his forhead with a nimble finger as Anaaya sat atop him while Anaam and Amaan sat on his side, Munizeh wasn't sitting too far, either.

He sat up, next, reciprocating the innocent love, his kisses lingered longer than usual on each of their foreheads.

He regarded them with the infamous father's glare as all 4 of his lives sat before him. He was still learning to use it, he couldn't resist their pure charms.

"Yahya and Amaan, I am trusting you. Take care of each other. Okay?"

Amaan hadn't always been the shield he grew up to be neither did Yahya Firas had known it's use until later.

"Yes, dad." Yahya echoed, half convinced.

"And don't make it difficult for them. You hear me, Anaya and Anaam?"

They nodded their heads vigorously as he arose and patted their heads.

Munizeh took her sweet time bidding them good bye. She was already dressed in turquoise pants and kameez before he had come and she had already asked Chacha Rasheed to put her luggage in the car with his. Munizeh didn't want to be late.

Yahya, Amaan, Anaam and Anaaya followed their parents out of the house to the gate with watery smiles and teary eyes resembling Munizeh's. She didn't know how she was going to survive a week without all four of them and she didn't know how Anaya wasn't bawling her eyes out, just yet. Yahya must have said something on their way out.

"Chacha! No harm should come to them and say, it happens, you know what I am capable of. They are most precious. Don't give me any reason to throw you out. Salaam."

Rasheed affirmed, Bilal remained oblivious to the reins that Rasheed held in his hands as he closed the door when Bilal sat in the car after helping Munizeh ease into the passenger seat, like the gentleman that he was.

The children waved standing in the door as the car rolled out of the driveway, watching their parents leave there lives forever.

None of them knew this was the last time they'd see each other, if they would've have known the farewell would have been lengthier if not inevitable.

Yahya had memorised every dip of his dad's and mom's features to his memory and he'd try to hold onto it for as long as he lived as if he knew, he just knew he won't get to see them, again.

He would never forget the last time he sat between them, complained to his father while he bestowed his love on his forehead and his mother's scolding.

He would never forget his father's most absurd ideas.

He would always remember Bilal's last promise that he fulfilled.

'It's the last time.'

For Indeed, it was the last of them being together.

He would never forget Bilal's last broken vow.

'I would never leave you alone, again, Yahya and I'd take you with me whereever I go, next time but for now, stay."

He stayed for the next time that would never come to pass but Bilal and Munizeh didn't. They left. They left him.

And the first time, the only time, his mother had fed him a lie when they were gone to never return.

'I'll be back in a week, honey.'

'I should have never let you go.'

'I should have never trusted you, baba-mama.'

He would repeat it for a long time to come.

🎇🎇🎇

So, there's that. This is better version of PARALLEL's beginning, in my opinion. I can't wait to publish the next chapter where the real thing starts. I don't have it written and I'll probably post it mid November or late November but you never know with me.

Comment. Vote. Share.

Or don't. Your call. 😁