"It's flying away, Baba!" Khadijah squealed as she struggled with her kite. Dawood chuckled as he built a fire in front of their tent and watched Khadijah run up and down the beach. "Baba!" Khadijah cried out as the wind picked up and soared her kite higher. Dawood laughed and jogged towards Khadijah, just in time to take the kite string into his own hands. "Phew!" Khadijah sighed dramatically. "I thought I was going to be carried away!" "Now you know I wouldn't let that happen, right?" Dawood asked and began pulling the kite down. "I know," Khadijah giggled and danced around Dawood. "What are you doing?" Dawood asked as he wound the string around its spool. "I'm dancing. It's called bhangra. You hold up to fingers and dance," Khadijah sighed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Yes, but why?" Dawood asked. "I'm happy," Khadijah explained. "When I'm happy, I dance." "Ah," Dawood nodded. "I understand. Why are you happy?" "Because you're home, Baba," Khadijah grinned and gave Dawood's legs an enormous hug. "I love you and I missed you, so I'm happy you're home."
Dawood smirked at his daughter as he snatched the kite from the air, "I love and missed you too, Shehzadi. Should I dance too?" "Are you happy?" Khadijah asked as she took the kite from Dawood. "Yes, I am," Dawood replied as he placed his hands on his hips. "Then you should dance. Fingers up!" Khadijah declared and began hopping around with her index fingers raised. Dawood laughed and mimicked Khadijah's dance, which made the little girl erupt into a fit of giggles. The two of them lay on the sand and laughed as their worries drifted away. "Baba?" Khadijah called out as she crawled over to Dawood and sat on his waist. "Did you miss me all the time when you were away?" "All the time," Dawood smiled as he reached up and touched Khadijah's cheek. "I wondered if you ate on time, if you did your homework, if you were behaving yourself, and if you were being naughty." "I wasn't being naughty," Khadijah said quickly. "You can ask Aunt Rana and Uncle Ahmed. I behaved like you asked me to." Dawood sat up and wrapped his arms around his daughter, "That's why I'm so proud of you, Shehzadi. You always do what you're asked." Khadijah looked up at Dawood and smiled before kissing his cheek.
Dawood smiled and rested his forehead against Khadijah's. Khadijah sighed and wrapped her arms around Dawood's neck before resting her head on his shoulder. "Baba?" Khadijah whispered. "Yes, Shehzadi?" Dawood asked as he held her. "I love you," Khadijah whispered. "I love you too," Dawood smiled at the little girl's admission. "When I grow up, I'm going to invent a machine that makes lots of money so you won't have to go to work," Khadijah whispered. "Do you miss me that much?" Dawood asked with a laugh. "Yes, sir," Khadijah nodded while she looked at Dawood. "Money isn't the only reason that I work though, Shehzadi," Dawood explained calmly. "What else do you do, Baba?" Khadijah asked as she turned around and looked at the ocean while sitting on Dawood's lap. "I help people. Sometimes when a bully bothers someone who is weaker than them, I stop the bully," Dawood explained simply.
"I stopped a bully," Khadijah admitted. "It was a bit scary though." "I know," Dawood whispered and kissed the top of Khadijah's head. "It can be scary, but you did a good thing. Who was this bully bothering?" "My friend Sabrina," Khadijah explained. "This boy in my class kept calling her poor because she wore the same shoes everyday. Sabrina started crying. I didn't like it when she cried." "So what did you do?" Dawood asked as he held his little girl. "I pushed him and said that if Sabrina was poor, so was I. I wear the same shoes everyday. There's nothing wrong with that. Plus if you're poor today, you could be rich tomorrow, right?Allah can change things very fast," Khadijah said as Dawood nodded. "How did Sabrina feel?" Dawood asked as he kissed Khadijah's hand. Khadijah smiled and looked up at Dawood, "She said thanks and then we played in the sandbox. Baba?" "Yes, sweetheart?" Dawood asked and noticed that Khadijah was gripping his hand now as if she was scared. "What's wrong?" "Why do people say mean things?" Khadijah asked as she pursed her lips. "I don't like it." "I know, Shehzadi. People say mean things because sometimes they want you to feel as bad as they are on the inside," Dawood explained. "Don't ever let anyone make you feel bad on the inside, okay?" "Yes, sir," Khadijah smiled.
At that moment one of the fishing rods, which Dawood had set up earlier along the beach, began to shriek. "Baba!" Khadijah cried out as she jumped out of Dawood's lap and headed toward the rods. "A fish is on the line! Hurry!" Dawood quickly scooped Khadijah up, away from the shore and said, "Now, slow down. You know the rules about being at the beach, right? You can't recklessly run out to the waves. "Yes, sir, but what if our fish gets away? Then we won't have dinner!" Khadijah cried out. "No buts," Dawood began and slowly got up before heading to the shrieking rod. Dawood pulled the rod out of its holder and gave the rod a quick jerk. "Yes! Reel it in, Baba!" Khadijah laughed and jumped up and down. Dawood smiled and began to reel in their catch. The fish on the line was a fighter, forcing Dawood to relax the line a few times. When Dawood was sure that most of his line was reeled in, he handed the rod to Khadijah, feigning fatigue in the process, "Shehzadi, I'm tired now. You pull it in." "Yes, sir!" Khadijah cried out and ferociously began reeling the remainder of the line in. Dawood kept the front of the line steady and smiled as Khadijah squealed once she spotted the fish in the surf.
"It's a Redfish, Baba!" Khadijah declared as the fish flopped around on the beach. "Will you look at that," Dawood smiled and unhooked the fish from the line. "Yes it is. Go get me my measuring tape so we can see if we can keep it." "Yes, sir!" Khadijah nodded and placed the rod back in its holder before running to the tent. She came back holding a measuring tape in her hand, running at full speed towards Dawood. "Baba, why do we measure our fishes?" Khadijah asked as she watched Dawood measure the fish. "Some fishes are mommies and daddies," Dawood explained. "We can't catch them if they are a certain size so that they can take care of their babies. If we don't let the mommies and daddies go, how will they raise the babies for us to have more fish?" "Ohhh," Khadijah nodded. "That makes sense. Can we keep him?" "Nope," Dawood shook his head and placed the fish back into the water. "Too small." "What if we don't catch anything else, Baba? What will we eat?" Khadijah asked seriously. "You have to have faith, Shehzadi. This ocean is full of delicious fishes. We'll eventually catch one, when Allah think it's the right time," Dawood explained calmly as he baited his hook.
"What if it takes forever?" Khadijah said with an overly dramatic sigh. Dawood smiled as he cast his line back into the surf, "Do you know why I bring you here, Shehzadi?" "To have fun?" Khadijah answered as she looked up at her father. "Sure, why not?" Dawood grinned. "We can have fun, but I want you to learn things when you're here with me." "I like learning, Baba," Khadijah smiled. "What are we supposed to learn?" "First, we need to learn patience," Dawood smiled as he placed the rod back in its holder and sat down on the sand. "Sit with me." "Yes, sir," Khadijah smiled and sat down next to Dawood. "Baba, I know about patience. Patience is also called sabr and in the Qur'an there is a surah called Surah Asr which talks about patience." Dawood looked at Khadijah as she explained things using her hands. It was true that Khadijah loved learning, but she wasn't that great when it came to actually practicing patience. "Who taught you about Surah Asr?" Dawood asked as he ran his hand through the fine sand in front of him. "Uncle Ahmed," Khadijah replied as she picked up a shell and threw it in the surf. "Everyday at five he would have Qur'an and Islam class time with me. Like you do when you're home, Baba." "That's wonderful, Shehzadi," Dawood smiled. "Did you learn how to recite it and what it means?" "Yes, sir," Khadijah nodded. "Can I recite it here?" "Of course. You can recite the Qur'an anywhere in the world," Dawood said as he pulled Khadijah in his lap.
Khadijah looked up at Dawood and smiled before reciting Surah Asr. She glanced up every now and then to see if Dawood corrected her, but smiled as Dawood patted her head and said, "Good job. Now what's the message in this surah?" "Basically," Khadijah began as she shrugged, "we have to remind each other to be patient and remind each other that Allah is always around." "Right, Shehzadi," Dawood smiled and pointed at the ocean. "You see this ocean?" "Yes, sir," Khadijah nodded. "Fishermen always go out there to find food. Sometimes for themselves and sometimes to sell," Dawood began. "Sometimes they come home with nothing and other times they come home with their boats full. Do you think they give up when they come home with nothing?" "Maybe," Khadijah shrugged and shook her head unsurely. "No, beautiful. If they gave up, then they'd never get the boat full of fishes the next day. The fishermen out there are some of the hardest working people in the world. They see the world with hope because if today they have nothing, the ocean may provide them with tons more later," Dawood explained. "No matter how bad things may get, there is always hope, Shehzadi. We just have to be patient because Allah is always watching." "We have to be patient when catching our food too, right? We let one fish go, but Allah could give us a better one, right?" Khadijah asked innocently.
"See? You're hopeful we'll get something better. That's good. Maybe we'll get a better fish, but maybe not," Dawood shrugged. "Then what will we eat?" Khadijah asked in earnest. "You see that ocean there?" Dawood asked and pointed towards the vast sea in front of them. "Yes, sir," Khadijah nodded. "It's pretty big. You can't miss it." Dawood chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, you can't. Everything in that ocean is food. It'shalal as long as it's edible." "Everything?" Khadijah asked in wonder. "Absolutely," Dawood nodded. "In Surah Al-Ma'idah, Allah says that everything in the sea that you can catch is lawful, meaning it's allowed." Khadijah nodded and said, "Okay, so if we can't catch fish, we can get something else, right?" "Absolutely, Shehzadi. Including the live shrimp we have for bait," Dawood smiled. "Baba? One of my friends in daycare says that we can't have shrimp or lobsters," Khadijah pointed out. "Well, some people follow the teachings of different teachers. Those teachers do say that shrimp can't be eaten," Dawood explained. "Then who is right?" Khadijah asked. "What does it say in the Qur'an?" Dawood asked. "Allah didn't talk about shrimps," Khadijah sighed. Dawood laughed and gave Khadijah a hug, "Oh my Shehzadi. You are too cute." "But it's true, Baba," Khadijah nodded. "Well, Allah says everything is lawful in the sea," Dawood explained. "That means we have a lunchbox right here so we never go hungry. When people say certain things aren't allowed, they say that based on the teachers they follow. Always remember, if you're ever in doubt, look at the Qur'an. The Qur'an is simple and easy to follow. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that it's allowed. Now, when you talk to your friend, don't hurt her feelings, but tell her what you believe. If she agrees, that's nice, but if she doesn't, that's okay too. If we were all the same, life would be boring, right?" Khadijah nodded and smiled, "It's okay to think differently as long as you're not mean to others, right?" "Right, Shehzadi," Dawood smiled.
"Baba, when are we going surfing? I want to show you my moves," Khadijah asked as she stood up and made her surfing stance. "First thing in the morning, Shehzadi. It's almost prayer time and the sun is going down now," Dawood explained. "It wouldn't be safe right now. Why don't you go into the tent and do some homework while I watch the rods?" "Okay!" Khadijah exclaimed. "Then we can eat some shrimps!" "Sounds like a plan," Dawood smiled. "Leave the tent flap open so I can see you." "Yes, sir," Khadijah called out as she dived into the tent. Dawood smiled once Khadijah pulled out her backpack and began her homework. He coveted the time they had together at this beach. Their car was parked behind the tent and restrooms were right next to them. They had ample room for the roaring fire in front of their tent and the tent itself was big enough to house eight grown adults. He knew one of Khadijah's concerns was if they were going to have dinner or not, but he knew that Ahmed had packed a cooler full of fresh fruit and sandwiches in case they didn't catch anything.
They were lucky enough to catch two large Black Drum, which Dawood filleted, washed, and seasoned before cooking on the open fire. By now, the stars were shining brightly and the moon rested perfectly on the horizon casting its reflection on the calm ocean below. Khadijah had laid out the sleeping bags, extra pillows, and blankets after finishing her homework. She peeked out from the tent and said, "Something smells delicious." "That something just may be our dinner," Dawood smiled as he sat on a beach chair. "You all done with your homework?" "Yes, sir," Khadijah nodded and sat down in her own beach chair, next to Dawood. "May I have a cream soda?" "Yes you may. They're in the cooler. Grab me one, please," Dawood said as he headed to the car. "You want rice and veggies with your fish?" "Just rice, please," Khadijah called out and placed a bottle of cream soda in Dawood's cup holder. Dawood walked back with two packs of pre-cooked rice and a can of corn. "Shehzadi, can you hand me the plates?" Dawood asked as he reached for the skillet over the fire. "Wow," Khadijah sighed as she watched the fillets of fish sizzle in the skillet. "Here, Baba. I got the plates."
"Thank you, Shehzadi," Dawood smiled. "You sure you don't want any veggies?" "Umm," Khadijah began unsurely. "Okay, maybe a little." "How about we toss this corn in here with the fish? That way we can make it tastier," Dawood suggested as he opened the can of corn and drained away the excess water. "Oooh! That sounds good," Khadijah smiled and watched Dawood toss the corn onto the skillet before adding a little olive oil. "Baba, where did you learn to cook?" Khadijah asked as she opened the packages of rice. Dawood leaned back in his seat and bit his bottom lip as he thought of an answer, "Hmm." "You don't remember?" Khadijah asked in surprise. Dawood laughed and looked at his little girl, "I learned mainly from your grandmother. She taught me how to take care of myself since I'm always away." "Is that why your food is always delicious?" Khadijah asked as she brushed her hair back from her face. "Is it always delicious?" Dawood asked and tore off a piece from the cooking fillet to check if it was done. Khadijah watched as Dawood blew on the morsel to cool it down before placing it at her mouth. She quickly gulped it down and grinned at her father, "Yup. Always delicious." "What was grandmother like?" Khadijah asked and smiled as Dawood piled two fillets and some corn on Khadijah's plate.
Dawood took this opportunity to warm the rice and pursed his lips in thought. "Baba? Did I ask a bad question?" Khadijah asked softly as she gently poked Dawood's knee with her fork. Dawood smiled and looked at Khadijah, "No, Shehzadi. There are no wrong questions in the world. Ask as many questions as you want because that's the only way we learn. Your grandmother was the most amazing woman in the world. She made sure everyone in the house was happy, healthy, and well-fed." "Baba, you loved her a whole lot, right?" Khadijah asked as Dawood placed some rice on her plate. "Yes, ma'am," Dawood smiled. "I loved her a lot. She made me smile even when I was sad." "You do that too," Khadijah said simply as she ate her food. "Hmm? I do what?" Dawood asked as he began eating his food. "You make me smile even when I'm sad," Khadijah shrugged. Dawood smiled and gave Khadijah a kiss just as she shrieked, "No, Baba! You have food in your mouth! Ew!" "Don't ever be sad, Shehzadi," Dawood mumbled as he chewed on his food. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Baba. You might choke," Khadijah said with her brows furrowed. "Sorry, little lady," Dawood said once he swallowed his food. "I forgot."
Khadijah smiled and quietly ate her food while she studied her father. "Why are you staring at me?" Dawood asked as he took a swig of his soda. "You're awesome, Baba," Khadijah said as she stood up and threw her hands up to emphasize her point. "If I'm awesome then that makes you awesome too. Since you're my daughter and all," Dawood said with a smirk and watched Khadijah wipe her plate and place it back in its bag. "I like being awesome," Khadijah declared and tidied up her chair. "You met my baba and sister today. What did you think of them?" Dawood asked as he began cleaning up as well. "Your baba is nice, Baba. His smile looks like yours," Khadijah said as she sipped on her soda. "Your sister looked sad." "Sad?" Dawood repeated in surprise. "How so?" "Like she did something wrong and wanted to say sorry," Khadijah said with a frown and looked at Dawood as she continued. "Baba, did she do something wrong?" Dawood looked at Khadijah and sighed, "How about this? How about we have this discussion in five years? I think you're too young to know this." "Okay. It's a deal," Khadijah nodded. They had many subjects that Dawood had promised to talk about in five years. Whether it was marriage, divorce, or why hamsters sometimes ate their babies, Dawood had made a pact with Khadijah that they would talk about it once he thought she was old enough to understand things.
After dinner, Dawood and Khadijah rested on the sand and looked up at the stars. It was something Khadijah had loved doing since she was a baby. Dawood learned that the sky calmed Khadijah down on a particularly difficult night when she was an infant. She was crying non-stop and no matter what Dawood did, she didn't calm down. He decided to take her to the backyard for some fresh air and looked up at the sky as millions of stars glittered in the distance. Dawood began reciting all the surahs he knew and watched as the little girl yawned sleepily and tried reaching up to catch the stars. She smiled a little and began cooing as she looked up at the stars. Ever since then, Khadijah loved looking up at the stars. "Baba," Khadijah began as she pointed up at a constellation. "That's Pegasus." "Yeah?" Dawood asked. "Where's the Big Dipper?" "Right there," Khadijah said as she adjusted her finger. "See? It looks like a ladle." "Oh yeah, it does," Dawood smiled.
"Baba, are there people on other stars?" Khadijah asked as she traced out another constellation. "I don't know. Maybe," Dawood shrugged. "Then why don't they visit us?" Khadijah asked. "I wonder if little girls on the stars are like me." "Well, two things, Shehzadi. First, there's no one like you in the entire universe. You're Khadijah Amina Khan. You're my daughter and you're special," Dawood smiled and then held up two fingers. "Second, what we see here is history." "History?" Khadijah asked in intrigue. "You remember what we discussed last time? The speed of light?" Dawood asked. "Yes, sir. That's the speed it takes for light to reach our eyes. It's why we see lightning before hearing it," Khadijah explained. "Yes, ma'am," Dawood nodded. "Well, there's another way of measuring distance and that is in years. The distance light travels in a year is called a light year." "Oh! I knew that! I saw it on Star Trek," Khadijah grinned. "That's my girl," Dawood laughed. "Now many of these stars are millions of light years away which means we are seeing millions of years in that stars past." "Oh," Khadijah sighed. "That's why you called it history because what's happening now is something we can't see for millions of years." "That's my girl," Dawood repeated. "Now why don't we go to sleep? We have a busy day filled with surfing tomorrow." "Yes, sir!" Khadijah grinned and ran straight to the tent.
In the morning, Dawood was the first to wake up. He could hear seagulls crying out as they dove into the water to catch their breakfast. He rubbed his eyes and smiled once he found Khadijah with her arm and leg draped over him, snoring soundly. She had her hand clenching Dawood's sleeping bag tightly and seemed to have adjusted into this position sometime in the middle of the night. "Khadijah," Dawood whispered softly as he shook her gently. "No, Baba, don't steal my peanuts," Khadijah mumbled and buried her face against Dawood's side. Dawood smiled and whispered, "Shehzadi, I'm leaving." "No!" Khadijah cried out and sat up quickly. She looked at Dawood sleepily and said, "Don't go, Baba." "Are you awake?" Dawood smiled. Khadijah nodded and rubbed her eyes, "Is it morning?" "Uh huh. Didn't you want to surf?" Dawood asked as he picked Khadijah up. "Mmmhmm," Khadijah nodded and rested her head on Dawood's shoulder. "Then shouldn't we brush our teeth, take a shower, and put on our sun block?" Dawood asked as Khadijah inhaled deeply. "Yes, sir," Khadijah whispered and played with Dawood's hair. "I love you, Baba." "I love you too, Shehzadi," Dawood smiled as he placed her on the counter in the men's restroom and proceeded to help Khadijah get ready for surfing.
"Alright!" Khadijah cried out nearly an hour later as she jumped out of the restroom freshly showered with a decent layer of sun block on. "I'm ready to shred all the waves!" "You're nearly ready," Dawood smiled as he finished applying sun block. "Go find your rash guard and tights." ""Yes, sir!" Khadijah exclaimed as she ran towards their tent. Dawood stretched before following Khadijah and found her rolling around on the ground inside the tent with her head stuck in her rash guard. "Shehzadi, you were rushing again, weren't you?" Dawood asked with a smirk as he helped Khadijah put on her rash guard. "My head got stuck," Khadijah sighed. "It's too big." Dawood laughed, "Oh, sweetheart. Your head isn't big, you just tried putting your head into an arm hole." "Oh," Khadijah grinned sheepishly. "Then I was being silly." "Yeah, you were. Okay, you're done. Your board is outside. Get it prepped and I'll be right behind you. Do not enter the water without me. I know you're an excellent swimmer, but I have to be there too," Dawood reminded. "For safety. I know, Baba," Khadijah said with a dramatic sigh and dragged her feet while she left the tent. Dawood chuckled at Khadijah's behavior and quickly put on his own rash guard and shorts. He spotted his phone flashing brilliantly in the corner and shook his head once he noticed Ahmed's number flashing on the screen. "Hey, bro. I'll call you in an hour. Shehzadi and I are catching some waves," Dawood answered quickly and hung up before Ahmed could react. He exited the tent and smiled. He knew that Ahmed would have talked his ear off if given the chance, but he wasn't letting anything get in the way of his father/daughter surf session.
"I'm ready, Baba!" Khadijah said as Dawood grabbed his own board and headed to the shore. Dawood smiled as Khadijah fastened her surfboard's leash to her ankle and followed him to the shore. He had been surfing since he was sixteen. Ahmed would bring him to this beach with Rana and they'd spend the day surfing. When Khadijah was a toddler, she had always watched Dawood in fascination as he surfed wave after wave while Rana held her on the beach. When she turned three, she demanded she be taught how to surf and the rest was history. Now, as Dawood watched Khadijah paddle out in front of him, he definitely believed that some traits, such as loving the ocean, were hereditary. "Baba," Khadijah called out as she positioned her board to catch a decent wave. "This one?" "No, let this one go," Dawood replied as he ran a hand through his wet hair and positioned his board next to Khadijah's. Dawood glanced behind him and sized up the swells that would eventually become waves in front of him. "Let the next one go as well, Shehzadi. Catch the one after that," Dawood called out. He was glad he had installed an action camera on both his and Khadijah's boards so they would catch all of their antics on film since they had no one else to film them.
As the next wave passed them by, Dawood watched Khadijah getting ready for the wave that followed. Dawood could feel nothing, but pride as Khadijah caught the right wave and stood up on her board. The little girl was the spitting image of him as she coasted to the beach and jumped into the water once the wave died down. "Baba! Did you see that?!" Khadijah cried out from the shore. "I was awesome!" "Yeah you were!" Dawood yelled back and gave Khadijah a thumbs-up. He laughed as he watched Khadijah prop her board up and look at Dawood before calling out, "Come on, Baba! Don't be scared!" Dawood snorted as he caught the next wave. Once his wave died down, he jumped into the ocean and closed his eyes. This was something he always savored, the feeling of being weightless before resurfacing for air. It was a brief period, lasting only seconds, but it always made him feel as if the waves were taking his worries away from him. Before he could enjoy the moment for an extra second, he felt something grabbing his hair and pulling him out of the water.
"Ow! What?!" Dawood cried out as he stood up and looked around for whoever it was that pulled his hair. "Sorry, Baba! The water was going back so I thought you might get caught in an under toe. You said those were dangerous," Khadijah explained and giggled as Dawood grabbed her and gave her a million kisses. "Baba, no! That's too mushy!" "I love being mushy," Dawood declared and rubbed his nose against Khadijah's. "Thanks for looking out for me, Shehzadi." "I have to, Baba. What will I do if you get washed out to sea? I can't drive!" Khadijah sighed and giggled as Dawood tickled her. "I'm joking!" "You better be!" Dawood exclaimed before placing Khadijah back down and signaling her to get back in the water with him. "I'm going to catch a giant wave this time," Khadijah called out as she paddled in front of Dawood. "Sure you are," Dawood smiled. "You know you can only surf a wave if I let you, right?" "Yes, sir," Khadijah sighed as she positioned her board's nose towards the beach.
They surfed for a good part of the morning, occasionally wiping out and laughing at each other's failed attempts at tricks. As the sun began beating down on them with a vengeance, Dawood called a time-out and they headed to their tent after a quick shower. Khadijah nibbled on a banana as she watched Dawood change his shirt. "Baba?" "Yes, Shehzadi?" Dawood asked with a smile before taking a bite from Khadijah's banana. "You always eat my food," Khadijah giggled and ruffled Dawood's hair once Dawood rested his head in his daughter's lap, "Can I ask you a question?" "Of course you can," Dawood smiled and closed his eyes as Khadijah continued to play with his hair. "How did you get the scars on your body?" Khadijah asked quietly. "Well, I got hurt once," Dawood explained. "You know how I go off to fight bad guys, right?" "Uh huh," Khadijah nodded as she pulled out a moisturizer Rana had bought her and began applying it to Dawood's face. "One day, while helping some people in a far away country, I got hurt by a bomb," Dawood explained calmly. "By bad guys?" Khadijah asked. "Don't open your eyes. You have to let the moisturizer get absorbed by your skin." "Yes, ma'am," Dawood chuckled. "Yeah, it was the bad guys that used the bomb."
"Baba?" Khadijah began. "How do you know who the bad guys are?" "That's a good question," Dawood said as he opened is eyes a little. "Can I sit up now?" "Uh huh," Khadijah nodded and then patted her cheeks with her hands, "Baba, you have to do this until the cream is absorbed." "That's silly," Dawood smiled, but complied with Khadijah's instructions. After a few seconds of patting his cheeks, he looked at his daughter and asked, "Did it get absorbed?" "Uh huh," Khadijah nodded as she patted Dawood's cheeks and then traced the fine lines at the outer corners of Dawood's eyes. "Baba, you have tiny wrinkles." "Well, I'm old," Dawood smiled and gave his daughter a hug. "You want to know how I know what people are bad guys?" "Yes, sir!" Khadijah nodded before giving Dawood's cheek a kiss. "Anyone and I mean anyone, who says that little girls like you can't go to school, can't read or write, and can't grow up to become leaders, those are bad guys. People that hurt old people, women, and children are bad guys. People that hurt anyone just because they're different, those are bad guys," Dawood explained as Khadijah snuggled against him. "There will be people in this world who you don't agree with, Shehzadi, but always remember, don't fight. If you fight someone just because they're different, then you are no better than a bad guy. You don't have to agree with them. As long as they aren't hurting you, you leave them alone and you live your life your way."
"Like how Uncle Ahmed makes burritos with chicken and I like beef?" Khadijah asked innocently. "Exactly like that," Dawood chuckled. "Let's say you like chicken and someone likes bacon." "Is it halal bacon?" Khadijah asked. "I like that." Dawood laughed, "No ma'am. It's bacon from a pig." "Oh," Khadijah said as she wrinkled her nose. "See, you don't like that, right?" Dawood asked. "Nope," Khadijah shook her head. "Well, just because you don't like bacon, doesn't mean you fight with someone who does. You simply eat your food and let them eat theirs," Dawood explained simply. "Yes, sir," Khadijah nodded and stifled a yawn. "Are you tired, Shehzadi?" Dawood asked as he kissed Khadijah's temples. "Mmmhmm. Can I take a nap, Baba?" Khadijah asked with half lidded eyes. "Of course. Let me tuck you in," Dawood whispered before he carried Khadijah to her sleeping bag.
Dawood zipped up the tent once Khadijah had fallen asleep. "Yo," Ahmed called out as he waved. "Hey, man," Dawood smiled and waved back as he noticed Ahmed's truck parked on the beach. "What are you doing here?" "I called you, remember?" Ahmed asked as he held up a cooler. "Freshly marinated steaks. Thought we could barbeque these and have a cookout here. I was going to tell you that, but you hung up on me." "Did Rana put you up to this?" Dawood asked with a smile. "She told me to check on you two, but the steaks were my idea. Where's the little lioness?" Ahmed asked as he looked around. "Tuckered out from surfing," Dawood explained. "She does that. Runs around with extreme energy and then just plops down to recharge," Ahmed grinned before sitting down on one of the beach chairs. "I started to miss her so thought I'd drop by." "You don't have to explain yourself, man," Dawood grinned. "Soda?" "Sure," Ahmed nodded and took the offered drink. "I was in the halal meat shop and Brother Siddique was carving up these steaks last night. I immediately thought of our little dinosaur." "I was telling her to respect people's differences and she was all like how she eats beef and you love chicken," Dawood chuckled as he sat down on the other beach chair.
"How did a little creature like that make her home in so many of our hearts?" Ahmed sighed. "Can you imagine not having her? That's like an early Armageddon." "There's no way in hell I can imagine not having her," Dawood smiled. "She applied moisturizer on my face today. Apparently I have to wait for the cream to absorb into my skin." "She loves the word absorb. I taught it to her," Ahmed grinned. "She's like a walking, talking thesaurus at times." "She said I had wrinkles like it was the end of the world," Dawood chuckled as he sipped on his soda. "She also told me not to talk while eating or I'll choke." "Don't be so surprised. She's part old lady," Ahmed reminded. "Ruby called." "How's she doing? Did she tell you when she's flying back?" Dawood asked as he stretched and scratched the back of his head. "Tomorrow," Ahmed answered. "She's flying out tomorrow. I think she's going through Khadijah withdrawal too. She kept asking how her chooza was doing." "She calls her a baby chick?" Dawood laughed. "Why didn't I think of that?" "She also asked about herghora bacha, so there's that," Ahmed grinned as Dawood squirmed in his seat. "Why does she do that? Ugh," Dawood said as he squirmed.
"Your sister called me," Ahmed said as he swirled the remaining soda that was in his can. "She's your sister too," Dawood grinned. "Not Rana," Ahmed shook his head and glanced at Dawood. "Mariam." "What did she want?" Dawood asked as he forcefully took a sip from his soda. "I guess she was too hesitant to call you," Ahmed shrugged. "She wanted to have dinner with us. Thursday. Ruby will be here too, so she'll diffuse tension easily." "You said yes already?" Dawood asked. "Only for Uncle," Ahmed sighed. "Please don't be mad. I promised to take care of him when Auntie died. I promised her as a son. I've been a lousy son up until now. I want to fulfill my promise." Dawood shrugged, "I'm not mad. I hope she doesn't expect me to hug her and break down crying or something. We're past being siblings in this regard. It'll never happen." "I know," Ahmed nodded. "Still, Uncle wants to be a part of Khadijah's life. I think we owe her that much." "For Khadijah's sake," Dawood sighed. "I guess I'll go through with this." "You're a good dad, Dawood," Ahmed smiled. "I hope I'm half the father you are when my kid's born."
"You'll do great, Ahmed," Dawood smiled. "You're an awesome uncle already. Think of it as preparation. What's going to be really awesome is when your little one is born, I get to be the cool uncle." At that moment, Dawood heard a small voice cry out from behind him, "Baba! I'm stuck! Help me! The tent will eat me! Ahhh!" "Are you being theatrical again?" Dawood asked as he unzipped the tent's flap and found Khadijah laying on the floor, looking at him with wide eyes, "You okay, Shehzadi?" "You took FOREVER. I nearly suffocated!" Khadijah groaned melodramatically. "Well, we wouldn't want that, right?" Ahmed asked as he popped his head inside the tent. "What's up, gorgeous?" "Uncle Ahmed! Yes!" Khadijah cried out as she scampered to her feet and jumped into Ahmed's arms. "You missed me, huh?" Ahmed laughed as he gave Khadijah a hug. "Not really," Khadijah said as she wrinkled her nose. "You little liar," Ahmed chuckled as he kissed the top of Khadijah's head. "Well I missed you." "I missed you too, Uncle Ahmed. I wasn't lying. Only joking," Khadijah smiled.
They decided to fish along the surf until the sun began to set. "Uncle Ahmed, you see the line where the sky meets the ocean?" Khadijah asked as she pointed at the sky. "Yeah. It looks nice," Ahmed nodded as he helped Dawood fillet their catch. "That's the horizon," Khadijah explained and smiled at her father and uncle. "I read that in a book." "What am I going to do with you?" Dawood asked as he tossed the fish's intestines into the surf. "You're already smarter than me." "Nuh uh, Baba," Khadijah shook her head as she began to skip towards their campsite. "You still know lots of things more than me." Ahmed washed their catch and laughed as Khadijah did a barrel roll to avoid a seagull, "Be careful, Shehzadi. Your Aunt Rana will kill me if you get hurt." "I have to be quick or the dragon will attack," Khadijah declared as she found a stick and circled the confused gull. "I am Khadijah Amina Khan. I am the oncoming storm. I will not let you hurt my family or eat my food. You have been warned." The gull cocked his head to the side, cawed, and flew away. "That's what I thought!" Khadijah said as she raised her stick in victory.
"There's that imagination at work again," Dawood smiled as he helped Ahmed pull a grill from the back of his truck. "Keeps you on your toes," Ahmed smiled. "Last week she had me pretend I was a hunchback and she found the cure for many bone diseases, including miraculously curing my hunchback." "Hey, who knows?" Dawood shrugged. "Maybe she will find cures for diseases." "I wouldn't put it past her," Ahmed laughed and set up the grill. "Khadijah?" "Yes, sir?" Khadijah called out from down the beach, now carrying a soccer ball. "Want to help me grill some meat?" Ahmed asked and grinned as Khadijah flashed a thumbs-up at him and said, "You got it. No chicken though. I must have beef." "You got it, little dinosaur," Ahmed grinned. "You can call me an omnivore. I eat plants too, remember?" Khadijah beamed. "Yeah, I remember," Ahmed nodded as he fired up the grill.
Pretty soon, the smell of grilled steaks and vegetables filled the air around them. Dawood smiled as he watched Khadijah give Ahmed's legs a hug before saying, "I love you more than food, Uncle Ahmed." "That's serious then," Dawood called out. "I mean you know how much she loves food." "I really do love food," Khadijah nodded. "You know, I always wonder where you stuff all the food you eat," Ahmed said as he served Khadijah a steak. "In my stomach, Uncle Ahmed," Khadijah sighed. "Same place you do." Dawood smiled and used a knife to slice the steak into bite sized pieces before handing it back to Khadijah, "You can get more once you finish this, okay?" "Yes, sir," Khadijah smiled and sat down on the bed of Ahmed's truck. "She's got your appetite," Ahmed smiled and motioned towards Khadijah. "Voracious little dinosaur, isn't she?" Dawood grinned and fondly looked at his daughter. Whenever he looked at Khadijah, he was reminded of the hardships he had to face while raising her. Even though he had faced many hardships as a single parent, there were more than enough happy memories to make it all worth it. This was just another addition to the happy memory catalogue.
******
Thursday seemed to come faster than Dawood anticipated. Mariam had called him earlier in the week to tell him that Harun wanted to stay with him over the weekend. He was thrilled at hearing that and spent the early part of the week setting up the guest room for his father. As he adjusted things to make them easier for Harun to access, Khadijah walked into the guest room with her trusty screwdriver in hand. "Baba, I'm making repairs," Khadijah explained, even though Dawood hadn't asked for an explanation. "That's nice, Shehzadi," Dawood said absentmindedly. "You didn't even ask what I repaired," Khadijah said with a huff as she stood in front of Dawood with her hands on her hips. "I'm sure you'll tell me anyhow," Dawood smiled. "Of course because you should know," Khadijah nodded. "I repaired my special screwdriver remote with my screwdriver." "You did what with what?" Dawood asked in confusion. "Was it broken?" "No, sir. I just had to replace batteries," Khadijah smiled.
"Come here, Shehzadi," Dawood smiled and kissed Khadijah's forehead while he held her, "You know today is Thursday, right?" "Yes, sir," Khadijah nodded. "We're going to pick up your baba and have dinner with him. Then he's going to spend the weekend with us." "Yes, ma'am, he is. I want you to be on your best behavior. He's as important to me as I am to you. Understand?" Dawood asked as he stroked her hair. "Yes, sir," Khadijah smiled. "If he's important to you, then he's important to me. I promise not to cause any trouble." "You rarely do, Shehzadi," Dawood smiled. "Is he as nice as you?" Khadijah asked innocently as she touched Dawood's cheeks. "Nicer," Dawood smiled before kissing Khadijah's small hands. "Baba, no one is nicer than you," Khadijah giggled. "He is. After all, I'm his son, right?" Dawood smiled. "Yeah. Your chin is prickly," Khadijah said as she wrinkled her nose. "No it's not," Dawood laughed when he rubbed his cheek against Khadijah's face. "No, Baba! Ahh!" Khadijah squealed as she ran out of the room with a laugh. "Come back here!" Dawood laughed while he chased after the little girl.
Even with their silly antics, Dawood and Khadijah managed to get ready and head out of the house in half an hour, a new record for them. "I smell amazing!" Khadijah called out from the back as Dawood drove them to Harun's house. He smiled and looked at Khadijah from the rear view mirror, "Well, you look amazing." "You do too, Baba," Khadijah said as she gave him a thumbs-up. Dawood smiled and felt his heart race as he turned onto a familiar street. He remembered leaving this street five years ago, vowing never to return. It was funny how age changed decisions. Only five years earlier, he was hot tempered, hot headed, and emotional. Now, he was older, calmer, and more flexible. He credited these new traits with having to raise Khadijah alone. Oh, he had never forgiven Sulaiman. That was something he felt he would never be able to do. He had no intention of entering the house where Sulaiman lived, but that didn't mean he couldn't see his father. He didn't want Sulaiman to be a part of Khadijah's life either, so he had explained to Khadijah that he had a brother that was a bad man and she shouldn't talk to him if she sees him. Dawood sighed. He didn't want his hatred to pass on to Khadijah, but he knew how vile Sulaiman really was.
"We're here," Dawood proclaimed as he parked in the driveway. "Whoa," Khadijah said in awe. "Is grandfather rich?" "Yup," Dawood smiled as he opened Khadijah's door and undid her seatbelt. "Why don't you go and ring the doorbell. Remember what I said, right?" "Yes, sir. Wait for grandfather to come outside instead of going inside because a bad guy lives here too," Khadijah nodded. "Good girl," Dawood smiled and watched Khadijah go to the front door. She was nervous, Dawood noticed, as Khadijah fixed her skirt for the fifth time since she got out of the car. He watched as Khadijah glanced at him and smiled. Dawood gave her a thumbs-up and watched her nod before ringing the doorbell. "Ali, I swear if you draw on the walls again, so help me God I'll-hello," Mehak smiled at Khadijah. "Hello, dear. Can I help you?" Dawood stood out of Mehak's line of sight and smiled as Khadijah scratched her chin and said, "I'm here to pick up my grandfather."
"Excuse me?" Mehak smiled broadly. "I think you're mistaken, honey. This is the Khan residence." Dawood stifled a laugh as Khadijah crossed her arms across her chest and said, "I know, ma'am. Could you please bring my grandfather out here?" "What's your name, dear?" Mehak smiled as she knelt in front of Khadijah and touched her shoulder gently. "Khadijah Khan, ma'am. Is my grandfather not home?" Khadijah asked while she looked at Mehak. Mehak's smile faltered as she looked at Khadijah and she gently touched Khadijah's face, "Pumpkin, whose child are you?" Before Khadijah could reply, Mehak heard Mariam call out, "Khadijah, sweetheart. You're early. Baba will be right down." "Mariam," Mehak said quickly as she grabbed Mariam's arm. "Who is she?" While the two women looked at each other, Khadijah turned around and yelled, "Baba! Grandfather will be right down!" With that Khadijah jumped off the front steps and skipped towards Dawood.
Dawood smiled and scooped Khadijah up before kissing her cheek. That was the image Mehak saw as she stepped outside to see where Khadijah had gone. "Dawood," Mehak whispered, tears in her eyes. Dawood heard his name and glanced at Mehak. He smiled and nodded his head in recognition as he said, "Bhabi." Mehak stumbled as she dashed down the front stairs and rushed to Dawood. She touched Dawood's cheek and sobbed, "Dawood. It's really you?" "Mmmhmm. He's my baba. He's adorable," Khadijah smiled. Mehak laughed with tears in her eyes as she patted Khadijah's cheek, "I can see the resemblance now. Oh, honey, come here." Khadijah glanced at her father as he handed her over to Mehak. Mehak sniffed and gave Khadijah's cheeks a kiss each. She then whispered, "You're so beautiful. Auntie would have loved to see you." "I rather you just stick to sending Baba out here," Dawood said tersely. "We're not on terms that you can talk about Mama." "I'm sorry," Mehak said softly. "I didn't think about- I'm sorry."
"Dawood," Harun called out gently as he made his was over to the car. Dawood smiled and gave his father a hug as the older man approached. "How are you, my son?" Harun smiled and he reached out for Khadijah, "Come here, my girl." "Assalam alaikum, grandfather," Khadijah smiled. "Such good manners. Walaikum assalam, my sweet," Harun smiled before giving Khadijah's cheeks a kiss. "Dawood, come inside," Mehak said as she placed her hand on Dawood's arm. "Not in this lifetime, Bhabi," Dawood replied simply before spotting Mariam. "Are you coming with us, Baji or are you meeting us there?" "I'll meet you there," Mariam smiled. "Let me put Baba's things in your trunk." "I got it," Dawood said as he took the suitcases from Mariam, "Baba, why don't you sit in the car? We have to get going. Rana and Ahmed will meet us at the restaurant." "I'll see you guys there," Mariam waved as Dawood helped Harun into his car. "It was nice seeing you, Bhabi," Dawood called out as he helped Khadijah into her seat, sat in his own seat, and drove off.
Harun glanced at Dawood and smiled as Khadijah sang along to her favorite song in the back. "Smile with me if you're feeling excellent! Grandfather, sing with me!" Khadijah exclaimed as she clapped her hands. "I don't know the song, my sweet," Harun smiled. "Do you, Dawood?" "Of course, Baba," Dawood smiled. "It's Khadijah's favorite song. We have to listen to it once a day to stay happy, right?" "You got it, Baba," Khadijah grinned and continued singing. "She's absolutely beautiful," Harun smiled and patted Dawood's back. "You are doing well with her, my son." "It was tough, Baba," Dawood sighed. "Very tough, but I just raised her like you and Mama raised me. We have an hour of Qur'an class daily, we talk about any problems we have before going to sleep, and we try to pray five times a day together. I want her to see me as the only role model she needs."
"Baba, I don't want to disturb you and grandfather so may I listen to my song on your phone with headphones?" Khadijah asked as they stopped at a stoplight. "Yes, you may," Dawood smiled and handed Khadijah his phone with a pair of headphones. "I think you're doing fine by her, my son," Harun repeated. "You have a beautiful daughter who respects you and has wonderful manners. I wish some of your siblings' children had the same manners." "Is it tough living there, Baba?" Dawood asked softly. Harun shook his head before sighing heavily. "Let's just say that I miss your mother a great deal." Dawood gripped his steering wheel since he heard the hurt in his father's voice. This wasn't something he wanted for his father. "Baba?" Dawood whispered. "Yes, my son?" Harun asked as he looked at his youngest child. "Did we all forget what is said about parents in Islam? Have we drifted so far into worldly affairs that we've forgotten to take care of our elderly parents? I say this to myself more than anyone. I question my way of life more than anyone else's."
"My boy," Harun said as he looked at Dawood, "you are in a unique predicament. You always have been. I have watched you forge your own path because there are very few people in your shoes. This will change over the years. There will be more of you and fewer of us." "What do you mean?" Dawood asked in confusion. "More of me?" "You, a child born in the United States who practices Islam. When I say us, I am talking about those of us raised in supposedly Muslim countries. First generation immigrants," Harun explained calmly. "You children are the ones struggling to find a balance between our old ways and your new ways. It's too late for my generation, my son, but I know that you will bring a change in your generation." Dawood laughed and shook his head, "No one's going to listen to a divorced father of one." "Dawood, my precious little boy, you are destined for great things. Your way of thinking will influence those around you in a positive way. In order to do that, you must grab any opportunity that arises to right wrongs and clear misconceptions about Islam. Do not let our old ways divide the progress of the young. Steer them away from our superstitions and our divisions. You and your generation may just be what we need for a united ummah."
"Baba, what's an ummah?" Khadijah called out as she placed Dawood's phone in her lap and took off her headphones. "The ummah is what we call our worldwide Muslim community, Shehzadi," Dawood explained. "When did you get done listening to your song?" "Forever ago," Khadijah giggled. "I was listening to grandfather. Grandfather, how can Baba help people?" "He can help the Muslim youth. To do that he will have to speak out for what is right even if that means that he is the only one speaking up," Harun explained. "He won't be the only one, grandfather. I'll be right there with him," Khadijah declared with a thumbs-up. "She does that a lot," Dawood smiled. He wondered how he'd help change the minds of the Muslim community or if he would ever get an opportunity to rectify any wrongs committed in the name of Islam. Before he could think anymore of hypothetical scenarios in the Muslim community, he heard his phone ringing and answered it with the in-car Bluetooth system, "Hello?" "Brother Dawood?" A woman asked breathlessly. "Uh, yes? Who is this?" Dawood asked in confusion. "It's Ms. Abdullah!" Khadijah yelled out as she recognized the voice.