It Wasn't Me

Layth loved his football cards. So when Layan picked them up off the floor and put them "somewhere safe," he had a problem.

Somewhere safe always meant somewhere he couldn't find them.

Layth tiptoed down the hall.

Somewhere safe was probably Layan's room. He had figured that out a long time ago. Where in her room was the problem.

Layth searched the drawers. The shelves. The cushions.

And there. In plain site. On the edge of the dresser. His football cards.

Right next to Layan's snow globe.

Got them.

Layth grabbed the cards and turned to leave as stealthily as he came in.

But his elbow caught the snow globe.

The snow globe wobbled. Left. Right. Left. Layth held his breath.

It tipped. And it fell.

CRACK.

"No no no no no!" Layth tried a tissue. It went squish. He tried a book. It went squish. Everything was squishing.

The snow globe was still leaking.

Layth got down on the carpet. One fleck. Then another. Then another.

He could fix this. He had to.

"Layth!" Layan called from downstairs.

Layth froze, he had to think of an idea, fast. He shoved the snow globe under his shirt and walked to the door very, very normally.

Layth casually walked to his room and hid the snow globe in his sock drawer.

He closed the drawer. Then he opened it. Then he closed it again.

Layan came back to her room.

She saw the wet patch. The fleck of snow. The empty spot on the dresser.

Then she saw the footprints leading out the door.

Layan tried not to smile.

Knock knock knock.

"Layth?" called Layan. "I'm not here," Layth called back.

"Have you seen my snow globe?"

"What snow globe? I've never seen a snow globe. What's a snow globe?"

A pause.

"Okay," said Layan. "I'm going to ask Mama."

"Wait!" Layth called.

Too late. Layan was gone.

Layth ran to his tent and zipped it shut.

The treehouse was warm and cosy.

Sir Jad was acting out a story with an acorn. KitKat was sleeping. Sofia was reading a very tiny book.

Layth dropped onto his cushion. "I broke Layan's snow globe."

"Okay okay okay, no big deal," said Sir Jad. "Was it already cracked?"

"No," said Layth.

"Was there an earthquake?"

"No."

"Was it old and fragile and basically waiting to break?"

Layth looked at his shoes. "It was fine."

Sofia closed her very small book.

The treehouse went quiet.

"Layth. Did you tell Layan it was you?"

Layth's voice was small. "I said I didn't know what a snow globe was."

"SEE!" Sir Jad started. "That's not technically..."

"Sir Jad."

"I'll be quiet."

Sofia picked up an acorn. "The first lie. 'I don't know what a snow globe is.'"

She placed another on top. "But then your sister asks where you were. So you need another lie."

She placed another. "And then Mama asks why your shirt is wet. Another lie."

The acorns wobbled.

And another. And another.

The acorns wobbled some more. They tipped. They fell.

One bounced off Sir Jad's nose.

The treehouse was quiet again.

Sofia looked at Layth. "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: truthfulness leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Jannah."

Layth looked at his hands. He knew what he had to do.

KitKat opened both eyes. "She already knows, habibi. She's just waiting for you to tell her yourself."

Layth stood up. "Will you come with me?"

"You don't need us for this part," said Sofia.

Sir Jad gave a thumbs up. KitKat blinked slowly.

Layth went back to the tent.

Layth walked down the hallway.

At the window, there was Sir Jad. Three floors up. (How did he get up here?) Waving and grinning.

Layth shooed him off and kept walking.

Layth knocked on Layan's door.

"Come in," said Layan.

Layth went in. He held out the snow globe with both hands. The words came out in one breath:

"I broke it. I was looking for my football cards and I knocked it and it cracked and I tried to fix it and I couldn't and then I hid it and I lied to you and I'm really sorry Layan. I'm really really sorry."

Layan put the snow globe on her desk. She opened her arms.

"Come here."

Layth went to her. Layan hugged him.

"Thank you for telling me the truth. That was the brave thing."

"Is it from somewhere special?" Layth asked.

"Baba brought it back from Al-Quds. From the Old City."

Layth's eyes got glassy. "I'll save all my money to buy you a new one. I have four riyals. And a button."

Layan laughed. "The button might be enough."

Layan tilted the snow globe. The flecks of snow swirled around the masjid.

"I think it's still beautiful," she said.

"Because it has a story now?" asked Layth.

"Exactly."

Layth reached into his pocket and held out his palm.

Inside were fake snow flecks. And his football cards.

"I saved them," he said. "For you."

Layan laughed and laughed.