☆ AMAAN ULLAH ZAMAN ☆
27 year old ex-marine who is now looking for some meaning in his life. After his father remarried he doesn't have a family to call his own. When the opportunity of bodyguarding a spoilt princess comes along he takes it up. But...
Amaan, you need to wake up, I think to myself. Lately I have been feeling lazy for some reason. I guess it's the change in weather or maybe my hormones I do not know, but something is bugging me.
"It was that phone call from Dad" I mumble to myself getting out of bed and walking towards the window to draw the curtains. "Thank you Allah for giving me another day to do something productive, I know I haven't done much since well, the last 27 years of my life but maybe today is the day" I whisper, looking out of the window. I am not an overly religious person. I pray Jummah, don't drink, don't do drugs, don't mess around with girls (anymore) and I fast in Ramadan. The normal type I guess, if you can call that normal.
I live in a flat. Nope, not a penthouse style flat but the ones you see on the TV. No, not the expensive ones, the ones in the police dramas, that the police end up raiding because they belong to druggies etc. Yup that's the type of flat I live in, although it isn't as bad as they show it on the TV. There are mostly old people living on my floor. There is a single mom with three children and some college kids sharing a room.
I drag myself towards the bathroom and as soon as I get in I pick up my tooth brush and turn the shower head on. I'm enjoying the hot water fall on my skin. For some reason I reflect back on my life. I guess the shower is the place that most of us do that right? No, I guess its only me then. My life, well, I lost my Mom when I was 8, Dad remarried, from his second marriage he has 3 kids, Haider, Salma and Saima. I went through college, got a degree in Fitness and Sports. When I was 21 I joined the marines, I was there for 4 years. I met some great people there, some which have become family, I smile wondering about Yusuf. For the past two years I have been running my own gym, it isn't a huge gym chain but I get enough Asian guys come in, so life is good. I mean, I can pay my own bills and I am getting along so, Alhumdulillah I guess.
I reach for the towel when I suddenly stop. I hear footsteps, they are coming from the kitchen area. Nobody lives in this flat apart from me. "Shit" I whisper to myself. Who can it be? Murderers, thieves, or is it Mrs Robertson? The old Lady comes round sometimes asking for stuff I don't have. Does it look like I bake cupcakes, honestly woman. Instinctively I pick up something to hit the intruder with. I look at my hands and realise it's a hairdryer "Great Amaan, what are you going to blow the intruder away" I whisper. Slowly, I creep out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. "Haidi! What the hell!" I shout, as I see my half brother in my kitchen helping himself to some cereal. "What are you doing here and how did you get in" I say putting down the hair dryer.
He looks up and laughs, "Salaa Laikum Bhai! Were you seriously going to use a hairdryer on me, imagine I was some murderer, oh and I have a key" He goes back to eating cereal. "I'm here because, my car broke down and I need a ride" he says in between bites. "Wasalam and you have milk coming out of your mouth" I say and turn on the coffee machine.
As much as I have had issues with my dad and his side of the family, I couldn't punish Haider for that. Ever since he was a little bugger he would tag along with me everywhere. Where the rest of his family were ashamed of me for some reason, he would proudly call me his brother. I guess I needed a sense of belonging and wanted at least something to call family. "I don't know how you still drink that crap" He said taking out a bottle of orange juice from the fridge. "No, use a cup Haidi" I say placing my coffee on the counter and pouring some cereal. "Yes Mum" he replies but changes his expression from kidding to something else. I look at him and smirk. He probably feels bad mentioning his mum around me. "What happened to your car" I say and indulge in my cereal. "I don't know, it just had an accident" he says casually and sits in front of me. "You don't know? Haider, I think you need to give another driving test, you're a danger to yourself and to others, and no" I say looking at him. "What, come on!! Why not" He complains. "You know why not, you are reckless, and I am not paying to fix your car, again. Plus I don't have that much money." I say and glace at the time.
I quickly change and pick up my keys to my car. "Listen.." "I know I know" he cuts me off. I look at him apprehensively. "I know, clean your feet before sitting in, no feet on the dashboard, I wont touch the radio and I wont drink in your precious Basanti" He continues picking up his bag. "Honestly, no wonder you don't have a bird (slang for girl), you're in love with the car" He rambles on. "You want a ride or not" I ask pointing to the door.
"Manny, great I caught you" Craig my landlord for the gym wonders in as I close the register for the day. "Hey man wassup" I greet him. "Bad news for you, I've sold the building and the guy who no owns it will be knocking it down and rebuilding an entertainment centre here. Good news is that it will have a state-of-the-art gym in it, not sure if he will allow you to run it tho" He says. "No shit" I reply. "When is he selling" I ask quickly. "You have two weeks son, Good luck".
This is my first time Publishing. I might have some typing errors so please do bare with me. Please show me some love on my story. I would love feedback. If you have any questions about the characters let me know.
