Zahirah Chapter 5
It was strange to have a man in the house. The last one had been my brother. Even on the rare dates I went on, I never had the men come to our home. I always met them wherever we were going. It was nice to be able to serve a guest and show hospitality. I knew most would be wary of trying our food and drinks, but Twisted seemed to appreciate them.
His insistence that I tell him everything I’d done since he came to the house the first time made me push the other thoughts into the background. I explained to him what my meeting with Pecardi was like and how I’d taken to picking the kids up from school. I typically dropped them off anyway. He didn’t appear happy as I explained, but he didn’t say anything. Now I was to the point where I’d gone to the police.
“I was trying to decide what I could do to speak to the boys’ parents since I had no idea what their phone numbers or addresses were when the house got spray painted the first time. I knew it had to be them, so I called the police, even if that wasn’t something I’d usually do. They sent out an officer to take my statement and pictures. He wasn’t one of those two from earlier. Suffice it to say, before he said much, I knew it was a waste of time, and I shouldn’t have bothered. You’d think I’d know better by now.”
“What do you mean, you should’ve known better by now?”
I looked at him, surprised. “You saw how Officers Oliver and Ingram acted. They saw nothing wrong with the vandalism. We’re foreign devils, and they no doubt agree with the vandals. I swear, I think maybe it’s time to move after all. If we lived in a bigger city, one with a population of Arabs, it might be better. At least we wouldn’t stick out so much.”
“Like hell you’re gonna let them run you out of town! Let me ask you this. If you were left in peace, would this be a place you’d want to continue to live? Or do you really miss a big city with all the lights, noise, and action?”
I was taken aback by how vehement he sounded. I only had to think a few moments before I answered him. “It was hard at first when we moved here. The lack of noise and readily available stores were huge misses, but once we got used to it, we all fell in love with its beauty and all this nature. It’s nothing like home. The green is enough to blind you, and in the fall, all the colors on the trees are so gorgeous.”
“So that’s a no, you don’t want to leave. Mind if I ask, how long ago did you come here? Why? Has it always been you and the kids?”
If anyone else were asking these questions, I would be hesitant to answer them. I didn’t understand why them coming from Twisted didn’t make me feel that way.
“We moved here when Arif was four and Aliya was seven. We came because my brother got a job here with one of the solar plants. Zafir and his wife Nova, me, and the kids came together.”
“If it’s too painful to talk about, tell me, but if it’s not, how long ago did you lose them?” he asked softly.
His hand reached over to grasp mine. The gentle squeeze he gave was oddly comforting. Again, if someone else touched me uninvited, it would’ve made me uneasy. Even after all these years in America, allowing others, especially men, to touch me was strange and unsettling. It wasn’t something done at home. There, it was easily misinterpreted, and if it was, the woman suffered the consequences, not the men. It was often painful and sometimes deadly for us.
“It’s been six years. They went to Qatar on a trip. Zafir wanted to reconnect with some people we knew there for his company. They were looking to expand internationally. Overall, Qatar likes Americans. There’s a huge expatriate population there. In fact, the majority of people there are from other countries. They were headed to a more remote location to check out a possible place to put a solar factory when the small plane they were on went down. All six people onboard were killed. Luckily, they left the kids with me, or I would’ve lost them all.” Tears gathered in my eyes, recalling it, but I refused to let them fall. He gave my hand another squeeze.
“I can’t imagine how you feel. I grew up without a family. I can tell by the way you talk about them you were all close. I don’t mean to upset you, Zahirah. Do you want to take a break, or can you tell me about the other incidents with the paint? What I really want to know is when they happened.”
His admission that he grew up without a family made my heart ache. I wasn’t able to imagine anything more terrible. Shoring up my emotions, I continued, “The second time was six days ago, and the third was three days after that. When we got up this morning, I admit, I almost expected it. Last night, I tried to stay up to see if I could catch them, but I fell asleep around three. We were up at seven-thirty, and you know what we saw. I had to feed the kids then we went to the store to get more paint.”
He scanned the room, and I wondered what he was looking for. Before I could ask, he told me, “I don’t see any cameras in here, nor did I see any outside. Do you have an alarm system, at least to alert you if someone were to break in?”
I bit my lip. I hated to admit the answer was no, but he was trying to help. If he did a walkaround, he’d find the answer anyway. “No, we don’t. The house didn’t have one when we bought it. We talked about having one installed before Zafir died, but he never got around to it. Afterward, we had so much going on, and I just didn’t see the need. No one has ever tried to break in.”
“Has anyone vandalized your property before, or is this a first? Or has other stuff been done?”
“It hasn’t happened often. Usually, it’s notes left in the mailbox or on my car, or people making comments where we can hear them. No one has actually disfigured or destroyed our stuff. I know the police don’t believe us, or they think we deserve it, but I know it’s those boys. We haven’t had any problems with anyone lately but them.”
“Notes and comments. Like hell, you deserve it. How have those boys been acting toward Aliya at school?”
“As you expect, they’re saying crude and disgusting things. They tried to get her alone, but I warned her not to let it happen and to always be on alert. I know the principal and the so-called resource officer they have are no help. Some of the teachers are just as bad. If I had the option, I’d take her out but she’s in accelerated classes and working to be able to take college credits next year. She’s trying to graduate early.”
His face was tight, and displeasure was written all over it. His hand had tightened on mine. I gave a gentle tug on it. He immediately loosened his hold but he didn’t let go. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to crush your hand. I’m not angry at you. I think you know this isn’t likely to go away on its own. They feel emboldened now, and it’ll probably escalate. I’m not telling you this to scare you. I want you to know so the three of you remain safe.”
“I want the same, and I agree. I hoped if I was able to talk to their parents, they might be different even if it’s unlikely. I don’t know what else to do. The police won’t help, and neither will the school. You saw our neighbors. They either won’t get involved, or they call the cops on us.”
“You leave it to me.”
“I can’t do that! I appreciate what you’ve done, but this isn’t your fight. I don’t expect you or your prospects to do more,” I objected.
“It doesn’t matter what you expect. All that matters is what I expect, and it’s not to have you and those kids scared to be in your own home or to walk the streets. It’s time people around here discover they can no longer say or do things against you and your family without repercussions.”
“What do you mean? Twisted, don’t get yourself in trouble!” I cried in alarm. He came to his feet. I hurried to do the same.
“Thank you for the limonana and the yummy food. I hate to run, but there are a few things I need to do. Don’t worry, I’ll leave Bodie and Atticus here until I come back. Give me a couple of hours, then I’ll explain what I mean,” he said as he headed toward the door.
I followed him and kept asking him not to do anything and informing him he didn’t need to leave the prospects. In the end, it was all for nothing. Outside, he gave them orders not to leave. I watched in a daze as he got on his bike and took off, but only after telling me not to worry and that he’d be back again. I stood there wringing my hands, unsure what to do. I jumped when Atticus spoke from right behind me.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. He’ll be back. He’s got to get things set in motion.”
“What things? Why?”
He smiled amusedly. “I’ll let him explain what and why. All you need to know is you’re safe, and so are those two. There’s no place safer than when you have the Pagan Souls in your corner. While we wait, I wanted to ask you about these spots I found in the siding.”
I let him distract me as I followed him to see what he was talking about. The whole time I kept slipping back to wondering what Twisted was up to. Whatever it was, when he came back, I’d make him see we weren’t his concern.
???
Exactly two hours and twenty minutes later, Twisted was back, only he wasn’t alone. The loud rumble of engines got my attention. I came around the house to see what it was. I was shocked at the sight of a pack of motorcycles coming down the road. It was even more of a shock when they all stopped in front of my house or in the driveway. In the lead was Twisted. Seeing all of them was alarming.
I’d seen them riding around town before I met Twisted, but I hadn’t paid them a whole lot of attention. Since I met him, any time I saw one, I checked to see if it was him. Each time it wasn’t, I ignored the disappointment I felt. Even with his helmet and sunglasses on, I recognized him, and it wasn’t because of his bike. He took off the helmet and placed it on the bike’s tank after he got off. He came striding purposefully up to me.
“Twisted, is this your whole club? What are they doing here?”
Aliya and Arif were crowded up behind me. I caught the amused looks from Bodie and Atticus. All the men were large like Twisted and, in a few cases, even taller and bigger. Three such men were right behind him. I gulped at the sight of them as they stared intently at me. They weren’t glaring or anything, just studying me, but it was still daunting to be on the receiving end of their stares. Twisted reached out and brought me closer to him, then he turned to face the men behind him.
“Zahirah, there’s no need to be afraid. Yes, these are all my club brothers, although not the whole club. The women, kids, and one other prospect, Rune, stayed at the compound. Let me introduce you to these three. This is Agony. He’s the president of the club. On his right is Dare. He’s our VP and the mountain on the left is Hulk. He’s our enforcer. Guys, this is the Zahirah, Arif, and Aliya I told you about. How have Atticus and Bodie been? Did they give you any trouble?” he asked as he eyed them.
“They’ve been great. It’s nice to meet you, but I’m confused. Why are you all here?”
“We had to come meet you. And we wanted to talk to you about what’s been going on around here. If it makes you less nervous, once we introduce the others, they can leave. I promise we’re not here to hurt you or to cause you problems,” Agony assured me with a smile.
Looking at him, I could tell he had a lot of Native American heritage in him, and based on where we lived, it was almost certain he was Cherokee Indian. Dare was white like Twisted, and Hulk was a huge Black man. No wonder they called him Hulk. Not knowing what else to do, I merely nodded. This brought the others forward, and we were quickly introduced to them. All were polite and had smiles for us. As we exchanged greetings, I couldn’t help but notice my neighbors were outside watching us again. They’d gotten years’ worth of gossip out of us in a single day , I thought snidely. I detested how they watched and whispered every time they saw us. There were only a few who didn’t pay us any attention.
“Zahirah, let’s go inside. The lookie-loos are getting on my nerves,” Twisted said with a scowl.
“Lookie-loos?” I asked in confusion.
Agony chuckled. “Sorry, it’s what we call onlookers like your neighbors who’re being too curious and intrusive. It’s none of their damn business!” He shouted the last part as he glared around at the houses. I caught myself giggling along with the kids as my neighbors practically fell over themselves, hurrying into their homes. All the Pagans smirked.
“Where have you been all these years?” I teased them.
“I could ask you the same thing. Come on. We need to explain what I’ve been up to since I left,” Twisted said.
“Alright. We can go in the house.”
“We’ll stay outside, Ima Zahirah,” Arif called out. Aliya nodded. They seemed fascinated with the bikers, and with more of them here, I knew they’d be asking more questions than they had with the prospects.
“Don’t ask them a million questions,” I warned them.
“We won’t,” was the answer I got back from both of them.
“If they do, just tell them enough,” I told the guys in general. They nodded in acknowledgment. As we went for the door, I noticed Agony, Dare, Hulk, and the one he introduced as Wire came with me and Twisted.
Like last time, Twisted opened the door. When they got inside, they paused. “Do you want us to take off our boots?” Agony asked.
We usually did it, although I forgot when I brought Twisted inside earlier. It was more of a cleanliness thing than adhering to our culture. I didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable. Besides, the floors downstairs were tile and easy to clean. I shook my head. “It’s not necessary.”
“It is at home. My wife would have my head if I didn’t. It’s no problem,” Agony offered.
“Damn, I didn’t think earlier. I’m sorry. I won’t forget again,” Twisted added as he bent over to take his boots off. I panicked, seeing all of them following suit.
“Please! Don’t. It’s fine,” I assured them.
They ignored me as they removed their boots and placed them on the rack by the door. Seeing I wasn’t winning, I slipped mine off. Twisted took my hand and led us to the kitchen. “It’s not fine, and Agony is right. We do it at his house, Dare’s, and Knight’s. Their old ladies would smack us if we brought in dirt. Is it part of your culture to do it for other reasons?” he asked.
“It is in traditional homes, yes. It’s a sign of respect. Please, won’t you all have a seat? I’ll get us some drinks.”
“You’ve got to try this limonana. It’s delicious,” Twisted informed them. Rather than taking a seat with them, he came into the kitchen with me. “Before you tell me to sit, I’m helping. I know where the glasses are. Is it okay if I get the drinks? They’ll all wanna try the limonana. While I do that, if you want to get some of those nuts and dates, go ahead, although you don’t have to. In fact, maybe keep those hidden,” he teased me with a wink.
I laughed and shook my head as I gave in to him. “You can get the drinks and thank you, although I must give them something to eat. My om will haunt me if I don’t.”
“ Om ?”
“Yes, it means mother in Arabic. I’m sorry. Sometimes, I forget that not everyone speaks it.”
“I like learning new words. Alright, give them some, but only so you don’t upset your om .”
It was the creak of a chair as we worked that made me recall we weren’t alone. When I glanced over at the table, it was to find the others all watching us with cheerful smiles. I felt myself blush. It didn’t take long for the two of us to get the drinks and a snack to the table. They all thanked me and dug in once I told them to help themselves. I was pleased with the moans and sighs of appreciation.
“You’ve got to show us how to make this drink. Damn, it’s good. And these are fabulous,” Hulk said as he popped a few nuts and dates into his mouth.
“They are, but we’re not here for her to feed you guys. We want to talk to you about what we’ve got in the works,” Twisted told me after reminding them.
They sobered up. “He’s right. We are here to discuss the plans. Let me start by saying Twisted told us what has been happening to you and the kids, as well as how he met you. I’m sorry such crap has been going on. We’d like to think that in our little town people are nicer than that, but it’s not always the case. I’ve got a question for you. When the principal and the cops weren’t any help, why didn’t you get in touch with Twisted? He told us he informed you how to get in contact if you needed to,” Agony asked.
I was taken aback. “I, well, there was no reason to. Our problem isn’t his. I appreciate him wanting to help, I do, but we’ve learned to be self-sufficient. I’d never impose on anyone, which is why I’m confused about why he brought you all here. What do you mean by ‘in the works?’” I asked the last bit of Twisted.
“I told you,” he said to his club.
“Told them what?”
“You’re stubborn and don’t easily accept help. But I have news for you: this time, you will. There’s no way we’re leaving you and the kids to fend for yourselves. This is probably only going to get worse.”
I gaped at him in shock. As what he said sank in, my temper flared. I heard Dare snicker before he muttered, “Here it comes. She’s about to hand him his ass.”
“Honey, while we know he deserves to be blasted for the way he just explained himself, let me stop you. He’s not wrong. Surely, you don’t want to risk your niece and nephew getting hurt worse or yourself. Those supposed boys beat your nephew and touched your niece in a way no girl or woman should be touched against her will. We don’t believe in women and children being threatened, harassed, or hurt, especially when we can do something about it,” Hulk stated gruffly. The others all nodded their heads.
My anger died down as I sat there speechless. It had been so long since anyone cared what happened to us. Not since Zafir died and before him, our ab . I sniffed to hold in the tears gathering. Agony reached across the table and patted my hand.
“No need to cry. We get it. You’ve never met bikers before, and certainly none like us. Let us tell you what we have in the works, and then I’ve been instructed to issue you an invitation,” he said with a wink. I gestured for them to continue.
“So I went and talked to the club like they said. We’ve come up with several things to make all of you safer. First, we’re gonna do patrols at night to see if we can catch those bastards in the act. As part of ensuring you’re safe at home since you don’t have a security system, Wire here is the guy for the job. He’s what we call our computer and technology authority. If he doesn’t know how to do it, he’ll figure it out or contact his buddies who do. He says it won’t take a lot to patch you into the security he has at the compound and our businesses. All he needs is to tap into some wiring and add cameras. It shouldn’t take more than a day,” Twisted offered up.
My heart began to pound. There was no way I’d let them do it. Before I could protest, Wire interjected.
“No isn’t an option. Now, I’d like to know the boys’ names so I can work on finding out where they live and who their parents are. Twisted said the principal at the high school wouldn’t help you by giving you their phone numbers so you could speak to them. I can get those as soon as I have their names.”
This offer I was hard-pressed to say no to. I still thought their parents needed to know what their sons were doing, even if they did nothing about it. Maybe they’d surprise me.
“Their names are Billy Waters, Rusty Turner, and Matthew Pacer. If you can get those numbers for me, I’d greatly appreciate it. The rest is too much.”
“No, it’s not, and yes, he can get those for you. When he does, I’ll be going with you. I think it’s better if you go see them rather than call,” Twisted said sternly.
“Absolutely not! I’ll talk to them alone.”
His stony countenance told me I was in for a fight. I decided to wait until his club wasn’t present to discuss it with him more. “Later,” I informed him. His lips twitched like he was trying not to smile.
“I’ll talk to Laramie. He’s a lieutenant at the police station. He’ll take this seriously even if those other cretins don’t. That leaves the principal. I believe his name is Pecardi, right?” Agony asked. My head was spinning. I was so stunned all I seemed able to do was nod.
“We’ll have a conversation with him too. He’s full of crap, saying since they attacked them off school grounds, it’s out of his hands. They’re still harassing Aliya, and that’s not acceptable. He either puts a stop to it, or we will,” Dare growled.
“Damn right. Okay, we know you probably have a ton of questions and protests, but those will have to wait. I was informed that if we didn’t return with a guarantee that you and the kids would come later so the old ladies could meet you, I wasn’t to return home,” Agony said with a grin.
“Me too, and so was Knight,” Dare chimed in.
I sat there dazed. When I glanced at Twisted, he smiled. “You’ve got to come. They mean it. Our lives will be hell if you don’t. I know we need to talk, and we will, but first, come have some fun, relax, and we’ll eat. The ladies are busy cooking. You don’t want to offend them, do you?”
Al-lanah alih , damn him. He knew being rude and inhospitable went against the grain with me. There was no way I’d offend their wives or old ladies, as they called them. I sighed. “Fine, we’ll talk later. Thank you for the invitation. When should we be there, and where exactly do you live?”
Agony smiled. “Twisted will show you. Be there at four. I promise this will all work out. And thank you for this great drink and food. We’ll get out of your hair so you can get ready. We’ll see you later,” he directed at Twisted. They exchanged some kind of unspoken words with their expressions as they all stood. I followed them out to the yard. As the others were rounded up, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into. Had I gone from the pan to the fire, as the saying went?