Your home.
Chapter 23
Eric was standing at the grave of grandmother overwhelmed with tears…he did not know what he had become…he sat down looking around him questioning if he could save himself from the monster he was turning into.
After letting everything out he left the area finding his father on the way to his vehicle...
Confused he walked up to him, wiping away his tears, a heart to heart conversation never occurred between the two before nor was he accompanied by him, so it stunned Eric seeing his father standing right in front of him with a jacket at hand. He walked up to him grabbing the coat.
“You were very close to her weren’t you?” his father Junaid said sitting beside him
“ father I can stand anything you throw at me, but just don’t make me hurt grandmother and Arylan.”
“ Eric, you're my son. The reason why im telling you to go against these people is because they aren’t your family.”
“You wrong, they are. Unlike you, they accompanied me, fought for me, comforted me, and treated me like their own blood relative. Unlike you, my father who always controlled me looked for my flaws, and made sure that you took everything away from me!”
“You're just emotional calm down.”
“im not, I don’t want your stupid money. i just want your stupid love and acceptance why can’t you see that!” he said smashing his company card on the ground, “ in fact, it's too late for that now. Just stay away from me okay!”
After storming away and racing to the city in his car, he couldn’t control the rage that brought tears to his eyes. He sat at the park gathering his thoughts, as memory clips slipped through his mind as he sat there waiting for an answer.
“I saw what happened….”Arylan said patting him on his shoulder, before taking a seat near him, “ Eric, you already have all that you deserve…”
He looked up to her crawling into her arms as he sobbed loudly, the rain numbing the situation as they took shelter an hour later when they were certain that he let it all out. He stood silently beside her as she took him over to the masjid, they met up after he repented and rushed over to Arylans place. To have a hot meal, and just recap over what he's been missing during his plotting.
“ How are you feeling?”
He nods drinking up the chicken soup in his hand, “ im well...by the way for jazakallah for not hating me.”
“ even if you killed me I would never be able to hate you…I just hope that one day you'll love yourself just as much as grandmother and I love you."
He smiled grabbing another bowl before falling off to sleep on the couch. It was hard for everyone to watch him face so much pain. Aiden arrived helping with some chores before heading home.
***
“The tipster?” an officer asked reaching towards the evidence.
“Yes, he has all the dirt on Abdullah. Always dropping over new evidence that could keep him in prison for years.”
" and we thought it was impossible, but why..." The hawk said leaving with the evidence.
Abdullah went missing after being set free. Something he'd do whenever he got caught. Tim was in the area that he was hiding at, playing poker with his gang members misleading them into spilling the beans.
~July 1974~
“ you want me to what?” Abdullah asks looking towards young Tim
“Turn yourself in, you know your responsible for that kid overdosing on your drugs!”
“I didn’t force him into doing it!”
“what about Marium and Justin, where have they been for two years!”
He stood there wiping his forehead, “ are you trying to say something!”
“ you know you did it, they found their bodies near the river on that day!”
“too bad, they were good friends of ours…sucks getting such devastating news.”
“you know what you did, and you'll pay. I’ll make sure that one day you go down on both of your knees begging Allah to spare you.”
Tim left the room smashing the table with the fire extinguisher, he really kept his word…he became one of the most feared gangsters over the years. And set out a territory specially made for the downfall of his precious friend.
***
“ You look like your getting better, and remember your welcome to stay here for as long as you want to.”
“ Arylan, why would you still give me the same amount of care after what I did to you.”
“ for the hundredth time, stop apologizing unless you want me to shove my shoe down your throat,” Arylan says leaving for work. They had planned a getaway weekend to Arylans hometown, the one where her mother and the entire family lived at when everything was good…also a way of Arylan meeting with her father even if he was not in this world anymore…
“ Finally I hope you packed enough snacks!” Arylan says smiling
“ of course we did, did you get your meds in as well?” Aiden asked
“Check!”
“Guys we running late can you hurry up already!”Eric says starting the van
With Arylans mother and sister rushing downstairs with the luggage, they finally got into the van and buckled up for a fantastic evening.
***
“ Just do as I tell you!” Abdullah says tossing his guns to the ground.
Tim walked in placing a document on his desk, “ if you tell me what happened to Justin and Mariyum back then, I might spare you.”
“ I won’t admit to anything…”
“ fine let me help you, it was the year the big boss died in a car accident. You asked them to come over for a party, Mariyum left to grab some snacks while you discussed something with Justin. You then lost your temper, and shot him with your new gun, which I happen to have as well …since Mariyum witnessed your first kill you got rid of her as well, just like what you did to Biel.”
Abdullah stood up, taking out his gun, "since you miss them so much, you can join them.”
“you can try, but we both know that a war so terrifying and uncontrollable will wage out after my death, be careful of who you threaten…especially if they have something against you.”
“you really have changed…”
“ take it how you want to, I have other things to attend to…by the way no need to tell me what happened, your facial expressions told me that I was correct.”
He left the room forgetting the document on Abdullah's desk, there was a single file in it with blank pages with one bold heading ‘ you actually thought I’d hand over something that’ll destroy my competition,’ with a recording of him laughing. Abdullah shot the file and everyone present in the room, this time there was no escaping for Abdullah.