Get Up Again

-one-

"Assalamuilikum Taher!" I smiled down at him. "Masha'Allah, you got big!!" 

The little kid was too busy trying to grab the shiny metal of my walker to notice my comment. His mom, my sister-in-law, Laila, smiled at me. "He's preoccupied at the moment." 

"Yeah, I can see that." I smiled down at the chubby little baby. "How are you doing?" 

"Alhamduilliah, I'm fine." She patted my shoulder before bending down to pick Taher up. "The break loosen us up." Laila looked at the door. "Your brother is a very tight person." 

"Where is he?" I asked, and pulled out a pack of seaweed flavored Kit Kats and handed them to her. She smiled. 

The benefits of being the walking candy store. 

"I think he's in the main office." Her hijab pin was the one Mom gave her during their wedding, one with small flowers that were made with different stones. It glittered in the light. "In a meeting-" 

"Sorry, sweetie," My older brother, Taif, made me jump. I turned to look at him stroll in like a boss in a tracksuit. Well, at least everyone knows that he has taste. "I'm not in a meeting. I was in a meeting." 

Taher started to giggle when he saw his father walking towards us. I rolled my eyes. "Wait until you're older Taher," I told him. "When you see him, you'll want to run away." 

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" My brother came up and gave me a look. I smiled and moved away to avoid his slap on the back. "That was childish Neya." 

"At least I have that trait in me." I said. "You lost it all traces of it." I pulled out some chocolate covered dates from the bag on the floor and tossed them at him. "Thank me later." 

He caught them and grinned. "That sounded like Thank me now." I shrugged. 

"You have a ego, don't you know that Shaytan became Shaytan because of his ego? That was the whole reason why he didn't bow down to Adam when Allah told him too." He reminded me. "Allah doesn't like when you let your ego take the best of you." 

"Bro, who are you talking to?!" I said. "Have you seen yourself?! Your ego fills a whole room!" 

"I know that you know that's not true." He said. His hairdo made him look like Shah Rukh Khan with a beard. The leather jacket and the pants helped me create that image very clearly. "But I do admit that I have a ego." 

"You are a jerk." I told him and decided to switch to Bengali, just to piss him off. Oh Allah, I thank you so much for making me know more than one language. "You know that?"

He started talking in Bengali too. "No, I don't know. But I do know that you are." 

His wife snickered. I forgot that Taif taught her the Bengali language. Damnit. 

"Well, you are needed as a tour guide." Taif took Taher from Laila and gave me a look that said loser. 

"For?" I asked. I played tour guide for Island Boarding School before. It wasn't the best thing in the world, but it's better than hanging out with my older brother all day. 

"New kid, he's your age." Wait, did tail just say HE?! Allah, what's happening?! "You'll like him. He's waiting outside the door." 

"And I'm suppose to do this all by myself?" I asked. He shrugged. "If you want, I can go with you." He looked at his wife, who gave me a sorrowful look. 

"You will pay for this." I told him, and I put my messenger bag on. "But you can stay." 

"Oh my Allah, she's being nice!!!" Taif looked at Laila. "What spell did you put on her?" 

"Magic is haram mister." She gave him a small punch. I tried not to swoon. "I just gave her a certain type of look." 

I turned away from them and walked out of the living room. Oh Allah, I wish someone would love me like that. I really wish that someone could do that to me. But, is it even in my Decree? Am I the type that guys will like? 

"Don't forget to give him one of your lollipops!!" I looked from my shoes to my brother, who followed me to the mudroom. "The mango ones, with the chili powder." 

"Why?" I asked, and looked down at my ankle high boots. Shove your foot in before he says something stupid. 

"To make him love you." He winked as he said this. He came over and gave me a hug. "You seem very lonely." 

"He's not Muslim, and I'm not turning 18 until November." I reminded him. "On Candy Day." 

"People change." He shrugged and watched me shove my other foot into my other shoe. "Even someone like Hiro."

"Do I look okay?" I asked. I wanted to make sure that I didn't look crazy. 

"Your hijab is the best today." He patted my head. "The dress and leather jacket could have been better."

"Better than not," I shrugged, and gave him a shove better opening the door. 

His laughter followed me as I went to look for a face that I didn't know.