Prologue : A Time For Contemplation
The sun had begun to lower on the horizon. Its rays, once bright and hot, had now become dim and somber, the first markings that the day was slowly coming to an end. It was the ideal time for any resident of Tanzania to go out, if they wished. Still enough light to comfortably walk around, but not enough heat to be unbearable to do so.
This was more the case for the younger children of the town. Now that schools were officially closed for the summer, this was the perfect time for them to go out and enjoy themselves, until the night finally came.
Of course, this wasn't the case for all children. One of them, a young teenager boy, preferred to spend his time indoors, in the comfort of his room.
The young Abdul was currently lying on his bed, his head staring at the wooden ceiling of his room, his mind lost in his own thoughts. He could vaguely hear the voices of his foster parents from inside the kitchen, but he paid them no mind.
He wasn't really in the mood to talk to them at the moment, not so soon after their argument.
Despite his … troubled early life, Abdul liked to believe that he had had a relatively average life so far, all things considered.
Sure, he never had met, nor would he ever meet his real parents, but he had been put, since he was an infant, under the care of his current foster parents, Nasir and Amina. The pair already had two children of their own who were slightly older than him (for which they teased him relentlessly), and so it had been pretty clear from the start that Abdul, while he was more than welcome in their life, was not really a part of their family.
After all, despite caring for him, they had never officially adopted him, and even in their daily interactions, there was clearly a difference in the way they treated their children, and in the way they treated Abdul.
Despite that, Abdul had never held it against them. In a way, he understood. They had already been an established family, long before he ever showed up, and then he suddenly appeared. He didn't know if he would be any better, had he been in their stead.
After all, they did take him in, when they were under no obligation to, they fed and raised him, they celebrated his birthday (they speculated date at least), and they had been there to comfort him whenever things had been difficult. All in all, Abdul knew that while they might not love him like the rest of their family, they still clearly and genuinely cared for him.
With them, he had enjoyed an average life so far. He had gone to an average school, had made average friends, and had average hobbies.
Okay, that last part wasn't so accurate, unless one counted "goofing off" and "messing around" as a hobby. That wasn't to say that he never did anything with anyone else. If someone invited him somewhere, of course he would go. It was just that, Abdul preferred to spend his free time alone, doing … whatever piqued his interest.
Reading books, watching movies, going hiking. If it kept his interest, he would do it, as long as it was done at his pace and preferably on his own.
One of his special pleasures was watching home movies on his laptop, and his particular guilty pleasure was watching and re-watching movies that he had enjoyed since he was a kid.
Hey ! Don't judge him ! It's not his fault if these old movies, literally made for children, had better stories, better life lessons, and all-around just more entertainment value than so many "modern" films. They had a special allure to him that he couldn't quite figure out.
And of all those movies, the one that stood out for him was "The Lion King". If anyone asked him what his favourite movie was, he would say something like "The final Star Wars movie from the true trilogy." or "The first movie from Lord of the Rings.". But if someone asked him what his favourite movie really was, he would say "The Lion King".
Not even Abdul could quite explain why it was that movie, and the world it was set in, that fascinated him. It just did. Ever since he had first seen it, when he had been a little boy, a small part of him had latched on to it. He had eagerly watched the sequel (though even he would admit that it was not as good as the first) and anything that came afterwards (also not as good). This world, this universe the movie was set in, somehow spoke to him.
This admiration stayed with him, even as he grew. Soon, he was introduced to the fandom of the film, read other people's stories on it, expanding on it, correcting mistakes they found with it, and he watched his favourite childhood characters gain life through the imagination of others. He had even tried his own hand in it (secretly of course), writing some fanfics of his own and had gotten plenty of feedback from readers. Almost made him feel like a writer-in-the-making. Almost.
Of course, this carefree lifestyle of his, was quickly clashing with his real life obligations. He had just graduated from the local town's Middle School, and when the summer ended, he would be on his way to High School.
It was now that his foster parents decided to have a "talk" with him about his "introverted" hobbies. A lot was said between them. How he was spending too much time alone in his room. That he wasn't a little boy anymore. That he had to do more stuff with his life, other than "Go to school. Do your Homework. Mess around. Sleep. Repeat.".
The "talk" quickly turned into an argument, which eventually ended with him storming off and isolating himself within his room.
And now here he was, lying on his bed, contemplating what had been said to him. How was it his fault, if any other "extroverted" activities that were available were just so boring ? How was it his fault if he had more fun by himself than with other people ? It wasn't like he was actively avoiding them or anything. Sure, maybe he spent a little too much time alone, but he had fun while doing so ! Wasn't that important ?
Deep down, Abdul knew that his foster parents meant well. Sure, they could have phrased some things better, but he was well aware that they were arguing with him for his sake and not their own. But it just wasn't fair ! Why was it his hobbies and personal free time that were getting in the way of real life, and not the opposite ?
Okay, that last part might have been an exaggeration, but it sure felt like it at times. Besides, if spending time alone was concerning on its own, how would they react with how he spent said free time ?
Abdul let out a heavy sigh, releasing a breath he didn't know he had been holding. This was going nowhere. Staying here and sulking was not helping his frustrations. What else could he do ? He considered turning his laptop on and watching "Lion King" again, but discarded the thought. After their "talk" he was no longer in the mood.
He kept staring at the ceiling for a while, then took a look outside of his window. It was afternoon by now, the sun was setting but there was still plenty of daylight. Perfect for a quick little stroll.
'Or a quick hike.' Yes ! That was a good idea.
A small smile appeared on his lips. A little hike could certainly get his mind out of what had happened and help him calm down.
Without delay, he got off his bed and quickly changed into the outfit he wore whenever he went out on hikes. Once he was done, he grabbed his backpack, putting his cell phone inside.
He made his way towards the door. He placed his hand on the handle, yet hesitated before pulling on it. With a quick inhale and exhale, he left his room and made his way into the kitchen. He saw his foster parents sitting on the table, talking to each other. He frowned a little, but continued on. The quicker he was about this, the faster he could leave.
"Hey." Was all he said to them.
Even that seemed to briefly take them by surprise, clearly they had not expected him to leave his room so quickly after their augment. Still, they quickly recovered.
"Hello dear." Amina answered him.
He quickly nodded towards them, before opening the fridge. He grabbed a bottle of water before closing it. Then he grabbed a few snacks from one of their cupboards, and placed everything inside his bag.
"Where are you going ?" Asked Nassir, curiously.
"I'm going for a hike towards the mountains." He answered.
"Are you sure dear ? The paths up there can be dangerous after dark." Amina said. "You shouldn't leave so late."
"Don't worry, I'll be back before it gets dark." Abdul responded, as he made his way towards the door.
*Sigh* "Still, promise me that you'll be careful out there." Amina told him, seeing that he wouldn't be persuaded.
"I promise that I'll be careful. I'll be back before you know it." Abdul responded.
Once he was at the door, he made a quick check making sure he had all he needed, which wasn't much. He would be gone for a few hours, at most.
"Hey Abdul." Nassir called out to him. Abdul turned around to face him.
Nassir looked at him in a way that Abdul could interpret as worried. Honestly, it kind of surprised him. Nassir didn't show that expression quite often.
"I just want you to know that, no matter what, we will always be here for you. We love you." He turned towards his wife, the same worried expression on her face as well. "Both of us." She nodded, agreeing with her husband.
Abdul was kind of stunned. Their argument must have disturbed them much more than he initially realized. Although he was still angry at them, he couldn't help but show a little smile towards them. Even now, they still cared for him. He couldn't hold that against them.
"I love you too." He responded, and smiled a little wider seeing them become more relaxed at his words.
He turned towards the door and quickly opened it, getting outside. But before closing it, he took a final look towards his foster parents, and waved at them.
"I'll see you soon !" He told them.
"Fi Amanillah !" They quickly waved him back, a smile plastered on both of them.
Feeling a little better, he closed the door, got on the road, and began to trek towards the mountain range.
He had to admit, he already felt much better than before. Maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed after all. He was confident that the hike would clear his thoughts, he would be able to figure something out for his predicament, and he would quickly make amends with his foster parents.
He would be back soon enough. All would surely go well in the end.
Translation(s)
"Fi Amanillah !" : "May God Protect You !"