MEHAR
present day
On the drive to the apartment, all that I could think about was our childhood. The three of us running around the muddy backyard playing football. No matter how badly I played Yaqtan always let me on his team.
How he was always there for me. How I never was. Uzair was. I was his biological sister and I didn't know anything about him.. I barely knew his friends, let alone enemies.
I take the stairs to the third floor. As I'm walking up a memory hits me. Years ago taking the very same staircase waiting behind the very same door but for someone else.
I build up the courage to finally ring the door-bell. Still thinking of the best way to deal with this situation. How'd he react?
3 rings later he finally opens the door, and right away I noticed his bloodshot eyes.
"Hey, sorry it took me a while," he says as he motions me to come in.
Memories of being greeted with a broad smile and hug shatter my heart.
As soon as I step in I'm hit with a pungent smell. I look around trying to see if there's something I can associate it with. The room, with its painted walls and chipping brown floors, it's simple rug, its furnishings, it's a mess, and it's junk.
A half-eaten sandwich lay on the chipped blue plate on the floor, accompanied by two empty coke cans. The small metal wastebasket, overflowing with crumpled note paper, begged to be emptied.
Muddy footprints leading to the closet door which was left ajar.
"It's alright.. how are you?", I say as he finally moves the sandwich plate off the floor.
I don't know why I asked him that question being fully aware of how he really is.
"I've been better." He says as he seats himself in front of me.
After a long and painful silence, I speak up.. which I soon after regret.
"I've come here to talk about something important."
He looks at me now. Finally looks up. With his sunken eyes. "What's wrong?"
"The cops called me to the station, in fact, that's where I'm headed here from."
"Why? .. Whats wrong?", Uzair gets up and starts pacing around the room.
My eyes following him around "..Yaqtan was .. murdered.." I finally manage to say.
"What?"
The pacing stops.
He turns to me, "What do you mean .. How's that possible?"
"I don't know Uzair, it appears as if someone hit him on the head..they're not sure how it exactly happened but .. this is what the ..autopsy showed..", I say running a hand through my hair.
I remember it all too well, how I last talked to him the day he died.
His last words kept repeating in my mind since then.
"Listen, I'll be ok, don't worry, right now I have some things to take care of so .. I've got to go." He didn't lie, he never did, and just like that, he was gone.
I snap out of my thoughts as he sits beside me."Who do they think it was? Who could do such a thing?", he asks and I hate how his voice breaks at the end.
I place my hand on his back, trying to somehow calm him. "That's where I need your help." I look up at him biting my lip. I close my eyes and take a deep breath trying to control the tears threatening to drop out.
"They asked me if I could tell them about any enemies he might have had... And I didn't know, but I knew that you'd know. You were always more of a brother for him than I was his sister." I look down at my hands unable to say anything else.
It seems like ages before I can build the courage to look up again. "So? Do you?", he looks at me with blank eyes, it looks like I have pulled him out of some thought.
"Do I what?" I keep staring at him thinking of the agonizing pain I'm putting him through. "Know about his enemies?"
"Mehar, I know you guys weren't close but this is Yaqtan we're talking about! Enemies?" He says matter of factly, and I feel like I can actually hear my heart shattering into a million pieces, but he's right.
Yaqtan wasn't the guy who would make enemies, he always talked to everyone in a poised tone, and it bothers me how I even thought he'd have enemies.
" But wait.."
Uzair adds, suddenly remembering something.
I urge him to continue and he scratches his head trying to focus, " there was this one time when he got into a fight with a guy, but.. that incident took place a long time ago .." Uzair shakes his head in denial.
"We never know, people hold grudges for longer than we'd expect," I add.
"You remember Zaryan?.. He was Yaqtan's business partner for a while, and I know he was the only one Yaqtan had an issue with." Uzair responds and I just nod my head.
"Yeah, you're right. Don't know why I didn't think of that.." I say weakly, while my head keeps throbbing.
We sit in an inexplicable silence for a while.
Heaving a heavy sigh I finally get up to leave, and silently, I let my tears fall.
Uzair isn't crying like I am, but I do know how heartbroken he is, he isn't his usual self, and I wonder if he will ever be.
Nothing, will ever be the same again.
"Take me to the time when things were fine, it's all broken now."
