Wahab had fallen asleep almost instantaneously. Although, he did hear the door close after his father had left. He was never afraid of the dark, like his father. He wanted to be exactly like his father. He often heard his classmates talk about somebody who could fly and who punched the bad guys in the face. Somebody they called Superman. He had never seen superman's picture though. Whenever he wanted to satisfy his imagination for superman's face, his father was the first and the closest match he could find.
Wahab had always been a little older than his age and physical stature suggested. He could keep his dishes in the kitchen after he had finished his meal, he could pick up his toys and dump them in his cupboard after he was done playing with them and he could, although a little clumsily, change his clothes if Akram gave him the clothes that he had to get into - Akram would (almost) always tidy a little here and there later. What Wahab couldn't do though, was disappoint his father. He lived and breathed in awe of his father. He idolized him in the same way his classmates idolized Superman.
It was almost pitch dark and Wahab was now walking slowly on a narrow patch of sand and was surrounded by long and dense trees on both sides. The moonlight was the only light guiding him on the sandy path, but even that was being filtered by the dense branches before it reached him. He called out the first person he could remember.
"Abu!", he called out. "Abu, are you there?"
No reply. The forest was dead silent. He saw a blurred outline of a face on the trunk of a tree. "Abu, is that you?" he called out again. No reply again. He walked in the direction of the tree. It was just his third step when he heard a deafening road behind him. As soon as he turned, he saw razor sharp claws about to slash him across his face. The claw was less than an inch away when Wahab's eyes opened with a flash. He was panting with fear. But, such was the magnitude of respect that he held for his father that it only took him a moment to realize that he wasn't supposed to open his eyes. He was afraid to lie down again, no doubt, but he had to apologize to Abbu before he could ask him to sleep with him tonight.
He slipped out of the sheets and opened the door of his room. He called for his father, "Abbu?". He looked around a little before he noticed some light slipping in from the outside from a slit in the main door. He had to rub his eyes to notice that the main door of the house was open. He walked towards the door.
Wahab had always been a little older than his age and physical stature suggested. He could keep his dishes in the kitchen after he had finished his meal, he could pick up his toys and dump them in his cupboard after he was done playing with them and he could, although a little clumsily, change his clothes if Akram gave him the clothes that he had to get into - Akram would (almost) always tidy a little here and there later. What Wahab couldn't do though, was disappoint his father. He lived and breathed in awe of his father. He idolized him in the same way his classmates idolized Superman.
*************************
It was almost pitch dark and Wahab was now walking slowly on a narrow patch of sand and was surrounded by long and dense trees on both sides. The moonlight was the only light guiding him on the sandy path, but even that was being filtered by the dense branches before it reached him. He called out the first person he could remember.
"Abu!", he called out. "Abu, are you there?"
No reply. The forest was dead silent. He saw a blurred outline of a face on the trunk of a tree. "Abu, is that you?" he called out again. No reply again. He walked in the direction of the tree. It was just his third step when he heard a deafening road behind him. As soon as he turned, he saw razor sharp claws about to slash him across his face. The claw was less than an inch away when Wahab's eyes opened with a flash. He was panting with fear. But, such was the magnitude of respect that he held for his father that it only took him a moment to realize that he wasn't supposed to open his eyes. He was afraid to lie down again, no doubt, but he had to apologize to Abbu before he could ask him to sleep with him tonight.
He slipped out of the sheets and opened the door of his room. He called for his father, "Abbu?". He looked around a little before he noticed some light slipping in from the outside from a slit in the main door. He had to rub his eyes to notice that the main door of the house was open. He walked towards the door.
...... To be Continued
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