Sequoia Valley: Imperfect (Free Preview)

16

Khâlu Jâsim turned. “Let’s go before the monster squad breaks out of the car. They look like they might be getting impatient.”

Several faces staring out of the car window made Jâsim think his uncle was probably right.

Khâlu Jâsim opened the driver’s door of his vehicle and slid in, closing it.

Then James unlocked his own car and started it. As he and José got in the front, Jâsim and Xander climbed into the backseat. Once everyone was buckled in and they were ready to go, James honked his horn. Khâlu Jâsim’s car started moving to lead the way, and James followed.

“I like your uncle,” Xander said in a whisper. “He’s nicer than my uncle.”

The only uncle Jâsim could think Xander was referring to would be Nathan’s father. Though he’d called José “Uncle José,” Jâsim was sure they were unrelated and it was an honorary title. “Your uncle isn’t nice?”

“He’s not mean,” Xander replied. “He buys me stuff and things like that. But he doesn’t try to talk with me or joke with me. Or with Nate. He barely spends time with us. Even when he’s home, he’s too busy for us. Your uncle seems different.”

Jâsim felt sad for Xander. It seemed like the adults in his family didn’t pay much attention to him. Though Jâsim’s father had walked away and had ignored his existence since, his uncles had always been there for him and spent time with him. His childhood had been filled with all three of them taking him places and playing with him.

Jâsim smiled. “Khâlu Jâsim is special.”

When they reached Bob’s Grill, parked the cars, and got out, Khâlu Jâsim’s brood of five tumbled out of the car with the twins and Sa’ood arguing and pushing each other, while Alejandro and Alejandra looked on with wide eyes.

“Bâbâ, Sa’ood pulled my hair!”

“Bâbâ, Safâ pinched me!”

“Yahyâ pushed me!”

“She pushed me first!”

Khâlu Jâsim sighed dramatically. “Times like these remind me why I should be grateful for your mother. When today is over, we’re going to buy her a nice present just to show her how grateful we are for helping me keep my peace of mind.”

Jâsim snickered.

“Now, I can put you back in the car where you can fight as much as you like while I go inside and eat with just Alejandro and Alejandra,” Khâlu Jâsim continued. “Or you can stop fighting so we can all go inside and eat. Which would you like?”

Immediate silence fell before Safâ piped up, “We want to eat.”

Yahyâ and Sa’ood echoed their agreement.

Their father nodded. “Good then. Let’s go.” With that, he led all five inside, while James, José, Jâsim, and Xander followed.

“He didn’t yell at all,” Xander observed, sounding amazed.

To Jâsim it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Even Khâlu Badr rarely raised his voice. He wondered if Xander’s father yelled a lot. “I’m not sure Khâlu Jâsim has ever yelled at anyone,” Jâsim told him. “He’s never yelled at me, and I was a really naughty kid.”

Xander looked ahead at the group of six, where Khâlu Jâsim was now playfully arguing with Safâ at the counter. Jâsim wasn’t sure what they were arguing about, but he kept hearing “Me” and “No, me first” from the two sides. Xander looked almost longing as he watched them before his face settled into his usual almost expressionless look.

Is he wishing his uncle or father was more like that? Jâsim wondered. It was possible. When they reached Khâlu Jâsim and the younger children, he couldn’t help asking, “What are you arguing about?”

“We’re not arguing,” Khâlu Jâsim protested. “We’re negotiating.”

Khâlu Jâsim’s idea of negotiation usually consisted of silly arguments like who was Mâmâ’s favorite brother, the best flavor of ice cream, and whether there was truly an age limit to considering oneself a kid.

As if to prove Jâsim right, his uncle added, “Safâ thinks she should order as the only girl, and I think I should order first since I’m the oldest.” He glanced at the others. “Who wants to vote?”