The khan family sat in the living room one evening enjoying one another's company, and some trashy soap opera that Mr. Khan loves to watch for what ever reason. They often tried to enjoy more evenings with each other recently since Aamir would be moving out after he got married.
An hour or so goes by I which Mr. and Mrs. Khan go up to bed just leaving Kamala and Aamir. Kamala is drawing yet another page full of Captan Marvel doodles. Aamir was sitting in an arm chair playing some sort of game when frantic knocking erupts at the door the two siblings jump up. Kamala jumps for the door, but Aamir pushes her back lightly not wanted his sister to get hurt if it be something bad. The knocking at the door continues and Aamir becomes closer Kamala following behind.
He opens the door to find a bloody and bruised Bruno. "im so sorry" bruno hardly gets out choking back tears.
"Bruno!?" Kamala almost yells as she jumps in front of Aamir to help her best friend. She lets him in and guides him to the couch. "Bruno what happened to you?" Kamala asks so gently. She has known Bruno since 2nd grade and has only seen him cry four times but it's never been this bad.
bruno attempts to suck in a deep breath "mugged" was the only thing he managed to get out before burying his face into his knees. sobs racked his body and he shook so badly. Neither Kamala nor Aamir had any words. Aamir slipped away hopefully to find the first aid kit.
Kamala plopped down next to Bruno on the couch wrapping her arm around him and pulling him in. "it's gonna be okay" she whispered not knowing what else to do.
"What's going on down there is everything alright?" Mr. Khan calls from upstairs, but doesn't wait for a response before coming down to see what all the noise was about.When Yusuf turned the corner he found the last thing he could have ever imagined. "Bruno? what's going on what's the matter?" Muneeba followed closely after her husband also in the same amount of shock he was in. She went off to find all the things to flee Bruno up with without a word.
Bruno felt helpless he was burdening the entire Khan family at 11;43pm. he tried to stand up and get going while mumbling about leaving but Kamala pulled him back down " Are you crazy you think your going home right now!? what else happened bruno?"
He didn't like how helpless he felt crying like a baby in front of everyone how pathetic. "I uh I " he struggled.
"What were you doing out walking so late in jersey city of all places?" Mr Khan asked him.
it took Bruno a second to get his answer " my nonna and I had a fight." he replies in a small voice. "T-then when I was out I got mugged but I l-I didn't have" Bruno sucked a harsh breath in but it got stuck "a-anything they b-beat me." he revealed but his breathing now came more in gaspy spurts with new tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. it finally hit him he was alone all alone; his Nonna only cared for him because leagly she had too.
Mrs Khan comes back with Aamir a first aid kit a bucket of water a rag and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. "Sit down Bruno let us help you". she says in a loving motherly way which is the only way she ever spoke to him. She knew he had family troubles so she always looked out for him as if he were her own.Bruno sits down reluctantly. "Where are you hurt?" Mrs khan asks. She can see that he has: a busted lip, a bloody nose, gash on the side of his had ( presumably from the road), skinned knees and shins, bloody palms, and a black eye forming, But she wanted to know if there was any under his shirt she did not want to make his uncoomftourble and just ask him to take his shirt off.
"Not that I can feel." he replies softly sound ever so broken it made Muneevas heart break for the boy. She dabbed the wash rag in the bowl of warm water and wiped away the blood from his nose, then took the peroxide and cleaned out the scrape on his face carefully cheching for debris. Kamala sat right next to Bruno holding his hand tightly.
He doesn't know how long he has been sitting there but Aamir is standing in front of him with a pair of pj pants and an old t-shirt " here you can put these on. Do you need help walking to the bathroom? you banged your head pretty hard my mom wants to get your checked fro a concision right away in the morning." Aamir liked to talk almost as much as Kamala did , all the talking was making his head throb. Where was mrs Khan and Kamala he thought and mr Khan? he cold faintly hear people talking in the kitchen and pots and pans clattering.
"No thank you Aamir, but thank you."he responded taking the clothes from Aamir, but as soon as he stood up the world around him began to spin.
" Dude I asked if you needed help no shame in saying yes. you just got mugged no one expects for you to be okay right away.'
Kamala comes back into the living room with Bruno sitting on the couch. " lookin good Bruno" she gushers to the dinosaur pj pants he wa wearing and a t-shirt from some random collage. 'How are you doing. I mean like all things considered."
He looks at her with sad eyes " IM sorry for bothering all of you I should have never came." Kamala looked appalled at that statement.
"Bruno, I not even going to lie to you I think my parents love you more than they love me." she says with a chuckle "no but seriously if they didn't love you my mom wouldn't be cooking for you right now." His eyes widened
"she doesn't need to do that it's- wait what time is it!?"
"1:30am"
"no no no stop go to bed you all need to go to bed ill he'd home." Bruno starts to get up.
Kamala pushes him back down " Bruno I know this isn't how your family does things but in the Khan household we take care of one another and that includes you. come here." she holds her arms out and embrasse him "you are my best friend and I love you no matter what."