The Things We Do

FORTY FOUR

I think I've said this before but I'll say it again: Not everything is as it seems to be.

Did Zehan kill Ismael? Did he not? We all wanted to know but what we should be asking ourselves is if knowing the answer would change anything.

Our problems did not start at that rooftop and we all know it.

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E I G H T  M O N T H S  L A T E R
(The day of Ismael's death)

It was last period that faithful day and Zehan couldn't wait to go home even though he knew he would have to explain to his mum why he failed that Islamic test they'd written the previous day. He began thinking of ways to dodge the question but he couldn't come up with anything.

He was lost in thought as he mindlessly stuffed books into his bag while the classroom emptied out after the last bell. It was almost 5 PM already and everyone was tired and in a hurry to get home. The fact that the evening was windy—indicating that a heavy rain might be on its way—didn't help matters either. Zehan really wasn't that bothered.

"Zehan... There are people still waiting for you here, yunno."

"Exercise patience, I'm trying to find my log book," Zehan replied Adam who was waiting at the door for him, "besides, it's not like you're going home to do anything reasonable."

"Oya, when you're ready be coming." Adam left annoyed but Zehan didn't really care. He knew there was no way Adam would leave him, he would just wait for him outside.

After he'd found the log book, he started looking for the padlock to his locker. The whole thing was starting to get frustrating for Zehan when he couldn't find it. He was only wasting more time now and he was sure the school had emptied out.

"You're still here," Ismael stated. To Zehan, it looked like his brother had appeared out of nowhere but he wasn't in the mood to give him the time of the day.

"I'm still telling them, there's no need to beg me," Zehan said without looking up, rummaging his back in case the small padlock had fallen in.

Zehan didn't see the smile Ismael's face before he said, "If you tell them... Then I'll tell everyone what Uncle Ken told you."

Zehan forgot what he was looking for and looked up at Ismael immediately. At first, he didn't know what to say, he just watched the smile on his brother's face grow. Then he decided to play dumb. "What're you talking about?"

Ismael paused. "I remember that year that a Senator was going crazy because he claimed his daughter was raped... It was all over the news. He wanted the rapist dead and... I don't think they found the guy."

Zehan didn't understand what Ismael was talking about at first but then he remembered something about a senator's getting sexually abused years ago. He just didn't know what it had to do with what they were talking about.

"I'm talking about Esther Isong," Ismael dropped the statement like he was relieving Zehan of the misery of putting it all together. "Uncle Ken's classmate that Kasy's dad raped and the senator's daughter are the same person."

The room temperature suddenly dropped. Zehan stared back at Ismael's evil smirk. He was clearly enjoying this. Zehan only knew Uncle Ken thinks Mr. Kanayo had raped his classmate years ago—which was what they were arguing about when Zehan overheard them and Uncle later called him to his office to explain properly and specifically beg him not to tell anyone—so this news of Uncle Ken's classmate and the daughter of that senator was foreign to Zehan. And frankly, it made things worse.