As One - From The As Series

Promises in the Phone Call | 1

~Flashback: two years ago~

"Uthman!" "Yes, Grandpa?" the eighteen years old, said, walking towards his grumpy, ol' man of a grandpa. "Viens ici mon fils, je veux te dire quelque chose d'assez important," he said. "D'accord, grand-père. Qu'est-ce que c'est alors?"

His grand-père gave him a card written on it by what it seems like a phone number. "What is this, Grandpa? And why is it that important?" Adeel, the old man, gave his only grandson a warm grin as he then sighed. "Well, my son, this a phone number that I want you to never loose except if you saved it, but this number is only for emergencies," he stared at him with a soft look on his face.

Bemused, Uthman raised a brow. Adeel chuckled. "What I mean is that, whenever you feel suffocated, tired, hurt, in need to talk to someone, call this number and they'll help." "Why would I call when I have you?"

Adeel frowned. "Mon temps est venu, Uthman. That's why, that's the reason behind this. Don't worry, I told her nothing about what we've conversed, but she knows your situation and she herself requested about letting me give you her phone number, ofcourse with her parent's permission."

The young boy nodded, clearly understanding from where his ol', grumpy man coming from. "What's her name? How old is she?" he asked.

"Well, my son, her name is better left unsaid for now, but I advise you to not care about the age, care about the mind, about the thinking because she is quite wise for her age.

"Either way, she's sixteen, two years younger than you. S'il boys plait, Uthman, take care of the both of you!" the grandfather pleaded. His grandson nodded, not wanting to let him down.

~End of Flashback~

~*~

Adeel was right; his time really has come. Seven weeks exactly after that conversation he had with his grandson, he passed away. Before his death, he wanted to talk to his grandson all alone, before his last breath would be taken from his creator, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

"Ruqaiyah, her name is Ruqaiyah. Ash-hadu Anna La Ilaha Illa Allah, Wa Ash-hadu Anna Muhammadan Rasulu Allah," he whispered softly. That's when Uthman broke down, choking his sobs, trying to calm it down.

That's when he drastically changed, into a closed off, depressed, easily angered young man, who's quite vulnerable as well. It was too much for him as a twenty years old. He didn't care, really, if anyone would cry over him. Except for Ruqaiyah.

Yeah, her. The girl whom grandfather entrusted him to take care of. What was shocking was that she was Aammu Anwar's only daughter of two boys. She cares about him to much that it hurts. It felt-still feels like he was using her care for granted.

The year of his death, they (Uthman and Ruqaiyah) promised to see each other soon during their first phone call. You see, they never met in person nor talked to each other and during his funeral was their first encounter. They were strangers, but much less, it felt like they knew each other their whole lives.

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~Translation & Glossary~
(Bold = French, Arabic / Normal = English, Meaning)

Viens ici mon fils, je veux te dire quelque chose d'assez important: Come here my son, I want to tell you something quite important.

D'accord, grand-père. Qu'est-ce que c'est alors?: Okay, grandpa. What is it then?

Mon temps est venu: My time has come.

S'il boys plait: Please

Ash-hadu Anna La Ilaha Illa Allah, Wa Ash-hadu Anna Muhammadan Rasulu Allah: I bear witness that no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

Aammu: Uncle