Hold my hand

Chapter 6

With grandmother still battling for her life and Arylan pretending to be stronger than she actually was. Time flew by and Arylan found herself writing her last examination. Aiden her biggest support while Eric focused on fixing his relationship with his father who saw him as a failure, rich people problems.

Abdullah was missing since he had dropped Biel at the hospital and Tim was behaving like a secret messenger who visited grandmother when no one was around. He provided for her the best medical facilities, only allowed the top doctors to monitor her, and was never hesitant to upgrade it when the need arised, that was the least he could do for her. Loving and protecting her from afar. He knew he could not have her, it was not the desire or passion that made him stay as her friend for all those years but rather the sad reality that his friend had won her over, and he had failed even with many openings, so he prayed to have her in his next life.

Arylan walked into the ward with Aiden who was carrying a few lunchboxes, she looked towards uncle Tim who seemed surprised by her sudden arrival.

“ Asalamualikum,” Arylan said looking towards the other side of the room

“ walikumsalam dear, it’s been a while. How are the exams?”

“shukar( praises to God) it ended yesterday…you would have known if you read my messages.”

“ Maaf, I had some business to attend to.”

“ doesn’t matter uncle, you don’t have to explain yourself. You mean a lot to grandmother…as long as you’re here it’s bygones. She could use all the moral support.”

“ since you were a child you’ve always been easily forgiving.”

“it’s the least that I could do. Join me and Aiden we always bring extra in case grandmother wakes up.”

“ jee, then I will.”

Easily forgiving, more like there’s no reason for me to hate a stranger who’s fathered me my entire life. A man who put her grandmother's needs before his, maybe if he were her grandfather she wouldn’t have such a messed up family. Aiden unpacked the food and handed her a few study guides before leaving.

Arylan left when the visiting hours were over, and returned home.

Home did not feel like home anymore. You couldn’t smell the baking banana bread, or hear the laugher of her grandmother whenever Tim would come over. The place was filled with echoes and shadows. How did her life take such a huge turn?

She was now on chronic medication and gained a family member overnight. She deeply only found relief, peace, and stability in the remembrance of Allah(God).

Aiden was there when she needed him and Eric tried his best to cheer her up whenever she needed a little boost, but what she needed at that moment was to hear her grandmothers voice, she wanted to smell her perfume and get smacked by a wooden spoon whenever she stole from the soup pot. If she knew that turning 18 would lead to a life without grandmother, she would have stayed younger for a bit longer.

Tim continued playing his games with Abdullah. No one knew why Abdullah left, and where he ended up for that period of time in his life, all they know is that here and there he killed or planted a bomb, maybe robbed a bank but that was not what he invested most of his time on.

He went for counseling for approximately 8 -12years after killing his first victim, but that didn’t stop him from killing his second, and third. What he was most afraid of was the supposed to be dead daughter-in-law opening her month and exposing him. She choose one daughter over the other.

“ what are you doing here?” Tim asked stepping away from Beil's bed.

“ shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

“ I’m not the one who turned away from the love and trust of the woman lying there, plus I served as a father figure for your child and his children…nothing new, I’ve always been here.”

“ rubbing salt onto the wound I see. It doesn’t matter though…im not here for you.”

“ Are you here to finish what you started then,” Tim asked walking towards him, “ answer me…”

“ move aside Tim I don’t have time for this.”

Before Tim could push Abdullah out the door there was a faint noise from behind them. Biel had woken up and was reaching out to both of them who immediately dropped their petty fight to attend to her.

It had been a month since she moved her fingers, a month since she blinked, and sadly a month before she could talk, and the first words that rushed out of her mouth, was Arylans name…asking if she’s okay, before returning to her slumber. This time a healthy one.

She made it, Tim rushed to the doctor who checked her. He then phoned Arylan to come over. Everything was going to be okay…everything was finally going to return back to normal Arylan thought as she took a bus to the hospital.

Abdullah left, as soon as Arylan arrived. Uncle Tim signed her paperwork as Arylan held her grandmother's hand shedding her first tear in a month. She allowed her heart to bleed, she prayed that very moment for everything to be okay. With her finals next month, and a new life ahead of her next year, she wouldn’t want to exclude her grandmother from it.

Tim smiled before handing her a bottle of water.

“ there there, I told you she'll be okay.”

“ I knew it, she’s a fighter,” Arylan said still holding onto her.

Uncle Tim left after receiving a phone call, so Arylan waited alone patiently yet anxiously for her grandmother to wake up again.

“ grandmother, I missed you. And I brought you your favorite food…so wake up soon...and eat with your baby girl who missed you unconditionally. I knew you wouldn’t leave me like everyone else did, I knew you cared about me.”

While she spoke a person dressed as the janitor entered, and briefly looked around before leaving.