Family

Family

  By Khaleel Jooste

  Copyright Khaleel Jooste 2016

  This free e-book may be copied, distributed, reposted, reprinted and shared, provided it appears in its entirety without alteration, and the reader is not charged to access it.

   

  I seek protection from Satan the outcast and I begin in the name of

  Allah,

  The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

  Ayat Al-Kursi (The verse of the Throne)

  Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is presently before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

  Surah Al- Baqarah (The Cow) 2:255

  As Allah wills

 

  #AllThatMatters

  #HappyBirthday

  Family

  “Look.”

  “What?”

  “You’ll see.”

  حلم

  They are alone.

  The light is bright.

  He guides her past the many… odd… things.

  “Come, this way.”

  They stop.

  “You can open your eyes now.”

  She opens her eyes and as she does, she gasps out loud.

  “Sean, where are we?”

  He smiles.

  Satisfied.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Incredible. Wow.” She walks forward and takes it all in.

  “Are we there yet?”

  “Not quite.”

  He takes her hand.

  “Come, this way.”

  They walk along the water.

  It runs gently along the soft sand and rustles softly across the rocks. She reaches down and picks up a few. They were all smooth and round; turquoise, purple, black and white, a few tiger eye, shimmering and bright.

  Her face beams.

  She lets go of his hand and starts juggling them in the air. She manages to do that with six.

  All the stones drop to the sand.

  “Sean…”

  She can barely contain her excitement as she takes his hand and runs to the waterfall. It was coming from somewhere above; almost like it was falling from the sky. It had a strange color to it. Like it was water, but not water that she has ever seen.

  She let’s go of his hand and reaches for it.

  “Slowly, Kimberly.” He goes to stand next to her.

  She turns and looks at him.

  “Why? What’s wrong?” Her hazel eyes confused. She stands back and sighs.

  “Nothing,” he smiles.

  The light coming from the water makes his blue eyes stand out more. A faint purple haze was about his face.

  Kimberly moves closer to him; takes in his face. Her eyes follow the smooth contours. She reaches and runs her fingers along his thick brow; traces his high cheek bone. Slowly she reaches his lips and pulls suddenly away.

  “Sorry,” she sighs. Her cheeks go more pink. She looks away.

  “Why are you sorry?” He reaches for her face. She rests the side of her head in his palm.

  “For touching you. I…” She shudders and faces the falling water.

  She breathes deeply and faces him again.

  Her eyes open.

  “I’m so used to…touching people’s faces… to be able to make out what they look like.” She bites her lower lip.

  “I… never thought… I’d see another face again… certainly not one… as… beau… beautiful… as yours.” She swallows and looks down.

  He goes closer to her.

  Gently reaches for her hand. He puts it to his right cheek.

  “I never thought I’d feel the warmth of your touch again.” He closes his eyes and nestles his cheek in her palm. He breathes deeply.

  Opens his eyes slowly.

  “You may touch my face whenever you want.” He smiles.

  She blushes and looks away.

  He puts his arm around her waist.

  “Do you hear that?” He gives her a quick look and gestures to the water.

  Confused, she turns and says.

  “I hear… what sounds like… not sure…”

  “Laughter?” He smiles.

  “Yes. That’s what I wanted to say. But… where is it coming from? Is it the water?” Her pupils large.

  “It’s coming from the water, yes. But it’s the creatures in the water. It’s why I stopped you. Didn’t want you to get startled.” He pulls her closer to him and they slowly move more towards the waterfall.

  “Go ahead.” He lets her go and gestures towards the water.

  Slowly she walks closer to the water. She looks back; a curl to her lip. She takes in his face. The purple haze was more subtle; almost like it was mist. It floated about him. She follows it down his broad shoulders. She swallows hard and finds his eyes. She couldn’t understand the deep blue. It was unlike any blue she had ever seen in her life. She shudders and looks back at the water.

  She reaches with her right hand; palm towards the water.

  As she’s about to touch it, the light in the water starts forming the outline of her hand.

  She gasps softly.

  She reaches more.

  Slowly the water comes towards her hand. Starts flowing around her fingers and then twists around her hand. She pulls away fast.

  The water twirls a bit and then returns.

  “What was that?” She looks at her hand and then at him.

  “They’re water-jugglers.” He smiles.

  They are responsible for the light you see in the water. The bluish-purple-yellow light to the water. That’s them. You can’t see them really.”

  He walks closer to her.

  “It’s like they’re invisible, but the water gives them shape. Only the light gives them away. That and the males mating call. The laughter you hear, that’s them.”

  He stares into her eyes and then back to the water.

  “They are the ones carrying the water from above.” He looks up and points with his finger.

  “They’re carrying it from there. That leads to the moon waters. They’re carrying it to the breeding grounds down there.” He points to a spot at the bottom where the water seems to twirl like a whirlpool into the soft sand.

  “That’s their nest.”

  Kimberly looks at the cascade of water down below. It formed a shape that resembled a honey comb. Bluish-purple and bright yellow light came from it.

  “It’s beautiful. But…why carry the water?”

  She looks at him confused.

  He smiles.

  “The only way is to show you.”

  He takes her hand.

  Hesitantly she takes it.

  He reaches for the water. It twirls around his hand and then his arm, till half his shoulder was covered too.

  “Don’t be scared. Come.”

  He disappears into the water, only his hand still visible.

  Slowly she walks closer. The water starts forming the shape of her face.

  She could see what looked like a water version of her face in the water.

  It even mimicked her eyelids as they open and closed; the water a few seconds after her.

  She walks closer to it.

  The water comes closer to her face. A small drop forms in front of her left eye. It drops onto her nose. She starts giggling softly. The drop breaks into smaller drops and it’s as if it starts running about her face. More and more drops do the s
ame. Her face was now completely submerged in the water.

  She looks at the lights that surround her head.

  Stares at the shape that stared at her; she couldn’t quite describe what it was. It had what looked like eyes, a chiseled face, and very long neck on top of what seemed like wings or fins. She examines it closer. It wasn’t fins. It was wings. Or was it the petals of a flower?

  She shakes her head.

  She wasn’t sure.

  She reaches for it and it disappears.

  She follows the sound of his voice.

  “Kimberly, come.”

  واقع

  Kimberly!

  Kimberly!

  Kimberly!

  Don’t!

  Don’t!

  Don’t do it!

  Kimberly!

  Please!

  Listen to me!

  Don’t!

  Don’t do it!

  Please!

  Kimberly… no…

  Don’t.

  Don’t do it!

  جدارية

  2016

  “You really gotta stop callin’ me, you know.”

  Omar puts the brush down.

  “That’s what you, you know, keep sayin’, but you’ve been callin’, you know, every five minutes. How’d ya expect me to get this done, you know?”

  He stares at the wall.

  “Listen, Peter-John, you gotta relax, a’ight. I’ll be done when I’m done.

  He picks up the brush again and listens.

  “Stop gardening, dude. How many times must I tell you that? It messes with your mind and slows you down.”

  He shakes his head.

  “Listen, I gotta go. Stop callin’ me, you know. Just chill. Everythin’ will be done, you know, before Drew gets back. Stop stressin’.

  “A’ight. No worries. Peace.”

  He slips the phone into his pocket and stares at the wall. He stands back a bit, shakes his head as if disagreeing with some statement he made in his head and stands back more.

  “What you think, Tiger?” He asks the ginger cat as it slips into his room and jumps into its hammock with a lazy meow.

  Omar puts the brush down and takes a seat next to the cat. He picks him up and puts him in his lap.

  “I can’t seem to get it to pop, you know. It just, you know, doesn’t want to, you know, I don’t know…”

  They both stare at the