Second Chances Part 16
Disclaimers in Part 1.
John drove as if the car were filled with sleeping babies and eggs without cartons.
The only sounds were the hum of the air conditioner and the hiss of the tires on the road.
***
“Turn here.”
Surprised, Constantine looked at the now-awake Sebastian. “This isn’t our turn.”
“I want to go by Miguel’s place.”
Constantine shook his head. “I don’t think his family wants to see you.”
“I know,” said Sebastian. “I just want to look at the building for a minute.”
***
They pulled up outside the apartment building. Sebastian inclined his head, looking up towards the Allarde apartment several floors above.
Two figures stepped out of the main door of the building.
The first was a teenaged girl wearing jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, a headscarf pushed casually above her hairline. She saw the car, smiled and walked towards it, holding several plastic grocery bags.
Bending to look into the open window of the car, she looked over to John and said, “Hello.” Then she spoke to Sebastian in a language that, whatever it was, was not Spanish. It didn’t sound Latinate or Germanic.
Sebastian started to answer when John cut in. “Let’s keep this in English.”
The girl smiled at him. “I saved Mr. Sebastian’s things when the Allardes threw them out.” She handed the grocery bags through the window.
“Thanks,” said Sebastian.
“You are welcome,” she said. “I knew you would be coming back.”
John said, “Well, thanks for waiting for us.”
The girl said, “I didn’t have to wait. I knew you were coming. I Saw you before you got here.”
John and Sebastian glanced at each other.
“You’re that kid Miguel talked about,” said John. “The one from Egypt.”
“Jordan,” she said, and tilted her head quizzically. “You’re that Christian magician.” She pointed back towards the building, at an olive-skinned man watching them. “That’s my uncle. He’s from Jordan too. He is visiting us.”
With his Sight, Constantine saw - he wasn’t sure. No ghostly angel wings, no demonic glow of eyes. But the dark-haired man staring steadily back at him was no mere mortal; he radiated Power. Good or evil, it was impossible to tell.
The man who was more than a man inclined his head towards Constantine in a nod of acknowledgement.
The girl said, “Do you know about jinns?”
“Not too much,” said John, “but I’d guess I’m about to hear more about them.”
The girl smiled, showing uneven white teeth. “Oh yes, you should definitely learn more about jinns. Muslims believe that Allah created jinns after the angels but before He created mankind. Allah made the jinns out of fire. The word ‘jinn’ means ‘hidden one.’
“Allah gave the jinns free will. Some of the jinns became disobedient and became enemies of Allah. But not all jinns rebelled. One famous jinn was a baby who was saved after a battle between the angels and the evil jinns. This jinn became a very pious person and a leader among the host of Heaven.”
Sebastian said, “Aazazil.”
The girl grinned. “See? He knows. The angels never wanted mankind to be created. The angels said to Allah, ‘Why would you create these people, who will ruin the world and cause violence and evil?’ But Allah said to the angels, ‘I know what you do not know’ and He created humans in accordance with His plan.”
The girl pulled a strand of hair out of her eyes. “The angels have never really understood humankind. But the jinns -- they understand.”
Sebastian coughed, deep and rattling, hand clutched over his gut.
John said, “We need to be going.”
The girl and the olive-skinned man waved as the car moved away.
Sebastian poked inside a grocery bag. “Excellent. Now I don’t need to replace these jeans. It takes a lot of tips to earn $150.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “When those medics sliced up the pair I was wearing last night - I think it hurt worse to see them cut up the jeans than to see them cut open my own gut.”
John laughed. “You’re a materialistic shit, Balthazar.”
“Sebastian, if you please. And I’m not the one wearing the $1500 Armani suit.”
“No, you’re the one wearing my $1200 coat. And before you get wrong idea -- that was a loan, not a gift. I expect to get it back.”
“If you insist, Johnny. You’ll have to help me take it off, though, back at your place.”
John drove as if the car were filled with sleeping babies and eggs without cartons.
The only sounds were the hum of the air conditioner and the hiss of the tires on the road.
***
“Turn here.”
Surprised, Constantine looked at the now-awake Sebastian. “This isn’t our turn.”
“I want to go by Miguel’s place.”
Constantine shook his head. “I don’t think his family wants to see you.”
“I know,” said Sebastian. “I just want to look at the building for a minute.”
***
They pulled up outside the apartment building. Sebastian inclined his head, looking up towards the Allarde apartment several floors above.
Two figures stepped out of the main door of the building.
The first was a teenaged girl wearing jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, a headscarf pushed casually above her hairline. She saw the car, smiled and walked towards it, holding several plastic grocery bags.
Bending to look into the open window of the car, she looked over to John and said, “Hello.” Then she spoke to Sebastian in a language that, whatever it was, was not Spanish. It didn’t sound Latinate or Germanic.
Sebastian started to answer when John cut in. “Let’s keep this in English.”
The girl smiled at him. “I saved Mr. Sebastian’s things when the Allardes threw them out.” She handed the grocery bags through the window.
“Thanks,” said Sebastian.
“You are welcome,” she said. “I knew you would be coming back.”
John said, “Well, thanks for waiting for us.”
The girl said, “I didn’t have to wait. I knew you were coming. I Saw you before you got here.”
John and Sebastian glanced at each other.
“You’re that kid Miguel talked about,” said John. “The one from Egypt.”
“Jordan,” she said, and tilted her head quizzically. “You’re that Christian magician.” She pointed back towards the building, at an olive-skinned man watching them. “That’s my uncle. He’s from Jordan too. He is visiting us.”
With his Sight, Constantine saw - he wasn’t sure. No ghostly angel wings, no demonic glow of eyes. But the dark-haired man staring steadily back at him was no mere mortal; he radiated Power. Good or evil, it was impossible to tell.
The man who was more than a man inclined his head towards Constantine in a nod of acknowledgement.
The girl said, “Do you know about jinns?”
“Not too much,” said John, “but I’d guess I’m about to hear more about them.”
The girl smiled, showing uneven white teeth. “Oh yes, you should definitely learn more about jinns. Muslims believe that Allah created jinns after the angels but before He created mankind. Allah made the jinns out of fire. The word ‘jinn’ means ‘hidden one.’
“Allah gave the jinns free will. Some of the jinns became disobedient and became enemies of Allah. But not all jinns rebelled. One famous jinn was a baby who was saved after a battle between the angels and the evil jinns. This jinn became a very pious person and a leader among the host of Heaven.”
Sebastian said, “Aazazil.”
The girl grinned. “See? He knows. The angels never wanted mankind to be created. The angels said to Allah, ‘Why would you create these people, who will ruin the world and cause violence and evil?’ But Allah said to the angels, ‘I know what you do not know’ and He created humans in accordance with His plan.”
The girl pulled a strand of hair out of her eyes. “The angels have never really understood humankind. But the jinns -- they understand.”
Sebastian coughed, deep and rattling, hand clutched over his gut.
John said, “We need to be going.”
The girl and the olive-skinned man waved as the car moved away.
Sebastian poked inside a grocery bag. “Excellent. Now I don’t need to replace these jeans. It takes a lot of tips to earn $150.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “When those medics sliced up the pair I was wearing last night - I think it hurt worse to see them cut up the jeans than to see them cut open my own gut.”
John laughed. “You’re a materialistic shit, Balthazar.”
“Sebastian, if you please. And I’m not the one wearing the $1500 Armani suit.”
“No, you’re the one wearing my $1200 coat. And before you get wrong idea -- that was a loan, not a gift. I expect to get it back.”
“If you insist, Johnny. You’ll have to help me take it off, though, back at your place.”