The Boy Who Prayed

"Bilal!", my mother snapped at me as she stood tapping her foot at my bedroom's door. "Yeah?", I mumbled, my eyes fixed on the TV screen. I skillfully pressed the buttons on the joystick in my hands struggling to make my player dribble the football past his opponent to shoot a goal. "Yes! Yes! Attaboy!", I exclaimed jumping out of the bean bag.

I looked at the middle aged woman standing in front of me. Her eyes pierced into mine as she stood with her hands on her hips and her lips twitched, a frown etched above her light eyebrows.

I raised my brow and shrugged, lightly throwing the joystick on my bed. "What time is it?", asked my mother.

I glanced at the digital clock lying on my bedside table as it flashed '1:52 P.M' at me. "Almost 2?", I said, walking to the cupboard a few steps away from me.

"And what are you supposed to do right now?", she asked.

"Hang out with my bros.", I said, winking at her with a smile. Before I knew, I saw a flip-flop flying right into my face, smacking me hard into my nose. "Owww!", I cried out, rubbing my nose.

"What was that for?", I questioned her as I winced from the pain. "Merlin, that's how Voldemort lost his nose, mother!", I continued.

"For not praying, you useless brat! I'm not paying for your sins if you can't be responsible for your own self. Pray before you leave, or else.", she replied, her tone pregnant with threat.

That's the thing about desi mothers. They will love you more than anything but the moment you do something wrong, you'll see a flying sandal coming your way. I'm so glad my mother doesn't wear heels often.

"Okay. Okay.", I said, raising my hands up to my chest as I backed away from her. "Salah. Now!", she said and walked out into the kitchen to resume making lentils and rice.

"Pcch! What's the point of forcing your kids to pray when you couldn't teach them its importance while they were young.", I mumbled while performing ablution.

I offered the fardh zuhr prayer in a hurry as my mobile phone rang twice. "Yo, ma brotha' from anotha' motha', how ya been, man?", I greeted my friend, Yusuf, as soon as I answered his call after the prayer.

"Yeah, man, I'll be on my way in a minute. Wait for me.", I said into the phone, slipping my feet into my brand new pair of Nike Air Force One.

"I'll be back at dinner, Amma!", I said as I walked out of the main door.

*****

"Yo!", I greeted Yusuf as I slipped into the passenger seat of his Nissan GTR R34 Skyline.

"Salam, bro!", Yusuf said. "What took you so long?", I asked.

"Had to drop Ammi off at the mosque. Met Rizwan Bhai there so we hung out for a while.", he answered while driving away from my home.