Are You Hearing Voices?

P. 74

Christy fluttered her eyelids open. She woke up at about 5:23am. She was still under the covers and the room was pitch black, so she was not able to see her surroundings.

She started to feel around her mattress and noticed that Jason wasn't there close to her like he had been.

She quickly began to worry and lifted her head up in the darkness to look around the room. She saw a shadowy figure at the other end of the room next to the wall. As she looked closer, she realized that it was Jason. He was seated, his back reclined on the wall, and his right knee was up with his hands folded on top of it, his left knee was outstretched. His eyes were open and his head was up facing forward, then it began to drop, then Jason quickly caught it and lifted his head back up, then it dropped again.

"Bae. What are you doing?" Christy said to him.

Jason kept his head down looking forward, he didn't even notice that she had woken up. She removed the white blanket sheet that was covered over her body, then she got up and quietly walked to him. She was very slow and meticulous as she took each step, for the lights were off and she didn't want to bump into anything. She stood over him and cleared her throat so that Jason could notice her. When Jason lifted his head up he saw that his wife was standing over her, he stared at her and blinked. Christy crouched down in front of him. She placed her hand underneath his chin and examined him closer. His eyes were very dim and bags were under them.

"Jason, what are you doing? Do you know what time it is?" She asked.

"5:25am." Jason quickly responded.

Christy kept her hand underneath his chin and continued to gaze into his eyes.

"What are you doing up so early Jason? You should be..."

"Remembering my Lord Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and making Salah. Maybe if I give enough worship then He may forgive me for all my iniquities." Jason said.

"Jason... Omg... How long you been up?" She asked.

"I rose from my slumber at 12:59am." Jason responded as he looked into his wife's eyes. Christy stared back. Then she sighed.

"Omg Jason." She said and stood up and walked over to her bed and grabbed the white blanket sheet, then she walked back to the other corner of the room where Jason was seated at. She laid her head down on his outstretched left leg, then she covered herself with the blanket.

"Jason... Why do you be doing this to yourself?" Christy asked.

"Doing what?" Jason responded.

"THIS! Killing yourself. Why do you give so much worship?" She asked.

Jason smiled and continued to look forward. Then he placed his hand on her head and began to stroke her hair.

"Because... I am so grateful. I mean... Look at all that Allah has given me. Shall I not be grateful?" Said Jason.

Christy paused and didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Yeah bae. I mean you should, but that don't mean you gotta slave yourself day and night."

"That's what I am though. A pious slave of Allah." Said Jason.

Christy sighed. "Sometimes though Jason, I just want you to be a husband first." She said.

"How do you expect me to be a husband first when there's a mountain of sins floating above my head?"

Christy quietly snickered.

"Boy... There's no such thing..."

Jason quickly nodded his head. "Yeah there is bae. I sin day and night. I smoked a cigarette yesterday and I..." He began to say.