Sometimes Wisdom Does Not Come With Old Age
by YBLalat

Often times, especially after classes, Kamal - a peer of mine - would hang out for hours at my apartment; enjoying the cable TV and taking an in-between classes' nap. One day, a few hours past noon and out of the ordinary, there was no food whatsoever in the house and the grumblings of his stomach gradually became part of the background sound.

Kamal: Lalat, have you eaten anything yet?
Lalat: Nope - why?
Kamal: Aren't you starving? I mean, come on, it's way past lunch.
Lalat: Well, quite frankly - yes. Isn't there something in the freezer?
Kamal: No, nothing.
Lalat: You've checked the freezer already?
Kamal: Of course. If not, would I be complaining to you then?
Lalat: Hm...any ideas?
Kamal: McD is always reliable, right?
Lalat: Okay then.
Kamal: Alrighty then, here we go!
Lalat: But I haven't prayed my Zohor yet. Wait a minute, eh?
Kamal: Aww...man. Okay, I'll be on the internet for a while.

Kamal and I have been together (not in that gay manner, mind you!) for a very long time now. Since we shared the same major at the U, often would others bump into us walking and returning to class or doing homework together. Although I do admit that we are somewhat very close friends (me having seeing him naked before and all), we don't exactly share the same way of thinking and understanding of the way world works.

Lalat: Hey, Kamal, come on. Let's go.
Kamal: Already? Have you prayed or not?
Lalat: Yes, I have - let's go.
Kamal: What? So fast already you finished your Zohor?
Lalat: Yes, you fuck! Are you deaf already?
Kamal: But...less than 2 minutes?
Lalat: Can we go now?
Kamal: Do you know that Zohor is a 4-rakaat prayer? And the zikr?
Lalat: What is the issue here, bitch? Let's go, I am hungry.
Kamal: No, no. You just pray again, man. Just pray calmly. I'll wait, I'll wait.
Lalat: Hey, what the hell is this? What do you want from me?
Kamal: I do not want to be the reason you prayed your Zohor not seriously.
Lalat: What the fuck? What did you do to my real Kamal?
Kamal: That's okay, I'll wait, I'll wait. You just go and pray.
Lalat: Hey, listen to me. I have been praying my daily prayers since I was a small kid, okay. And now, I am 21 years old - I am already an expert! Vast experience! It's just 'natural' that when you've been doing something repeatedly for a very long period of time, you would do the same task again, faster and more effecient. Okay?
Kamal: What the fuck? Where did you get that shit?
Lalat: Hey - it's true, right? Can we go now?