aab e hayat ( English version)

chapter no36

The next morning, he was standing at their door again. It had only been an hour since the children left for school, and Imama had just put the laundry into the dryer a few minutes ago. She had planned to clean the garage that day, and when the bell rang while she was thinking about it, she found Erik standing in front of her.

 Imama opened the door but didn't move away. As usual, Erik greeted her in his distinct way, which he had learned from her. Imama replied to his greeting but remained standing there, blocking his way, her eyes fixed on him.

"Aren't you going to ask me to come in?" Erik finally said.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Imama ignored his question and asked one of her own.

"No... actually," Erik hesitated for a moment, searching for an answer, then gave the one she expected. "Why?"

"I'm not feeling well," Erik replied without meeting her eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" Despite herself, her tone softened.

"I think I have cancer," Erik said with surprising calmness.

She was stunned for a few moments. "For God's sake," she finally regained her composure. "You just say anything that comes to your mind without thinking. Do you even know how cancer works?" She scolded him.

Erik was disappointed; he had been expecting sympathy from her, the kind she had shown him before. "How do you know I don't have cancer?" he asked.

She looked at his face and paused. His expression was so innocent—his chocolate brown, shiny, silky hair, uncombed and messy, and eyes the same color, usually full of mischief, now filled with a confused sadness. Imama couldn't find a response. She could give him one, but what could she say to an eleven-year-old boy who was already struggling to learn life's lessons?

 Silently, she stepped aside, tightening the apron around her waist as she left the door open and walked inside. Erik closed the door behind him, as if it were his own home, and followed her into the lounge.

Imama stood at the kitchen counter, surrounded by baking supplies, engrossed in her work. From a phone on the counter, the recitation of the Quran played, something she listened to as she worked. Erik heard the recitation too as he entered the lounge, but for a moment, he didn't know what to do—should he sit, stand, or speak?

He had heard Jibreel recite the Quran many times, and whenever Jibreel was reciting, no one spoke, nor did anyone speak loudly near him. Erik was unsure what to do while the recitation was playing. Imama decided for him by turning off the recitation on the phone.

"Is that Jibreel's voice?" Erik asked for confirmation.

"Yes," Imama smiled this time. "He's very beloved."

"I want to learn the Quran too," Erik finally found the right words to describe what he had just heard.

Imama remained silent.

"Can I learn it?" he asked when she didn't respond, another odd question.

Imama thought to herself, "His questions sometimes put me in a tough spot." She used to think only Hameen had such difficult questions. "If you're interested, you can learn anything," she replied as diplomatically as possible.

"Can you teach me?" His next question was even more perplexing.

"No, I can't teach you," Imama said firmly.

He understood her meaning but not her reasoning. "Can Jibreel teach me?"

"He's very busy. He has to finish high school this year," Imama offered an excuse.