CHAPTER 4

" what's wrong, why you all cry ? " No response came from the wailing women or children. He left them and went inside to ask from his family .the crowd was much inside, he looked around to find any member of his house that could enlighten him of everything happening . he saw Hassan crying at a corner and went closer to him

" what's wrong Hassan ? Why you cry ?" Hassan looked up at him and said nothing but continue crying.

"Where is ummi ( mother ) and kwairah ? " he pointed at where they were sitting . Omar moved closer and sat with them. He patted his mother gently to console her and asked again

" ummi (mother ) why you cry ? " she wanted to tell but she stuttered in her words making it difficult for him to decipher.

" what you say ummi ( mother ) ? me no get it "

" Im----- Im-----ac---- ac " she tried again but ended it with a loud cry.

He couldn't hold himself anymore, lost in what was happening in his own house, no one would speak to him. Seeing his family around he knows this wailing those not affect them, so he thought a neighbor of theirs might lost someone and that might be the reason for them screaming. He sat closer to his mother consoling her, but her profuse tears made him wonder why his mother would cry so much for her neighbors death. Then he looked around again, this time noticing his father was not among their midst. He turned to kwairah who was still crying

" where is father ? " she stared at him and shakes her head

" why you shake head? Where is father I say ? He tells me he go buy tools, he say he no go shop today so where is he !! "

As he was busy screaming at kwairah some men brought a body covered and that increased the wailing of the women . he stood up from beside his mother and walked to where the body was placed and uncover the face, it was his father. He looked at it in disbelieve

" why is me father covered ?

  Why is he sleeping by this time ?

  Why is so much blood on his body ?

  Why is me father not talking ? " he asked the men coldly. One of them replied

" you father is dead.  A car hit him where he go buy tools, we took him to hospital there but they send us away, they say the hospital only treat whites. Our ghetto get no hospital so he died because we cannot get him treatment ".  Omar listened to every word with anger, his heart throbbed painfully. He knows that only whites drive cars, though some have black chauffeurs but they only drive their white masters. He felt pained knowing that a white killed his father and denied him treatment.

'' me father cannot die, why would he die ? He tells me this morning that he'll grow old for all of we, me father don't lie, did father lie ? " he asked with a trembling voice. He turned to his father's corpse and knelt before it

" Why you lie to me father ?

   You say lie is haram ( bad )

   You say lie is haram ( bad ) !!

   Why you lie to me ? "   

He queries, bawling his eyes out. One of the men went closer to him to comfort him of the pain burning his heart.

" it is hard me know, Nobody wish to loose someone. Do not blame anyone, remember our prophet ( PBUH ) tells us that everything is will of Allah ( God ). Omar be strong for you mother, if you is crying like this who will tell you mother that it is okay, who will make her strong if you are weak. You family depend in you be strong for them." He reasoned the words of the man and finds them soothing . he stopped crying, dried his face And went back to his mother . he couldn't say anything to soothe her, seeing her in that horrible state only made his tears drop down again. He rested her head on his shoulders and patted her back consolingly.

The elderly took the corpse of imran to perform his ritual bath before burial as per the teachings of Islam. It was wrapped with a white shroud and ready for burial. Omar was asked to lead the final prayer for his father but he was completely disarrayed to lead. Seeing his messy state they had to call another clergy to lead the prayers. The corpse was taken to the ghetto's cemetery, the only land blacks were fortunate to own. After the burials the dead was left to rest in peace in it's new home as the people left the cemetery. But Hassan didn't, he sat close to the grave just staring at it.

" let's go Hassan " Omar said and patted his shoulders .

" so people just die anytime ? " Hassan asked sobbingly

" nobody knows when they die only Allah ( God )  knows  "

" so one day me too die, or you will leave me too ? "

Omar tried to hold back his tears, he didn't want to show weakness in front of his brother.

" No Hassan me never leave you, me take you to school and me be there when you marriage and me always be there for you " he assured him ruffling his wooly hair. Hassan nodded to his word and gave a brief smile.

" all these graves are same no difference at all. Look  Christian grave and look Muslim grave the two is same. Is same with white Omar ? "

" yes is same, the place they all stay is same . black die they stay in the ground, white die they stay in the ground . Christian or muslim all stay in the ground . just because they white no mean they grave will be sky, everybody is ground no difference at all . that's why white put name on grave to know their family and go pray for them "

" then let's put name on father grave. If many people die we no know father grave again "

" you know me no go school, me cannot write, Plenty of we cannot write. Do not worry Hassan when you go school in sha Allah ( if God wills ) you change many things for we ghetto . right me small doctor ? ". He smiled and nodded again but his eyes were still letting down tears.

" But Hassan when we muslim come to grave place we pray for everybody inside grave . you can pray for father anytime Allah ( God ) hears it everytime ." he dropped a tear but dried it up quickly for it not to be seen by his brother .

" let's go now " . Hassan heaved out a loud sigh and walked away from the cemetery with his brother.

       ***************************

     THREE WEEKS LATER

The day the family mourned imran was the very day omar was suppose to announce his new job with Christopher . but knowing about his father's death changed everything, he didn't want to have any business with whites again. He decided to manage his father' mechanic shop as that was the only property his father left behind. this time was his darkest part of his life, he felt completely useless each day waking up to see his mother looking miserable. He wished they were better times  in their lives when things could just be extraordinarily blissful but he knows that is just an empty hope, because their race is inferior so there will never be a happy time for them. They are illiterates, hard for them to express themselves clearly against people who are well learned. What happened to his father was murder. Although it happened by an accident but it became a murder when he was rejected from the hospital and denied treatment . three weeks since the incidence but nothing was heard in the news or published in papers, the case was silenced. Nobody talked about it, why ? Because it wasn't an offence committed by a black. But if a black is to commit something minor to that, the media will publicise with so much calumnies. They will always be the accused regardless of whatever they say to prove their innocence . how will he ever make his family have a blissful future with this much injustice.

"Omar ! "

He felt a hard hit on his back, he groaned and turned beside him

" Kwairah ! Why you hit me ? "

" me is here for five minutes now but you not know, what you think hmm ?"

" don't ask me you not my ummi ( mother ) " he frowned and looked away .

She stared at him still unsatisfied and gave him a hard tap on his back again .

" Ohhh ! Kwairah!! Why you slap me again ? "

" you no tell anyone about the visit with white man that day ? "

" Because is no important! Please go you disturb me work !! "

" hmm, okay. Some white man is ask of you in home. Mother say I come call you ". She informed him harshly. Omar looked at her and made a crinkle with his forehead.

" you know lie is haram ( bad ) so tell me true."

" you know me never lie, a white man is home. He say his name be ch-- chr---- chra " she scratched her head trying to remember what he called it to be

" Christopher ? " omar helped out

" Oh yes, that's it. He say he want to meet Omar so mother say I come call you ".

Omar knows his family don't lie so kwairah is definitely telling the truth. He gathered his things together and followed kwairah back home.

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" please sir me bring you fresh milk and roast meat ? "

" oh no please don't bother yourself"

" no sir, me religion say ' be good to visitors ' so please you eat sir "

" okay I will thank you "

She hurriedly went out and brought a plate of roasted beef and a bowl of fresh milk.

" here sir " he smiled and collected it from her. He didn't think it was poisoned but as a doctor that he is, he doesn't know how much of hygiene was used in preparing the food, but he appreciated her kindness and ate from it. He only wanted to have a bite and a sip to please her but when he tasted it he didn't mind been given another plate.

" this is so good madam " he commended the meal.

" thank you sir, me and me little son roast the meat and me have milk from we cows "

" oh you have a herd of cattle ? "

" no we get cows and sheep and goats "

" yes yes many cows are called cattle "

" oh okay sir, thank you for correcting "

" no please don't thank me, thank you for your kindness. But this is not goat milk right ? It is of cow ? "

" yes this is cow milk walahi ( i swear by God ) fresh milk with good preparation.

" oh I trust you madam. Thank you, you are so kind. I hope you won't mind if I finish the meal ? "

" me no mind please, me be very happy sir ."

" ummi ( mother )! Omar is home " kwairah screamed from outside.

" maza'ul khayr ummi ( good afternoon mother ) "

" my dear, how work go today ? "

" Alhamdulilah ( I give thanks to God ) well "

" this nice man is waiting for you "

He entered inside and saw him sitting

" Good afternoon sir christoph"

" Good afternoon Omar, how are you doing ? "

" fine, thank you " he replied solemnly.

" Actually I came because you didn't show up the next day I told you to come over and it's been three weeks now so i decided to come check up on you in the ghetto, I hope everything is well ? "

" me father died by accident in you street. So me cannot come "

"Oh my God, I am so sorry about that . I never heard of any accident. Why didn't you take him to the hospital ?"

" people take him to hospital but hospital say they treat only whites and me father died because no treatment ''. He said it with rage in his eyes.

" that was very bad of them, my God. You don't know my hospital you could have just brought him there. I am very sorry for what happened to your father. Whenever you are ready you can always come over . I really wish I could stay longer with you but I need to be in the hospital now ". Omar complied with a nod.

" please madam I'm very sorry about what happened to your husband ."

" Thank you sir. Allah ( God ) knows all. " Christopher shoved his hands in his pocket and brought out a dollar bundle and handed them over to hauwa.

" please madam do manage this "

" no sir this is plenty me no take it "

" when you begged me to eat your food I did now I am begging you to take this please " she looked at Omar who nodded at her in approval.

" Thank you sir but me take only three you keep the rest please , we not collect pay for charity but I take because you beg "

" okay " Christopher agreed .

He turned to Omar who was just standing .

" please take care of your family, you can come over whenever you wish ." he tapped his shoulders and left."