Christy fluttered her eyelids open. She woke up at about 5:23am. She was still under the covers and the room was pitch black, so she was not able to see her surroundings.
She started to feel around her mattress and noticed that Jason wasn’t there close to her like he had been.
She quickly began to worry and lifted her head up in the darkness to look around the room. She saw a shadowy figure at the other end of the room next to the wall. As she looked closer, she realized that it was Jason. He was seated, his back reclined on the wall, and his right knee was up with his hands folded on top of it, his left knee was outstretched. His eyes were open and his head was up facing forward, then it began to drop, then Jason quickly caught it and lifted his head back up, then it dropped again.
“Bae. What are you doing?” Christy said to him.
Jason kept his head down looking forward, he didn’t even notice that she had woken up. She removed the white blanket sheet that was covered over her body, then she got up and quietly walked to him. She was very slow and meticulous as she took each step, for the lights were off and she didn’t want to bump into anything. She stood over him and cleared her throat so that Jason could notice her. When Jason lifted his head up he saw that his wife was standing over her, he stared at her and blinked. Christy crouched down in front of him. She placed her hand underneath his chin and examined him closer. His eyes were very dim and bags were under them.
“Jason, what are you doing? Do you know what time it is?” She asked.
“5:25am.” Jason quickly responded.
Christy kept her hand underneath his chin and continued to gaze into his eyes.
“What are you doing up so early Jason? You should be...”
“Remembering my Lord Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and making Salah. Maybe if I give enough worship then He may forgive me for all my iniquities.” Jason said.
“Jason... Omg... How long you been up?” She asked.
“I rose from my slumber at 12:59am.” Jason responded as he looked into his wife’s eyes. Christy stared back. Then she sighed.
“Omg Jason.” She said and stood up and walked over to her bed and grabbed the white blanket sheet, then she walked back to the other corner of the room where Jason was seated at. She laid her head down on his outstretched left leg, then she covered herself with the blanket.
“Jason... Why do you be doing this to yourself?” Christy asked.
“Doing what?” Jason responded.
“THIS! Killing yourself. Why do you give so much worship?” She asked.
Jason smiled and continued to look forward. Then he placed his hand on her head and began to stroke her hair.
“Because... I am so grateful. I mean... Look at all that Allah has given me. Shall I not be grateful?” Said Jason.
Christy paused and didn’t say anything for a few seconds.
“Yeah bae. I mean you should, but that don’t mean you gotta slave yourself day and night.”
“That’s what I am though. A pious slave of Allah.” Said Jason.
Christy sighed. “Sometimes though Jason, I just want you to be a husband first.” She said.
“How do you expect me to be a husband first when there’s a mountain of sins floating above my head?”
Christy quietly snickered.
“Boy... There’s no such thing...”
Jason quickly nodded his head. “Yeah there is bae. I sin day and night. I smoked a cigarette yesterday and I...” He began to say.
“Yeah, but those are small Jason...” She said.
“There’s no such thing as ‘small’ in the eyes of Allah Azzawajal.” He said.
Christy sighed again. “All I’m saying bae... Is I don’t want you to forget about me okay?” She said.
Jason smiled and gave a short laugh out loud. Then he stroked her long black hair again.
“Oh my beautiful wife...” He said in his father’s Liberian accent.
“You will never understand. Maybe Maria or Muhammad can explain it to you better.”
Christy at first was unsure of what he was talking about. Then after a few seconds she knew. Then she sighed.
“So what are you about to do now Jason?” She asked.
“I gotta go back to Darby and get on the bus.”
Christy lifted her head off his leg and faced him.
“Why? I can just ask Shay...”
“I have to talk to the bus driver.” He said.
“Why?” Christy asked.
“I gotta ask her what her name is.” He said.
Christy looked at him suspiciously and lifted up her eyebrow.
“Why you gotta ask her for her name?”
“Because she... Smiled and waved at me.” Jason simply said.
Christy looked at her husband in the face for a few seconds and didn’t say nothing.
“Oh-okay...” She said.
She grabbed his arm and stood him up.
“Come on, lemme go make you some breakfast first then...”
Jason let go of her hand and stood still.
“Fajr finna come in. I gotta pray first!” He said.
Christy scoffed and stomped her foot down.
“Boy! You can’t pray on an empty stomach.” She said. Then she grabbed Jason’s arm again and headed out the door.
They were very quiet while they walked down the corridor. So as to not wake up Crystal Angela who was asleep in the other room. Well, that’s what they thought until her voice bellowed out.
“CHRISTY! YOU GOING DOWN TO MAKE BREAKFAST AGAIN?” She asked.
Christy’s eyes shot wide open, she was struck with panic.
“UHH... YEAH MOM. DO YOU WANT SOMETHING?” Christy said while holding Jason by the arm.
“NO HONEY, GO MAKE YOUR BREAKFAST OKAY.” Crystal Angela said.
“OKAY MOM!” Christy said back.
The prompt conversation with her mother reminded Christy of her suspension from school.
“What day is it today?” She asked Jason as they quietly crept down the staircase.
“Today Wednesday bae.” Jason replied.
When they got in the living room they walked to the kitchen, Christy flicked the light switch on. Jason went and sat down on the chair in the kitchen where the table was at. Christy quickly made Jason some grits and buttered toast, and she also made him coffee.
When she was done she held the plate with the cup of coffee and walked to where Jason was seated at the table. Just when she was about to put the plate down on the table, the Adhan blared from Jason’s phone upstairs.
“ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR!” The Muezzin yelled out. The sound was distant, but it could be heard.
Jason immediately got up from the chair and turned towards the Qibla. He lifted his arms up, “Allahu...” He started to say.
Christy quickly stopped him.
“Jason!! No!” She said.
“But... I have to pray to Allah Azzawajal and ask for forgiveness.” He turned to her and said.
“Jason... You have ample time to do your prayer. Right now you have to eat!” She said.
Jason stared at Christy. She had a serious look on her face. Finally, he succumbed and sat back down on the chair.
Jason hurriedly stuffed his face with the grits, then he drank the whole coffee and went and prayed Fajr right there in the middle of the kitchen floor. Afterwards, he gave Christy a peck on the cheek and told her that he would come see her after school. Afterwards, he rushed out the door and closed it.
About half an hour later, Jason was standing by the gas station waiting for bus #55 to pull up. About ten minutes later the familiar bus pulls up by the corner. It made a right turn by the stop sign and stopped right in front of Jason at the gas station. The double doors swung open and Jason took a few steps inside. As usual, there weren’t many kids on board. Jason turned towards the bus driver. An overweight middle age lady with straight black hair. Jason put on a smile and gave a subtle wave.
“Good morning, how are you?” He said.
She smiled back. “Good morning sweetheart. I’m fine, and how are you today?” She said back.
“I’m doing good. I wanted to ask you... What is your name?”
The lady looked at Jason and her face lit up. “Ms. Tyesha. And what is yours?”
“My name is Jason. Nice to meet you Ms. Tyesha.” Jason said.
She kept smiling. “Nice to meet you too dear. Have a blessed day at school.”
The double doors closed and Jason started walking down the small aisle in the bus, he was looking for him but wasn’t able to...
And then he saw him... He thought. There was a young dark skin boy seated wearing an all white robe with a Kufi on his head. He was also holding some black prayer beads. Jason didn’t want to sit down next to him at first because he didn’t know who he was. Then he examined him closer.
“DuL... DuL... Is that you?” He asked in bewilderment.