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Fiction Alcove...
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May 2006
Novel Excerpt:
Rebounding
By
Jamilah Kolocotronis
“There you are.” He smiles. “My
boys.” He keeps looking from Brad to Chris to Joshua with a
puzzled expression on his face. “I can’t tell which one of you
is which anymore. You’re all about the same size now.” Brad
steps forward and extends his hand. “Hello, Dad. I’m Brad, your
oldest son. I cried after you left.” Sam
smiles, and nods. “Did you? Well, hello Brad. Now I recognize
you. You’ve grown into a nice looking young man.” “I’m
Chris. I used to call you Daddy, but now I don’t know what to
call you. I waited for you to come home. I thought you had
died.” “Yes,
Chris, now I remember. You were just a little bit of a thing,
always playing with your toys.” “Hello,
Sam. I’m Joshua. You have never been Dad or Daddy to me. Only
Sam.”
They sound like they’ve been
rehearsing. I can tell they’re nervous. I hope Sam won’t
disappoint them again.
“Joshua,” Sam says, smiling.
“You’re all grown up now, aren’t you? I guess you do look a little
like me. Except for that beard. Have you just come back from a
camping trip?”
“No, Sam.” “Well,
here we are. My boys.” Sam shakes his head. “You’re a tough
crowd. But you’re right. I’ve been a terrible father. I can’t
even tell one son from the other. Why don’t we sit down and try
to get to know one another again? What kind of work do you boys
do? Brad. You go first.” “I’m
a mechanical engineer, working for a large Chicago-based firm.
Over the last several
years I’ve designed and supervised
some important projects here in the city, including the
recent updates to the L train
system.”
“So you were the one behind that. Good. I always
knew you were a smart boy. Got straight A’s on your report card,
didn’t you? And when you were little you were always trying to
make something.” “You
remember that?” “Sure
I do. I’ve forgotten a lot of things, but I still remember
playing with my oldest son and his erector set.” “Actually,
it was Legos, Dad.” Sam
frowns. “Yes, boy, it was. Now I remember. What about you,
Chris? What is it you do?”
“I’m an instructor at
Redemption Bible College. I train young men and women to do
God’s work, both in this country and overseas.” “That’s
interesting. I have to confess that I have never been very
religious. Your mother’s the one who always wanted to go to
church.” All of my boys look at me, and grin. They think they
know me. Sam doesn’t notice. “She made sure that every one of
you was baptized before the devil could get your soul. That’s
good, Chris. Sounds like you’re doing some good. Okay, now
Joshua. What about you?” “My
brother-in-law and I run a nonprofit agency on the south side.
It’s called The Caring Center. We established the center to meet
the needs of the underprivileged. And I’ve been a Muslim for the
last thirteen years.”
“That would explain the beard,
then, and the strange clothes. It sounds like you and your
brother-in-law are doing good work, though. Just as long as you
don't blow up any buildings. Guess your center doesn’t do any of
that, does it?”
©
2006 Jamilah Kolocotronis |
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Islamic Writers Alliance