Raihana | Sequel to Negina

Light Of My Life

Chapter 6

-Aaron Javid-

The next day, I waited at school for Raihana. I wanted to tell her that I am ready to run away with her, if only she was. But she did not appear anywhere. I walked through the empty school halls, looking into classrooms. But she was not anywhere in that school.

For the first time, I skipped my lectures. It hurt me to know that I wasted so much time of my life, on absolutely nothing. It came to me that living my life obsessed with Raihana won't lead me to any good.

"She doesn't love me." I confess to Anwar that same day while sitting on my bed, working on my essay for my college government class. I hear him sigh while I type away on my keyboard. "How do you know that?" He asks, defending Raihana.

I raise my eyebrow, "Who's side are you on?"

"I'll always be on your side, Aaron. But only yesterday you were ready to go to jail for her. Are you seriously gonna give it all up?" He asks making me realize my mistake. He continues, "What makes you think she doesn't love you?"

I look away from his eyes. I consider on lying my way out of this conversation, but decided against it. "I went to her school but she wasn't there. So I thought that she didn't go to school because she knew I'd go looking for he there."

Anwar starts a fit of laughter. He falls onto my bed, causing my papers to go flying in he air. I look at him, irritated, and try to collect my scraps of paper. He settles on his elbows looking at me. "Did you ever think that maybe something happened to her?" He looks at me, dumbly.

My heart tightens as I realize that Anwar may be correct. Raihana may be in trouble and in need of someone's help. Hell, what help am I in any situation?

My hand quickly reaches over Anwar to get my phone off the nightstand. My hands shake as I look for her name in my contacts. I finally find her and press on Raihana's name, placing the phone to my ear. I stare at Anwar while the phone rings.

"Hello?" It was not Raihana's angelic voice who spoke.

"Hello, may I speak to Raihana?" I ask politely.

The person gets angry, for some unknown reason. "Aaron?" And just as he says my name, I know it's her brother. He used to be in my Chemistry class in high school. My breath catches while getting ready for the yelling ahead of me. "So it is true." He sighs. "Aaron, I'm okay with you as a guy and all, but my sister just isn't the girl for you."

I hate when people do this. I get angry at him because he is just like the rest of the world. Everyone in this stupid world knows what's best for me, they think they will make everything perfect. For once can't someone listen to me or ask about my opinion? I spill my anger out all my raising anger at Saiid, "What if I love her!"

I don't get a serious reaction got of him. Maybe he was ready to receive an outburst from me. "Don't throw around words like that. I don't wanna see you near my sister. If I do, well don't tell me I didn't warn you." He ends the call.

"Well?" Anwar asks curiously. I silently shrug him off, heading out of my room and down to the kitchen. Anwar and I enter the kitchen where my aunt stands over the stove cooking something.

I come up from behind her and kiss her cheek, "*Salam Mori."

(*Salaam Mori: hello mom)

She gets taken aback and almost drops her spoon inside the steaming pot, obviously surprised. She scolds me, "Aaron, how many times must I tell you to not scare me like that?"

"Scared of a heart attack, honey?" My uncle, Zayn, enters the kitchen with a laugh. Anwar and I sniffle our laughs back. My mom slaps his arm, and he laughs.

I stare at my little incomplete family, shaking my head and laughing. The family that had taken me in after my own parents passed away. After they died and as I grew older, I noticed my aunt and uncle claiming me as their son. So I figured, it would make perfect sense for me to call them my parents.

I remember little Anwar always trying to cheer me up, always trying to include me into activities that I didn't want to participate in. I was sure that I would fail without even trying. But I didn't treasure his love enough. I pushed him away and yet he pushed back. My childhood was like a game of tug-of-war. I pulled my lifeline to an end, but Anwar gave me reasons to live.

"Aaron and I are gonna go out." Anwar announces. I look up with a weird expression plastered onto my face. He rolls his eyes and grabs my arm, pulling me out of the house with him.

I start walking to his car but he stops, telling me, "We're going on a walk. You've gotta cool off, buddy."

We start walking towards an unknown destination. I feel a heavy weight laying on my shoulders knowing that I don't know where Raihana is, or how she is. I can't help but blame myself for everything that's ever gone wrong.

We walk by a school bus stop and notice about a class full of kids walk out from inside the yellow vehicle. I don't care to pay much attention to the scrabble of high schoolers running around us.

Reluctantly, I walk away from the group. I couldn't help but overhear a conversation going on between two girls.

"Raihana wasn't at school today, is she okay?"

I stop walking and turn around to face two girls, one I vividly recognize from the tenth grade high school class I used to do my volunteering hours at. But the other girl looked younger by a few years.

Anwar pulls on my arm to get me out of my thoughts. I glance at Anwar for a split second before turning my attention back to the two girls who were now joined by an even younger looking boy. "She spilled tea all over her feet, she won't be at school for a few days." The younger guy says.

I feel my legs go weak. She is hurt, I realize. Because of me. It's all my fault. I always manage to mess something up. Wherever I go, it seems that trouble follows. Now, because of me the only thing I lived for in this world is hurt.

I regain my posture, realizing that it may be a different Raihana they're speaking of.  I look at Anwar, his faces speaks confusion as he asked, "you alright, kid?"

I didn't mind Anwar calling me a kid, he's done it ever since we were little boys. I looked up to him as an older brother and he treats me like a younger brother. Through small nicknames, we build on to our strong relationship. I look away from Anwar's intense stare and start walking. "Yeah, I'm fine."

I made a mistake by leaving Raihana, now I'm living with the consequences.

I regret it, I really do.

And I'm so sorry...