Abdul
By The Eaghams
Note from the author: This realistic piece conveys multicultural London characters in all it’s richness and beauty. The imagery of the vehicle is employed, so that the car is used to denote a kind of ‘cosmic intelligence’.
To continue reading the interconnected short stories series click on the character link. Timothy. Enjoy!
Abdul had a habit of repeating every sentence someone said to him in a slightly lower tone, as if to compute and agree all at the same time. He was an agreeable guy, but you’d have to lead the conversation. Although he was clairvoyant in empathy, ahead of what was being said to him.
He would read out loud the shop names when he drove to his brother’s house in Birmingham. It was a long drive so he would fill the silence by announcing the shop names. Abdul had a hard time spelling out his name, through his strong accent, to his friends who were English. What Abdul did was speak two languages, one at home, another in social situations Abdul was learning English although he could read people like a book. Behind his lack of fluency, people believed there was a kind of ignorance there at work. His IQ would have been over a hundred miles per hour, with a multifarious expressivity, obviously he had a glee about it, but he didn’t always smile about it in that sense. He took English lessons from an accredited instructor Timothy, who as a second career, taught English on a one-to-one basis, as a part of his great love of the language, he was an experienced writer.
His mind registered the details, he was a British citizen with a driver’s licence and a British passport. He was home in East London. He qualified from college where he used to play cards, and pose in front of the girls, but never speak to them. He would stop and look, but that was all, his local area asked of him this custom. He was looking for an arranged marriage, so he came on a bit too strong in his initial approaches which created reproaches.
1. Mustapha
2. Actor Dude
3. Boy from Bath
4. David
5. Imitiaz
6. Agnieska
7. The Workplace
8. Jack and Joseph
9. On Motivation
10. Angela
11. The Deep Sea Diver
12 After The War
13. Nigel, Samantha and Luke
14 James Changzhu
15. Ali and Some Books
16. Joe Bloggs
17. Naveed and Rupesh
18. Lionel
19. Abdul
20. Ajaz
21. Mr Jameson
22. Little John
23. Adventures of Zhi Xin
24. Dave and ‘Jim’
25. Timothy
Zubyre Parvez 