More To It

Chapter 12- Hopeful

Zaynab

"So you're not telling him?",Abiodun asks me.

"Not yet, am testing it first. To see, that's why you're doing this".

I hold a plastic bag towards him, he drops the cotton stick with his cheek swab into the bag so I seal it then throw it into my bag.

"So...."

"What?"I ask him.

"You didn't bring Yousif? You just came for that?",he asks.

"Yeah. Why else would I come? Plus Yousif is with Khalid",I shrug.

"What?",he raises an eyebrow and turns towards me.

"Relax, Khalid has been teaching him how to read the Qur'an and teaching him how to pray, all that".

"Oh",he mumbles.

"Yeah, so bye". I turn around to walk out when he holds my arm stopping me.

"Don't",I jump back and rub my arm.

"Am sorry",he whispers, a look of guilt and shock flashes past his face which made me instantly regret my reaction.

"Sorry, um, what is it?",I ask him.

"Will you, uh, can y-".

"Abiodun. Hurry up, I have to get him. Its getting dark".

"Can you teach me how to pray?",he whispers.

"What?".

"I don't know how to pray",he whispers and rubs the back of his head with a look of embarrassment.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah sure",I nod.

"I'll come by tomorrow with Yousif. I can get you some Islamic books too if you'd like?".

"just get me the Qur'an. I can read".

"You can? But you can't pray? That's some weird shit".

He let's out a chuckle then shakes his head.

"I only learned to read because of some bastard who was acting like he was all that. Good thing am a fast learner showed the nigga up",he mumbles to himself then looks into space as if reminiscing on the scene.

"So for the wrong reasons. Okay. Well at least you can ready. I'll get you a Qur'an and some books. But now I have to go",I tell him.

"Okay".

"Hey",he calls as I open the door to walk out. I turn around and he breaths out.

"Thanks...for everything you're doing".

I smile a little and nod.

"No biggie".

I walk out and close the door behind me.

***

"You visited Abiodun yesterday? Without Yousif?",Ibrahim raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah...he wanted to learn how to pray",I shrug.

"Isn't that what you went for today?",Khalid asks me.

"Uh..... Yeah? Yesterday too".

He furrows his eyebrows then leans back into the couch.

"Why did you go yesterday? WITHOUT YOUSIF? That shit don't make sense. Since when did you two start getting along?",he asks me.

"Well we have to. He's still Yousif's dad, it'll be easier to parent him if I get along with his dad. Sooooo yeah",I shrug.