Made To Believe ✔️

Chapter Twenty Eight

KAREEM'S POV

Diana, Salome and Jamila were having a girl's day so I was stuck on baby sitting duty. I didn't mind though because I loved spending time with Nuru plus I was happy that my sister had made friends. She'd only had me for a long time so it was great that she was expounding her horizons. She especially needed female friends, there were somethings that were just weird for us to talk about.

"So munchkin, where do you want to go next?"I asked Nuru who was seated beside me in the passengers seat.

We had been together all day, we had gone to the museum, the national library and go-karting. She had the option of one last activity before I took her to dinner and we wrapped the day up.

"I want to go skating."She replied excitedly.

I felt like I was turning her into a mini me because she loved all the same things I did but as long as it wasn't drugs I was okay with it.

"Skating it is, did you bring your skating shoes?"I asked her.

"I never took them out of the trunk."She answered.

"Well okay then, let's just hope they don't stink to high heaven."I commented.

"They don't and even if they are, it's okay. I'm wearing socks."She declared pulling up her jeans to show me.

I laughed and nodded at her cuteness.

"Problem solved."I mumbled ruffling her hair.

When we got to the skate park I helped Nuru put her skate shoes on then let her roam free. She already knew how to skate plus she had helmet, elbow and knees pads on so I wasn't worried about her. I decided to rest under a tree close enough to her so I could keep an eye on her.

As much as Nuru looked like her mom, when I looked long enough I could see Ezekiel in her eyes, her laugh and some of her manners. It was sad to think that she would grow up without a dad but Jamila and I never allowed her to forget him. We talked about him from time to time and there were photos of him around the house. I always tried to be the best father figure for Nuru because it's not her fault her dad died. I didn't have a good father figure myself but I tried my best.

Watching Nuru have so much fun, all smiles made me happy too. In my mind nothing could have ruined our uncle-niece bonding moment, or so I thought until I saw the person I never wanted to see headed towards me. I got up quick and started gathering up all the stuff Nuru had dumped with me but I wasn't fast enough, they caught me before I could run.

"Don't run Kareem."My mother begged behind me.

I dropped everything I was holding back on the ground and the turned to face her. Last I had seen her was at night so I wasn't able to properly look at her but seeing her during the day I got that chance. She was still short, had added a few kilograms, looked older with new wrinkles on her face and hands but she was still my mother. She was dressed impeccably in a long blue dress and a black hijab looking like the perfect politicians wife which is exactly what she was. She had played her role as a political wife to the letter but she had failed in her role as a mother. It even hurt to look at her because when our dad kicked us out she had looked away.

"What do you want?"I spat not really in the mood to address her.

"I saw your sister last week, she had changed but she was beautiful and you look different too, very handsome and broad."She replied giving me a once over.

"No shit, it's been more than eight years. What did you expect?"I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

I had no idea if I did that to be more intimidating or as a self defense mechanism. I told Diana that I had never been in love before thus avoiding heartbreak but the woman standing in front of me had broken my heart. She was supposed to be my mother but she had failed me and that had broken my heart more than any other woman ever could.