âGuess Iâll have to ask a pal to fabricate evidence then,â Ibrahim gave her his widest smile. He still had a few friends in the army, but none of them from the Pentagon. If he stayed in touch with people, it was only with those in his corps. âYou should see me without the beard, I still look like that little kid when I shave it off,â he scratched at the back of his neck then shot her a glance, and a smile. âAnd you, well you ⊠still donât look like a lady,â he shook his head as laughter took over. She had, however grown into a beautiful woman.
âI think my mother kept those school class photos, should have brought those out. I heard that the guy who kept threatening to hit us after class ended up becoming a teacher, and now Iâm just glad I donât have kids.â Ibrahim used to reply that he wasnât interested in those plans, and never had once been hit by that idiot.
âWhy, you wanna hire me, or you wanna scam me?â That would make things even more complicated, either way. Still, Ibrahim didnât stand against anything the Brotherhood did, and their ideas certainly served his ideals more than the Syndicate ever would. But he had always been the loyal type, like a hound, one might say, and there was no switching sides possible, even for the sake of old friendships. âIâd say we organize a match, but thereâs,â including the big boss, âmaybe 5 guys I know of you could play soccer properly,â and that was because they had Europeans folks in the faction.
He smiled. None of that would have been true a year ago. âI can thank my jamilata for that. I sort of had abandoned those things whenâŠâ It wasnât so much of a difficult subject. But Ibrahim had regrets sometimes. Maybe if he hadnât been so difficult then, perhaps he could have done something else with his life. Music conservatory could have been an option, and would have allowed to move around a bit. But perhaps he would have ended up bored out of his mind. Guess heâd never know.
âThat glow of romance?â One eyebrow raised in slight judgement, but he still nodded along. âSheâs so fucking beautiful, Ărsula, â his choice of words might have not been the most poetic, the air on his face bore an air of endearment and longing as he pictured himself Nora in his head, down to the last freckle on her face. âSheâsâŠâ He sighed. There were things he couldnât say, like her job, her name, where she lived, even if that was where he lived. âWonderful,â obviously. âClever, caring, adventurous, sheâs not afraid to speak up, sheâŠâ he paused. Alright, he could go on for a while. The realization of that made him smile. âDonât. I sound like an idiot and I know it,â he laughed.
âYou really had to make that one painting explode, huh?â he leaned back into his chair, taking a long drag from his cigarette. Heh, at least this shit show had led to coming clean to Nora. Silver linings and all. âWorld peace, huh? By making old dried paint explode?â He raised an eyebrow. He shouldnât have mocked her for having ideals, not when he shut down his own. âSounds interesting.â
âSee, I donât doubt that you could - I would however, have to try and prove that you were a bedwetter.â Which, to the extent of Ărsulaâs knowledge, probably wasnât true - not that it stopped her from grinning at the thought, anyway. âReally? Iâm going to have to pay someone to shave it off in your sleep, so youâre little Ziani once more.â She could still picture him as a little kid, sleeping in a twin sized bed. âAnd I hope that means I look more like a fearsome, menacing, otherworldly spectre, whoâd frighten the most menacing member of your little crew.â Little crew, was easier than naming the Syndicate by its name; it minimised the divide between them. âBut seriously? A teacher? Why do the worst people end up in the most important professions? I still think youâd make a great dad, though.â
 In another life, in a different lifestyle, at least; Ibrahim possessed the discipline, but the tenderness, to parent well - she knew that years had past, and the qualities she assigned to him, may no longer existed. But in her heart, Ursula felt she was right. âHire you, scam you - same difference, right? But I donât think I could even afford you. You only get paid in millions, in cash.â A gross exaggeration, perhaps - though she knew he pulled in far more money than the Brotherhood ever would. âFive guys? Iâll refrain from making the joke. Your five guys and my able bodied five guys, is plenty enough for an amateur game. How about the winnings are a cool four hundred million or so?â Sheâd long lost count of how much exactly the Syndicate had lost that night.Â
  âI know... in my own way, I know.â Their paths had taken immeasurable turns, his fraught with pains and strife, that she herself had never known. It played so deeply into why even now, as they sat across from one anotherâs, strangers in every sense but feeling, that Ărsula could not cast judgement against him, nor question his choices, from any sense of moral high ground. She didnât have any, if sheâd wanted to. âYour cheeks are rosy, youâre giggly, and you move around like a man in love.....dare I say, a man gone soft?â So he wasnât exactly skipping and twirling his hair - but when Ibrahim sat still, Ărsula could see something in his face, that she hadnât seen for a long time. Happiness. Joy. âShe sounds like a fucking dream, really - Iâm hoping youâre going to have a huge Thanksgiving, so I can bring some pictures of you as a preteen....or if I can at least hunt her down, to take a glimpse of this beautiful woman. How long has it been going on? God, I sound my like grandmother.â Which meant she was deeply happy for her friend, and deeply, deeply, nosy about the specifics. âIt was for dramatic effect! What, should we have excused ourselves and gently kicked it over or something?âÂ
  If there was one thing Ărsula was going to do, it was make anything she did, very loud. âIâll have you know old paint is a symbol of the old worlds - Iâm kidding, Iâm kidding. Itâs phase one of five million, though. Iâll string you along into one of our plans, one day. Maybe if my Boss gives your Boss a strip tease, we can all be buddies again and rob a bank, as a family. Us for principles, you guys for hard earned cash.âÂ
