Superhero

Inspired from The Fighter – Gym Class Heroes ft Ryan Tedder    


       The pen kept clicking, disturbing the seemingly cold and awkward silence in the Principal's office. "Um, Mrs Ain, this isn't the first time he's been here because of his disciplinary problems…", and the endless babble about the school rules and discipline. June looked at his 12 year old son beside her, his face showed innocence- his eyes showed no regrets. But she knew he did it again, that's why she was called to the Principals Office for the umpteenth time.


    Just like any usual weekday, the day is hectic, sweaty and noisy, unlike the atmosphere in the car as it rolled down the streets of Bangi, it was silent and cold. "So Hakim, why did you get into a fight again today?" Ain asked, trying to fake a sporting tone, but didn't seem to fit with the golden question she was asking. That bad combination got a very cold "I don't know" from her son, which ended the conversation immediately. Both of them stayed silent throughout the 10 minutes journey home, a two bedroom apartment somewhere in Kajang.


    Ain stared from the kitchen, watching her son doing his homework in the living room. "Alah Ain, budak nak membesar.. that is usual," the jolly voice of her mother talking through the phone.


" But Makk, getting into fights in school IS NOT normal!"
"Then tanyalah dia kenapa he gets into fight?"
"He won't tell"
"Then be patient, doa banyak-banyak bagi hati dia lembut, he is much like his father"
"Yeah, yes he is," Ain said slowly and hung up the phone.


       Her ablution took of the heat from her body, giving her a surge of calmness flowing around her body. She performed her Maghrib prayers then continued to pray, it was her secret between God and herself.


      That night dinner was quiet, only sounds of cutleries and the cicadas were heard from their shabby yet peaceful abode. And as she tucked Hakim to sleep, suddenly his one and only son asked, "Mum, can you tell me a story?Please?"


      Ain was gobsmacked, out of the blue, a really challenging request, "Well.." her mind raced quickly, and when she found her tongue again, her tongue suddenly got a life of its own.


      "There was once a boy, he hailed from somewhere far far away, his eyes were hazel, his hair was jet black and always had a slight curl at its end. He was very very poor, his father died a long long time ago.


       Having only a few clothes and some money, he left his village to the big big city, where the buildings stand with such monstrosity, and the people are of different skin color and languages. Where hopes and dreams can become reality or just a mere fantasy."


      Hakim's eyes became round, just like the full moon that shone through the window pane, full of interest, she took a pause, then continued.


       "He became a 'superhero', with his dark blue costume! He fights bad bad BAD people with his other superheroes!"


       "Can he fly?Can he fly?"


        "Noo, he can't..but he had this white supercar that went VROOM! With the red and blue lights, when the bad people see him and heard him, they all run away helter skelter!" and she tickled Hakim, which sent him giggling."And ONE day, he was walking, then he heard someone shouted HELP!HELP!HELP!, he saw a damsel in distress shouting, her handbag had been snatched. So he quickly sprung into action! He ran like the wind through the streets of the city. And with a quick jump, he sent bad guy falling on the sidewalk!" Ain continued her story while reenacting the action with 2 of Hakim's action figures.


         "And just like that, he gave the handbag back to the woman, and as their hands brushed against each other, they fell in love."

         "Let me guess, they lived happily ever after?" again Hakim interrupted, with his face resembling the trollface from 9gag.com.


         "Yes, yes they did, they had a son, he was cute, with hazel eyes just like his father, and a nose just like him" And Ain pinched Hakim's buttonlike nose."OUCH!" He shrieked.


         "But one day, something tragic happened, an old man forgot to turn off his kitchen, one thing led to another, his whole house went ablaze. And the superhero woke up in the middle of the night and smelt smoke, the inferno had moved to their house too. He hastily jumped from the bed and opened the bedroom door, only to find out half of the house is on fire. He woke up his darling wife and told her to relax and not panic. He then used his superstrength to open the grill, it burnt his hands real bad, but he managed to get his wife out from the house. Then he went through the door to save their little baby boy."


        "Then?" Hakim asked anxiously


           "He didn't make it.. the other superheroes in red and black costumes found him the next day, with many stones and wood on him, he used his last superstrength to protect the one he loved the most" Ain took a deep breath, in sounded shaky, then continued, "Under his body they found a baby, still safely sleeping, unhurt except for a burn on his arm."."So he sacrificed himself for his son?" Asked Hakim,. "Yes, and I, sacrificed myself to bail you out from the Principal's office!"


        "They we're disturbing my classmate." Hakim suddenly said.
         "What?" Ain said, hardly believing her ears.
         "The guys we're disturbing June, the small girl, they took her bag, I took it back  from them"
          "Oh, okay, I will talk about it with your Principal tomorrow," Ain replied, acting not to be surprised.
         "Mom, I want to be like the superhero in the story." Hakim said, with a promising glint in his eyes.


          "You will be okay?You are one already" She sid softly and pecked his son on the forehead before shutting of the lights and exiting the room. Before she left, she glanced at her son, eyes already shut, with his hand exposed, she saw the burn scar on his arm, she recognized it too well.


         "Hey Mom," Hakim suddenly said from the darkness.
          "Yeah?"
          "The superhero is actually a policeman right?"
          Ain grinned, "Goodnight".


           Outside, in held out a locket, it was the only thing besides her little boy that meant the world to her, a old heart shaped locket, with all its fine carvings. She opened the locket, revealing a small picture of a man in his 30's, his long brown hair slightly closing his right eye, with a smile that showed a line of pearly white teeth, the perfect smile, the smile that was the cure of all pain to her, and not to forget the hazel eyes that stared at her with such curiosity while he handed her handbag from the snatchthief. Her husband's soul may be somewhere far away, somewhere unknown, but she knows that he's happy and contempt, his last deed in life was only of a man with such a magnitude of love that it could crush the mountains and dry the seas could complete, her superhero in dark blue, with a big heart. And somehow, the heart of a lion that he had managed to be carried on to his flesh and blood, who happens to be sleeping in the very house she is in. Ain wiped a bead of tear on her cheek, "Faiz, he wants to be just like you". And that night, Ain slept well, knowing that she had a lion in her humble abode, brave and protective, a fighter.