I can't rewrite our fate

chapter 41: my brother

His~> 10 days married

"You're gonna teach me how to play?" I ask Noor's cousin, Zaid.

"Badminton?" He asks, putting his thumbs up.

I put mine up in agreement and he runs to grab the rackets and wickets while I go to Elias

"We gonna do 2 v 2?" Elias asks, already at the badminton court.

"Zaid's gonna teach me first then we will." I reply, stretching my arms.

"Got it!" Zaid calls out, rackets in hand.

"Jazahkhallah." I reply, smiling.

"Dibs on the red one!" Elias calls out and Zaid hands it over with a smile.

I take the green one and Armaan takes the yellow one.

After a few minutes of me learning the basics of how to play since the only sports I knew were boxing, swimming and cricket.

"Can we begin so I can beat you?" Elias asks, looking at Armaan.

It was both me and Elias against Armaan and Zaid.

"Let's begin!" Armaan replies, excitedly.

After a few rounds of us going back and fourth, the others were ahead by two points.

The Sasas had all left the house and were watching us, very focused and determined might I add.

"My boys better win." I hear Baba say to Sasa Safwan.

"You hear that, Elias?" I whisper to him and he grins.

"Obviously we're gonna win, I'm with my brother for a reason." Elias replies, causing me to smile solemnly.

Elias was my best friend and basically another brother. He knew all my interests and I knew his.

He was with me through my toughest times and never left me, I loved him more than he knew and deep down he knew that too.

"My brother." I reply with a grin and we hug, ready to win this.

"Come on, Armaan!" Abba cheers and Zaid hits the wicket.

I hit it back with force to Armaan and he shoots it back.

Too quickly for my liking I'm too slow to hit it back.

Thankfully, Elias hits it back, without anyone expecting it.

"He's gonna win." Baba says, crossing his arms.

"No I don't think so." Another Sasa says.

Zaid almost hits it back but is too caught off guard to get it so it slips out from behind him and right on the ground.

"YESSS!" I cheer, grabbing Elias into a crushing hug.

Baba too joins and hugs him and I pick him up in the air.

"I DID IT!" Elias screams and everyone laughs.

He did it and I was proud of my brother for this, for everything.

Even though he'd be the one cracking jokes everywhere. He was the one who had a heart of gold.

Elias was struggling with family issues but in his hometown in Palestine.

Over the past few hours all day today he'd been receiving calls and messages about his cousin, Abdullah who had been shot by Isreali troops.

I was concerned for him as I'd met him on a FaceTime call a year ago.

Since that FaceTime we'd often messaged and he had sent me a thoughtful text on the day of my Nikkah.

Abdullah was the same age as us and often wanted me to come visit Palestine to teach him how to box.