Fan Fiction ❯ Rebus Knight ❯ Truth ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Rebus Knight..........................by ConfirmTheOriginOfFire

A raucous Palestinian boy finds that the projected "glory" of rioting, fanaticism, and killing isn't something he is willing to trade in his life for.

Note: I am not anti-Semantic, anti-Israeli, etc. Caution for strong material later in the story.

-Chapter Two -

TRUTH

And later, Kashim did begin to feel shame for lashing out at his sister. Even though she was older than him, it didn't mean he had the right to hit her. Men were never supposed to hit women. Not ever! It suddenly struck him that many Israeli soldiers were women, too. Would he and Allah feel shame for that too?

Probably not. It was all for Jihad. Kashim stood and made his way to his sister's bedroom door, which was open a crack. He peeked in.

"Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!" Amira was mumbling viciously, ripping out a petal of a flower for each shame. Panic overtook him, and he fled, though he wasn't sure why. He'd have to try and apologize to her later, when she had cooled down. It usually didn't take very long.

He returned to the den and gathered all his rocks in a sweater and tied it shut. He would bring these to the next riot or uprising, and the way the violence was running now, it wouldn't be long before he had to use them again.

"Hello, is anybody home?" asked a female voice. Kashim wasn't sure if he or his heart had jumped up first to answer the door. But in any case, the door was open very soon. A surprised-looking girl of about fifteen stood outside. "Um, hello Sadakah," he choked.

"Hello Kashim," she replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, fine," he said. "I just got into an argument with my sister, that's all."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is this a bad time?"

"N-no! Not at all! Come in, please!"

Kashim was glad he'd cleaned up all evidence of rocks before she'd arrived. Sadakah hated the idea of his attending the riots even more than Amira did, if such a thing was humanly possible. And it clearly was, but Kashim found he liked it more coming from her than from his family. "Does your father know you're here? Are you out wandering the streets alone??" It was Kashim's turn to become concerned.

"Of course he knows. And no, of course not. My brother brought me here, but right now he's talking in one of the neighbor's houses about more riots." She shuddered. "I hate those things! I wish he wouldn't go to them. You're not planning to go to the next one, are you?"

Girls talk way too fast, he thought. "Um, no."

"Liar. Why do I even bother asking? I know you're not going to tell the truth, so why do I keep thinking you're going to?"

"You're starting to sound like Amira," Kashim warned.

"Oh no. I'll stop, then."

Kashim smiled. "Now that's more like it."

They both sat down on the couch, only slightly apart and not touching. "Kashim?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Is what we're doing wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"Us. Me and you. A girl and a boy. Hanging around together all the time, saying we will become bethroed one day. Is that the same thing as dating?"

"No," he said, turning to her. "If we were dating, we'd be rolling on this couch, tickling and laughing and touching. If we were dating, we would know it was wrong. But I've never touched you, and you've never touched me. We will get married someday, right?"

"Right. But when? If it never happens, will Allah be angry?"

Kashim wet his lips worriedly. "I hope not. I really do."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before someone knocked on the door again. "Sadakah, it's time to go."

"I'm sorry," she said to Kashim. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay. May Allah be with you."

She smiled, nodded, and was gone.