Angel in the Courtyard [Book 2]

Chapter 110 - Arisa

Khaleel and I followed our friends out of the hotel and down the street to the next block. There, we saw a black van parked by a convenience store. Kumar stood by the hood and leaned against it. I was not expecting to see him today, and it looked like neither was my boyfriend. I knew a lot of Khaleel's anxiety last night stemmed from his fear of losing his guardian, so it was really heartwarming to watch him run over for a hug. Kumar wrapped his arms around his nephew and rubbed his back for comfort. They shared a few whispered words that the rest of us couldn't pick up on. "Let's get you home, kid," Kumar said, cupping Khaleel's face. He then looked at me with a sweet smile. "You too, Arisa."

Khaleel moved aside. I found myself following his suit and hugging Kumar. "Thank you for coming for us," I said, tearing up.

"I should be the one thanking you, sweet girl," he replied. "Knowing you were by his side this whole time eased a lot of my worries. I hope you will continue to support him."

I stepped back and beamed. "Of course."

Khaleel came to hold my hand. "Hino says he's going to stay at the condo with us, have you already agreed to this?"

Kumar nodded. "He can stay as long as he likes, but first thing is first. You have to meet with your Papa and sort things out."

"Not alone," Hino spoke up. "He can't go alone."

Kumar looked like he wanted to argue against the suggestion but didn't. "Alright," he complied. "You can take Hino with you."

"My mom hasn't been answering her phone, Kumar," I said, as the group got into the van. "Have you spoken to her since she met Mr. Abdul? I'm a little nervous about seeing her, and explaining the situation."

Kumar patted my shoulder. "Your mother's only concern is your wellbeing, Arisa. Don't worry about her relationship with Yusuf. Time will fix everything."

My heavy chest refused to unclench. There were so many things to stress over, and if time was going to fix anything, I hoped it would be my mother's mind about Khaleel. After meeting his father, and arresting his cousins, I was afraid she was going to tell me to break up with him. I was afraid she would tell me to date someone better and someone whose family didn't resort to violence to solve their problems. These were all the concerns I had after attending Mr. Abdul's wedding. It made me afraid to enter his world, which I knew to be tainted with blood. Overcoming those fears weren't easy, so how could I expect mom to do the same?

The ride across the pond was a lot more enjoyable the second time around. Kumar, Loyal and Hino entertained me with stories about Khaleel from middle school. Then the spotlight shifted to Tomasia when I inquired about her relationship with Zander. How long had they been dating? How did it all start? Who made the first move? She looked uncomfortable answering my questions and having Loyal there definitely didn't help. At that moment, I felt like my relationship with the rooftop losers, and the former school president was on the m mend. There was no drama between any of the boys or girls, and no one was out and about getting into fights for revenge. It was nice.

Kumar asked the driver to drop off the twins first. We said our farewells and agreed to co-exist peacefully at school. Tomasia went out of her way to congratulate me for becoming vice president and offered to help with any questions I might have about the academy books. It was a sweet gesture and I assured her that I would definitely be picking her brain about a few things. Loyal made a point to remind me that he hadn't forgotten about our rivalry. He said he would find a more ethical way to challenge me but for the time being, he wanted to make amends with his friends, teachers, and the clients he obtained over the years. He wanted to set things right with everyone.

"Where to next?" the driver asked Kumar.

Before Kumar could answer, I spoke up. "I want to be with Khaleel when he faces his dad. I know he's not a fan of me but I can't let him do this alone."

"He won't be alone," Hino supported. "I'll be right there with him."

"Yeah, but still."

"She's right," Khaleel added. He had been holding my hand through the whole drive. I felt his grip tighten as my nerves continued to unsettle. "We're not ready to part yet. I want to be with her when she sees her mom too. We have to do this together, otherwise, we might end up at the hotel again."

"Alright then," Kumar sighed, taking out his phone. We watched him dial a number and lift the device to his ear. "Then let's get this done in one go."

"W-What are you doing?" I asked, not liking the sound of that.

"Calling Astrid," Kumar replied.

Twenty minutes later, the driver pulled up in Heston Circle. We made it into the condo foyer and took the elevator up to the apartment. Thankfully, it was empty. It gave Khaleel and me some time to figure out what we were going to say, and what we would and wouldn't tolerate hearing. Mr. Abdul would be a lot harder to reason with than my mom, we knew that, but we hoped approaching them together would settle things quickly. Kumar prepared some tea for his guests and brought out the cookie tray as soon as we got inside. Hino jumped the gun and munched on them from the sidelines. Did this guy have a strong sweet tooth? He was gnawing at the fruits from our breakfast haul at the hotel too. It was a little cute. I couldn't help but smile in his direction.

The first parent to arrive was my mom. I thought she would scold me at first sight, but instead, she suffocated me with a hug. "Hi mom," I said softly. The woman squeezed harder. "Mom, you're hurting me."

"Don't you ever run away from me ever again," she said, taking a hold of my shoulders to make eye contact. "And don't you ever think that you can't come to me with a problem."

"But I did come to you," I whispered, implying that I gave her way more information than I originally planned to. "I don't feel like I can't ask for help. I was just worried that you might judge Khaleel based on his cousins...and his father."

Mom dropped her hands and approached my boyfriend. My nerves shot through the roof when she raised one of her hands, but to my surprise, it landed on his shoulder. "Kumar told me everything," she said. "You're a really tough kid, Khaleel. I'm sorry for everything you had to go through. I know it's hard but you have to learn to give people the benefit of the doubt. Don't be lonely in exchange for a closed heart."

Oh god. How much had Kumar told her?

"There is no guarantee that people won't hurt you," Mom went on. "And sometimes it's the people closest to you that cause the most damage, but don't let them stop you from giving those who sincerely care for you a chance."

As if on cue, the condo door opened and Yusuf Abdul entered the living space with his wife Rida.