Riyaadh's Story

Chapter 14

"So, when did you start smoking?"

Saudah had just switched off the tv when Riyaadh picked up his box of smokes. It had become something of a habit of theirs. She would make him watch a movie with her every night before they took their tea (and cigarettes) onto the balcony. He didn't mind it though. She had pretty good taste when it came to movies and she wasn't as obnoxious as his siblings when it came to his choices. She was open to his weird fascination with B-grade thrillers and shitty plots. She had giggled at his picks at first but would soon get so riled up with figuring out who the killers were that she would take to screaming at the screen every time they popped up.

"I don't know. I think in my first year of varsity." Riyaadh had been smoking for so long, he could no longer pinpoint the exact day it started.

She looked at him oddly. "I didn't realise you had to go to varsity to become a paramedic."

"I wasn't always supposed to become one." He stood up and stretched the kinks out of his neck before he helped her up off the couch. "I was studying actuarial science at first."

Saudah's hands fell to her side. "You're secretly a genius." She rubbed the side of her head, fluffing up her hair.

Riyaadh chuckled at her ruffled look. "Don't look too shocked there. I flunked out in my second year. It's actually where I met-" he stopped talking and turned away towards the balcony.

"Where you met..." Saudah took hold of his arm, and turned him around to face her. "You can say it. It's okay."

He shook himself out of her hold and took a step back. His knuckles were white as he brought his cigarette up to his lips, almost crushing the stick in his hand. "I was supposed to work for the business." Smoke escaped through the corner of his lips as he breathed out.

"Oh."

"Uhm hmm." He took her hand and led her outside where he took a seat and rested his feet against the railing. "But I guess it's better this way."

"How so?"

He didn't miss the way she had retracted into herself as he switched subjects.

"Fayaaz is better suited to the company than I am. He knows how to deal with Ilhaam better than I can."

She didn't reply. She just looked up at him as he took puff after puff before she shook her head and turned away.

"The cousin with all the kids?"

He was surprised at her question. He was surprised to hear her talking at all.

"Yup, same one."

She stretched her legs out, shuffling to the edge of the seat so she could rest her feet beside his. Something about her shorter legs amused him as she tried to get comfortable.

"So, explain this company to me," she requested, "Actually explain your whole family. Your family is far too huge for me to remember."

"My mum's side isn't that big. It's just her and her sister." Riyaadh looked down as Tommo inched his way towards them. He had gotten fatter since his first day and it was a bit difficult picking him up with one hand. "I think you met her at the wedding. She was the one with the sling."

Saudah scratched the cat beneath his chin as he settled into Riyaadh's stomach, content with his position. "Ya. She was nice."

"She's cool. She only has three daughters. And then my dad's family is..."

"Basically a function on its own?" Saudah finished for him.

He grinned at her explanation. "Something like that." He stubbed out his cigarette and flicked the stump into the bowl on the wall. "My dad has six brothers and two sisters and they're all in the business."