Chapter 12: not edited again sorry
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"Imran. Imran! Wake up." I jolted out of bed and slammed my head on the counter. The impact caused a swell of dizziness to overtake my head and I groaned. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed in annoyance.
"What? Who is it?" I yawned and rubbed my face when sleep took over me again. It was just too great to pass up. I slowly started to lie back down and close my eyes when someone sighed loudly.
This time the person ripped off the blanket and pulled my feet from the bed onto the stone cold floor. That's it. All sleep left me as I moaned and sat up.
Jafar stood in front of me with a smile plastered on his face. He actually looked like he had enough sleep, but I couldn't sleep most of the night. I awoke an hour before Salah and sat there trying to figure out what to do with the will. A lot was on my mind and I couldn't sleep after that.
"Hurry up, Abdullah said to meet him downstairs." I nodded helplessly as my eyes slowly started to close again and walked to the bathroom. My hair was a mess, and I needed to take a shower before I left this room.
I quickly brushed my teeth and hopped in the shower. While I was taking a shower, loud laughter came from down stairs and I frowned. What was I missing out on?
I walked out of the bathroom, pulled on my pants and a t-shirt before I speed walked down stairs.
Everyone was seated and smiling at someone. I slightly frowned and watched as Jafar smiled and tapped their shoulder.
Imam Musa turned around and chuckled when he seen me. His huge smile reached his eyes as his beard shined under the sunlight.
"Finally woke up huh?" I nodded and gave him a hug.
"Asalamu Al'aikum Imam Musa. How are you?" He patted my back and smiled.
"I'm good son. What are you doing wearing this? Go get dressed we're going to the masjid." I frowned and glared at Jafar.
"Oh, he didn't tell me we were leaving. I'll go get dressed right now." I walked up the stairs with Abdullah behind me.
He slammed the door shut and tossed himself on the bed. the bed dipped as he got comfortable and stared at the ceiling.
"You got the better room, and you got to stay here by yourself. Me and Jafar shared a room and we got a way smaller one than this." I grinned and took off my shirt.
"He likes me better so of course Mohamed would give me the better room. Hey, where are we going?" Abdullah grabbed my phone and started to play with it.
"We're going to the masjid because there's this huge lecture there and they asked Imam Musa to be the guest speaker. So, he wants us there. After that we're going to this park where everyone else is meeting us. Hey, what's your password?"
"9963. And we're leaving right now? Isn't the juma'a prayer lecture at like twelve?"
"No. He wants to go early. Oh man I died!" He was playing flappy bird, and was addicted. I got dressed and put on my khamis. The 'imamah was next to Abdullah so I grabbed it from beneath him and put it on top of my head.
"Gosh Imran, you killed me again. I never got past seven!" I laughed and grabbed my phone from his hands.
"Come on man. We have to leave, we were already late!" I ran down the stairs and pulled on my shoes.
Mom had her hijab on already and Aunty Aminah was putting on her shoes already. Muminah and Aisha had come down the stairs together laughing and smiling. I looked away and walked outside.
Jafar and Abdullah were talking together when I walked into the car and sat down.
"Hey, dude what took you so long." I shrugged and sat down with a yawn. Imam Musa came in the car with a smirk. I could see the mischief in his eyes as he smiled and shook his head and laughed.
"Kids I need your help today okay. We're going to make a surprise party for Mohamed."
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I grabbed a balloon and began to blow into it. It took everything in me to make another one but mom wanted everything perfect. Perfection was always her thing, but sometimes it's impossible for everything to be perfect. The whole masjid thing was a lie. Imam Musa, the dads and the mothers were setting up a party at the park and they needed our help.
Muminah, Aisha and Mohamed thought we were at the masjid, but we never went. We tricked them into thinking we were going to come later on, after them and they believed it. Abdullah called them and told them everything, so they were going to be here any minute.
"So let me get this straight. We have exactly twenty minutes to set this whole place up?" Jafar asked. He was setting up the streamers everywhere, while mom and her friends were setting the tables and food.
"I know right. We can't do this all alone." Imam Musa laughed and grabbed the last balloon from my lap. I smiled up at him and sighed in relief. Who knew the damage blowing dozens of balloons using your mouth can do. My lungs hurt now.
"We asked Yusuf to being his daughters since they came to help, and they're on their way. But besides them I don't think we need extra help." Jafar sighed while Abdullah smiled and looked down.
"Fine. But what if this doesn't work. What if-"
"Jafar calm yourself. Stop of with the what ifs and get to helping!" I laughed along with Abdullah as Imam Musa pushed jafar's on his feet and helped him set the banners.
Five minutes later Anisa and Salma came. Their smiles shined from a mile away, and it made me smile too. They were extremely happy that we were having a surprise party and that they were invited. I frowned when I realized they knew about it before we did.
I walked to the table and tried to grab a donut when someone smacked my hand. The sting sprung up my hand and I flinched and looked up at mom. A joyful smile reached her eyes as she laughed and pointed at something across the park.
"Son, you know better than to eat before lunch. Now, go help set up the seats. Those poor girls look exhausted."
I turned around and watched as Anisa and Salma fought over how the seats were going to be set. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips and I turned to mom laughing.
"Okay but only because they're helpless."
I walked over to the sets and whistled. Immediately they both turned their heads to me and froze. Salma turned to me with a frown and huffed. Her blue hijab covered her face when the wind came, and I held back a laugh when a blush crept up her cheeks.
"Okay girls, since you're obviously incapable of organizing seats, we're going to do it the old fashioned way. Put one first, and line up the rest behind them. Let's go!" Anisa smiled and laughed but Salma glared and crossed her hands.
"Imran this isn't an eighth grade promotion. It's a wedding party. The seats have to be fashionable and pretty."
"No they don't."
"Yes they do."
"No they don't."
"Yes they-"
"Oh my Allah...You've got to be kidding me." Everyone turned to watch a shocked Muminah and Aisha standing beside Mohamed. He looked confused and shocked, and a bit surprised. His black eyes roamed the park as his jaw fell.
I narrowed my eyes at salma and silently made a gesture for her to fix the seats. She stuck her tongue at me and waved me off; fixing the seats the way she wanted in the first place. I turned away from Salma in annoyance and walked over to mom who smiled and hugged muminah and Aisha. Both their smiles were genuine as they returned her hug.
Jafar turned to me with a smirk and raised two fingers. I knew then that it was time for our surprise. Even though mom had asked us to make balloons and banners; they never told where to put them. So, as our surprise we designed a basket to make all the balloons fall on top of them at the same time.
I walked behind the tree and pulled the rope just as Abdullah and Jafar screamed surprise.
Balloons and streamers cascaded down from the sky above them. Muminah laughed in joy along with Aisha as they tried to catch the balloons and pull Mohamed with them. The trees were full with branches and leaves; and that gave the park a majestic look. It was the middle of fall, but each and every tree was fully clothed still. The grass was beautiful, and the colorful balloons made it all look even prettier.
Mohamed finally cracked a smile and turned to imam Musa who smirked.
"It was your idea wasn't it."
Imam Musa gave him a shocked look and shook his head. "Who me? I would never think of such a plan."
I laughed along with Mohamed and greeted him. Mohamed gave us each a hug, and smirked when Salma and Anisa greeted Munimah and Aisha.
"Asalamu A'laikum girls. How have my lovely boys been treating you girls?"
"They're the worst but it's okay. We've been learning to deal." Mohamed laughed along with their father who walked behind us and patted our backs. I frowned and shook my head. Of course she'd say that. Mom is probably mad at us right now.
"Just tell me if they mess with you again okay?"
"Well, that'll mean we'll have to talk everyday but okay."
Everyone laughed at us and shook their heads. I looked at Muhamed and glared at him. He did that on purpose. He knew they hated us and tempted them on purpose.
He simply shrugged and walked over to the food section. Salma and Anisa smirked and walked away, while me and the boys walked to our seats. The rest of the party was spectacular.
Everything went as planned, and the food was to die for. The cakes were moist and delicious, although one squirrel did steal a slice of cake; from what Abdullah said. We saved some food for later and played ball while all the ladies ate. After we prayed Asar we finished cleaning and ate the last of the desert.
Once everyone was finished, it was already magrib. The day went by fast, and everyone prayed and lounged around. I laid down on the grass with Abdullah and Jafars heads on the opposite side of me.
I looked up at the sky and sat in silence. Back home, if you say outside around this time you would've watched the stars but here it was different. Sacramento was busy, and quiet polluted so there were no stars here.
It looked like a dark blue blanket was covering the earth. The sky was cloudless and there were no stars at all. I placed my hands behind my head and relished in the feeling of the grass beneath me.
Hana was running around screaming with Salma and Anisa, but their noise didn't bother me at all. I closed my eyes, and sighed. It was beautiful and calming.
"Hey, when are we going to start the will again?" Abdullah looked up at me from his spot and I sighed. I completely forgot about that.
"I don't know. I think we should just ignore the fact that it's in three pieces, and just go on with it." He nodded and soon a calming silence spread again.
"Or we could make it a game." Jafar mumbled, his voice barley a whisper. I sat up and rested my head on my forearms and frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Jafar mimicked my position, and smirked. "I was thinking last night and an idea came to me. The will was cut into three pieces right? And we're three people so maybe..."
"...we could go against each other to see who finishes theirs first." Abdullah nodded at Jafar and gave him a high five.
"Great thinking man." I nodded and thought about it. Would that work? It would be easier, and we could find the answer faster if we did. I smiled and placed my hand in the middle.
"I'm in." Abdullah and Jafar smirked and placed their hands on top of mine. Each of us was equally competitive, and I wanted to see how this game was going to turn about.
"It's settled then. May the best Hafiz win."
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"Guys really? Can we not just enjoy the rest of the week here?" I sighed and packed everything else in the car.
"You know we can't. School starts, plus we've got more important things to do back home." I stared at a numb Jafar for a while and returned to packing my clothes.
Abdullah sighed and picked up his luggage. It was time to go back home. Mohammed had thanked us for everything, and slipped us gas money. I smiled and wished him the happiest marriage ever.
Once we packed everything in the bag, mom came and gave me a hug. "See you there son, oh and I gave you a extra gas tank in case you run out of gas. I'll also take Hana this time, just have fun okay?" I smiled and nodded. Finally, a least this time we'll have a decent road trip back home.
I kissed her forehead and smiled. "Okay mom. See you there."
Jafar passed by me with his headphones on, while Abdullah sat in the back singing Barney quietly to himself. Once we started the car, I pulled away and drove out of the big city.
The sky looked damp, and about ready to pour down rain and from the looks of it everyone in Sacramento knew. There were dozens of people walking around the streets minding their own business with umbrellas. I smiled and drove.
You'd never see that in San Diego.
We continued driving until Abdullah gasped and shoved his face into the window. "Oh my gosh guys, it's the Golden Gate Bridge!"
I was in awe as the bridge came to view. It was absolutely stunning. There were small lights around it, and thousands of cars were passing through from city to city. I looked out the window and saw that there was traffic up ahead.
It was thirty minutes past duhur but the sky was getting dark and cloudy. The car was filled with silence, while we listened to the busyness around us. Each and every car was filled with someone driving calmly or talking on the phone. There were slow droplets of water from the sky, and I smiled. The irony was that it was calming watching all these people scream and be well, happy.
I drove the car across the bridge, and silently made astaghfar as we did. I heard about bridges collapsing and it was kind of freighting. I tightened my hand along the ridges of the steering wheel and rolled the window down.
The smell of the water from the sky consumed me. I looked across the bridge and realized that it was hovering above the Pacific Ocean. A spark of fear ignited deep inside me, and I realized I was afraid of heights. I claimed my beating heart and continued to drive.
Jafar stirred next to me and took out his ear plugs. "Hey, Imran I wanted to thank you for last time. I thought about it and I never really thanked you."
"You're welcome man. That's what friends at for right?"
"What are you guys talking about?" Abdullah asked as he sat up and stare at us wide eyed.
Jafar told him everything and Abdullah grew silent. He finally spoke, and gave Jafar the most sincere words I've ever heard him utter. I zoned out and started to drive while they continued talking.
Every once in a while I tuned in and listened, but it was too much. Abdullah had a personal connection with Jafar's dad since he had actually met him. I never did, and I gave them this moment to talk.
It was well after Asar time soon and we were bored. I tapped my fingers across the leather ridges of the steering wheel and sighed. This was getting boring real fast.
I turned to Jafar and snatched his phone from his hands.
"Imran, what was that for?"
"It's boring and this is supposed to be a road trip! Not a techno party." I rolled my eyes when I seen Abdullah chuckling at his laptop.
I stopped at a red light and closed his laptop shut before snatching it too.
"What! I was in the middle of watching 21 Jump Street." He pouted and frowned when I laughed and shook my head.
"No. We're going to have fun no matter what, got it?"
Jafar smiled slightly before sitting up and starting a game. "Fine. How about we play would you rather? It's stupid and the perfect game to play on a road trip. Ready?"
I nodded and Abdullah sat up behind me. "Okay. Imran, would you rather...lose your left foot or forever write on your left hand?"
I flinched and thought. I'm right handed so it would suck writing with my left hand. But losing a foot would be life altering. "Write with my left hand. I don't know about you but I'd rather walk than have ugly hand writing."
Abdullah laughed and waited for his turn. I thought of a good one and smiled when it hit me. This game is going to kill us if I keep losing focus while driving.
"Abdullah, would you rather become a vegetarian or live off of chocolate for the rest of your life?" He smirked and laughed. He loves meat like crazy, and he dislikes chocolate so this would be a hard one for him.
"Vegetarian all the way. You know I hate chocolate." Abdullah turned to Jafar and tapped his chin in thought.
"Okay Jafar, would you rather always have to say what's on your mind or never speak again?"
"Even though everyone would probably hate me, always speak my mind. I can never shut up if I have something to say, so never being able to speak would be a bummer." I nodded and pulled onto the next freeway.
"Imran, would you rather not be able to yawn for the rest of your life, or not be able to sneeze for the rest of your life."
I frowned and shook my head. "Not be able to yawn because the sneezing one is horrid." Abdullah laughed and we continued to play the game until it was my turn.
"Okay Imran, would you rather lose the hafiz game or lose any memory you have of your friendship with us." I grew quiet and sighed.
"I'd rather lose the memories because you guys are my brothers and we'll have the rest of our lives to make new ones." Jafar smirked at me and laughed.
"That determined huh?" I nodded and pulled into our Brookfield, our neighborhood.
"I'm in this to win this man." Abdullah laughed until he sat back and smiled. The sun was getting a little duller here, but the rain has stopped a while back, and the fresh scent of rain filled my nose. Abdullah yawned and closed his eyes as the wind blew through the window.
"The Hafiz Game. I like that." I nodded as well and Jafar smiled and simply shrugged.
"It's a catchy title, plus the more I think of it, the more I feel that it's something your dad would be proud of if he were here."
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