That was never It!!

chapter 7

Jaffar couldn't believe that he was actually having fun with Aliyah. She seemed so boring the first time they met. He liked her company since she wasn't making him talk about himself. She was just blabbering about how beautiful Central park was.

"Can I ask something?" Aliyah suddenly said after a long silence. She was doing most of the talking.

"Yea sure."

"Why don't you pray?"

Jaffar looked at her. His stare was powerful but Aliyah didn't turn away.

"I pray." He lied.

"No you don't." Aliyah said still not turning from his gaze. "Just tell me. I won't judge you."

"I don't know. I just stopped."

"Why?"

"He took everything I had."

"So you stopped praying?" He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. For some reason he felt like it was okay talking to her about this.

"Why should I?" Aliyah couldn't believe he asked that.

"Don't you believe in Allah anymore?"

"I do. I just don't pray anymore."

"Don't you fear Allah?" She asked but he just stared at her. "I don't know what you mean when you say Allah took away everything from you but I  am sure you know where you stand in the eyes of  Allah if you don't worship Him."

"No judging remember!" He said defensively.

"Okay." She said then turned away from his gaze. "Can I tell you about myself?"

Jaffar just nodded.

"I was a happy little girl. I had everything I needed. I used to study here and go back home every summer. My Ummi , Abu , Ahsad and Yazid. I loved my family so much and my friend Hanan." She paused a little and smiled. 

Ooh no! Now I have to listen to her sad story. Jaffar thought.

"Our country was going through a rough time. It was being occupied. Fortunately it had never affected us directly before because our town was small and far from the city. I lost my scholarship. Then I couldn't comeback here. So my education was put on hold." She looked at Jaffar who felt really uncomfortable.

"The first night. The first group of the heartless soldiers and their tanks came to our town. Blowing up houses. Instilling fear in our hearts. We prayed hard they don't blow up our house. I will never forget that day. Abu was out of town. Yazid refused to hide with us. By Allah I will never forget the way he looked after they shot him. They killed my  brother, My hero. And Ummi lost hope when Abu disappeared. Ahsad became rebellious. He ran away from home and that's when I lost the only person that had remained in my life, my mom, my Ummi. As if that wasn't enough my -"

"It's getting  late. I should take you back." Jaffar interrupted her.

"My home." She said with  tears in her eyes ignoring Jaffar's remark. "They blew up my home. The only thing I had left. I felt angry at first at Allah for taking everything I had but then I remembered Allah send  trials to those He loves. So I kept on praying to Allah. I never stopped and that's why Allah brought my Abu back. That's why Allah brought Ahsad back and that's why Allah gave me a chance to finish my studies."

She looked at Jaffar and wiped  her tears away. "Whatever you go through, remember someone else had gone through something worse than that; that's what my mom always told me. That is where I got my strength from."

"Aliyah I am so sorry. I didn't know that you -"

"I think I will walk home. I wanna be on my own." She said and walked away.

It was past midnight. Jaffar didn't want to leave her alone but he himself wanted a break. He had a lot of questions to ask himself.

It had been long since she even thought of what she had gone through. It was always in her mind; but far in the darkest part of her mind. The part she never reached. That night she felt the pain all over again. The anger, the fear, the heartbreaks and helplessness.