Chapter 5: A Guy Thing

It was a Sunday afternoon and Zaheer was chilling out with the guys. On Wednesday his old school friends had arranged to meet on Sunday. It was, according to them, a while since they had last gotten together and they needed to keep in touch and catch up. Thus, with that in mind, they had all arranged to meet at the nearby park for a braai.

Sameer, previously known as the class’s biggest playboy, was seriously looking to get married and the guys couldn’t help but tease him.
“Haai man!” teased Faheem, the old class clown; “I still can’t believe that you’re actually willingly want to get married. What did you get tired of all the hustling or what?”
Sameer just laughed: “I am tired man! I need to get me a good girl who I can settle down with. I’m getting old man!”
To that, they all laughed hysterically.
“I think he’s lying” said another friend, Ishaaq. “Maybe his mother is just on his case and is forcing him to get married. Now he’s just embarrassed so he’s acting like it’s his idea. Come on Sameer man, be brave. We all have to deal with that all the time!
The guys all laughed mercilessly at Sameer.
“Anyway,” asked Aarif: “what you going around asking everybody for all the chick’s numbers. You dated like half of the neighbourhood, you got all their numbers. Just marry one of them.”

“I cant marry chicks like that!” Sameer replied. “You know what kind of things they get up to? You really think I want wild chicks like that to be the mother of my kids. Naa man, I need to find me a good girl!”

“Wait a minute” Zaheer cut in: “So what you’re saying is that even though you the one who corrupted all the neighbourhood girls, you don’t wanna marry them because they’re... corrupted...?”

Sameer thought about it for a moment and then nonchalantly replied: “Ja, that’s right! chicks like that are fine for jolling, for fooling around with, but when you want to settle down you need to get the real goods.”

Suddenly Zaheer was transported back into time to the night when he chatted about this very thing to Zahraa. He remembered how angry she had gotten and how he had laughed at her. Even afterwards, he thought that she was simply overreacting. Now, however, as he sat here and saw the reality of it with his own two eyes, he finally understood why the situation had angered her so. The worst thing, he thought to himself, is that guys like Sameer do actually end up getting married to those innocent girls who know nothing of their past. Not only is the whole situation unfair to the new bride, but also to the ‘corrupted girls’ whose reputation would forever be tarnished.

Sameer continued to go on about his search for a bride and kept on asking the guys to give them the numbers for their sisters. Everybody laughed at him as if he was simply crazy.
After a while the meat was ready and everybody sat down to eat. Everybody was relieved when Sameer changed the subject and began talking about the latest sport news.

A short while after the guys had eaten they all decided to play a game of soccer for, as they called it, old time’s sake. They quickly made up two teams and started up the match. After years of studying, employment, marriage, worries, troubles and grief; all the ‘old guys’- playing like this, really brought back the glory days of high school. Zaheer felt as if he was transported back in time to a land of no worries and responsibilities; a land of ditching school and playing pranks. Up until now, he never realized how easy they had had it in high school. All the guys must have felt the same way because they played their hearts out and laughed joyfully every step of the way. Unfortunately for Zaheer, Sameer had to come along and ruin it.

“Hey guys, I was thinking!” he said in the midst of their match; “Remember that hot chick, what was her name again, Zahraa I think. Don’t you guys have her number or something? Now there’s a woman I wouldn’t mind marrying.”
Aarif turned around to look at Zaheer, clearly interested in his reaction.
Everybody ignored him, clearly tired of his constant desperate questioning, but he continued to go on.
“No really, come on guys, who will help me out here?” That Zahraa chick will be good for me. She’ll fix me up properly. She’s what I need.”

“And what on earth,” Zaheer blurted out, unable to restrain himself: “makes you think that she would want to marry you?”
“Well look at me man, who wouldn’t want to marry me?” Sameer said proudly." I’m good looking, rich and all the mothers love me.”
“That’s because they don’t know you” snickered someone in the background.

“Hey man,” said Anees “I heard that Zahraa’s gotten holy. Probably wouldn’t want to marry the likes of you.”
“Ja” agreed Ishaaq. “I bumped into her the other day. “She wears hijaab. She’s changed.”
Sameer persisted: “Its fine, all that really matters is that she’s hot underneath it all. You know what I mean, right? Come on guys, who’s got her number?”

Zaheer couldn’t stand it any longer. He had the soccer ball in his possession and, without fully thinking, he kicked the ball so hard at Sameer that it landed hard and fast on his face. Sameer fell to the ground instantly. Everybody rushed to see if he was alright but he proudly insisted that it was just a minor bruise. His face, however, had a different story. His eyes were red and puffy and his face was already swelling. He looked as if he had just been punched in the face.

To say that anybody felt pity for him would be a lie. On the contrary they all silently praised Zaheer, glad that Sameer could finally shut it (since he left the match and went to sit near the braai stands) and they could finally get on with their game.

Zaheer, though he pretended to care, couldn’t bring himself to apologise. It was only after Sameer left that his anger began subsiding. Once again he thought about Zahraa and lamented over all that was, and all that never would be.