It was early afternoon, the hottest and stickiest summer since Willy could last remember. Willy was outside his house with his brother Jay and the usual guys they hanged with. It will be 3 o’clock soon and he will be on his way to pick up his little sisters at school.
“Jay, give me the keys to the car. Ima go pick up the girls,” Willy says.
“I gotta go get some things in a few bro. Just walk”.
"Remember that car ain't just yours, it's both of ours," Willy replies.
Jay gave him them keys and told him not to take long. Willy leaves. Not just three blocks away from the school he notices that a black car with tinted windows has been following him, yet he continues. Suddenly, he stops at the red light right before reaching the elementary school. The doors slam. People dress in all black run and approach the car. The sounds of police sirens surrounded everything around Willy.
"Put your arms in the air and exit out of the vehicle”.
They were cops, many cops. But why? Willy hadn't done anything. Cheeks red, hands shaking he repeated what had he done. They began to search the car.
"What is this about? Y'all aren't going to find anything," Willy yells.
"Oh really? Explain this to the judge," A police man says.
Willy glances to the trunk where they were searching at, and was shocked at what was found. There was a party of guns and many drugs. Willy was rushed in the police car. Before he knew it, he was at the district. He couldn't believe this had happen to him. He knew there was no way out. Not at all. He knew for sure the things found weren't his. It was his brothers.
"Maybe if I went to school today, this would of never happened. I should of never insisted in taking the car. I should've just walked," He thought.
The morning came, and Willy was to be at court first thing. Willy seemed lost, confused, and barely listening to what was being said. The judge spoke, asked questions after questions and almost got Willy caught up in his own lie. Willy couldn't say it was his brothers. Not ever. He would rather take the blame. The decision was made. If Willy didn't want to speak up or say who was really responsible, he was obviously going to get charged. And he did. 30 years of prison, no further due. Willy was shipped away barely a week later.
He was established and not just a day later he is jumped by a bunch of dark men who had long beards and caps. Willy wakes up which to his understanding was lying in a doctors office.
"You were beaten very badly huh? Not a nice way to start off with just being here one day," the Doctor says.
Willy didn't remember anything but dropping to the floor after one punch. He looked at his face, not recognizing his own self.
"They got me good huh doc?”
"You'll be fine son.”
Days pass. Weeks pass. Months pass. One day while going to lunch, Willy see’s that a few of the guys he remembered the day he got jumped. They were approaching him. They apologized. They all seemed to realize and analyze that Willy was just a child, just an 18 year old boy. Willy says it's fine and they begin to conversate. They ask why he was in jail and Willy tells them. Amused that such a young man will take the blame for such a thing surprised them all. They felt sorry.
"Allah is good, son. Have faith and he will overcome everything. You're gonna be out of here before you know it. He knows you aren't guilty," one of the men said.
"Allah? Who's that?" Willy asks.
"Yes. Our beautiful Allah. Don't tell me you never heard of him. Can't you see we're all Muslim."
They begin to talk and talk. Willy was so interested. He never knew about any religion. Not even about any god. He began to hear about the beautiful things Allah does spiritually and the miracles.
“I remember this one time, my brother-in-law Abdullah got in a very bad car accident. Doctor’s didn't assure him, they said he wouldn't make it. It was really bad, between life and death. Everyone lost hope, but he didnt. Allah woke him up from that hospital bed. Boy, did his presence appeared that night in that room and caused that beautiful miracle. He was walking and doing everything for himself in no time. Nobody couldn't explain such a thing, but Abdullah knew who was with him all along,” another man spoke.
Willy was so interested, anticipated and inspired.
Times goes by, and everyday Willy sank more into the Muslim religion. Willy learned about everything. The culture, the religion, and the bible. He grew to understand everything he once never even heard of. He suddenly felt like he was meant to be there. As if he was meant to get locked up that one afternoon because he knew Allah held something great for him. He knew Allah wanted him to follow his ways. Maybe if things didn't go the way they did he would of never knew about this god he now adored more than anything.
Willy knew it was time. He made the decision he been wanting to make. He got baptized and becomes a Muslim. Him and Allah were now one. He was part of him and now he knew for sure right by his side is where he'd belong. He prayed to his god everyday, faithfully, various times. He read the bible more and more everyday, learning and seeing aspects of life he never thought of before.
Willy couldn't believe himself that such a thing existed. He begins to wear that cap, that he came to know wasn't just a cap but it was called a Doppah, which was a practice a muslim man must follow. He also began to let his beard grow, that he came to know wasn't just a long beard but it showed that you were following the path of the prophet.
His family visited him very often. They didn't seem to approve Willy's new ways or who he was becoming as a person but that didn't matter to him. He knew who his god was and he was sure to never let go. After a year, Willy was scheduled for court on a surprise notice. That morning before court, he seemed to feel different. He felt good. At court, the judge went on and on and says today was his lucky day. Due to on go investigation, Willy was found innocent of all charges. Willy was blessed. He cried and thanked his god. He knew it wasn't the judged that freed him from those 30 years, it was Allah. He was now branched down to simply do 5 years for knowing who the things belonged to not speaking up in the first place.
Willy now believed in Allah more than what he did before. He had faith, he had hope. All he thought about was all this prayers being answered and his promise to his beautiful Allah. He promised that if Allah helped him through this difficult time, he will follow Allah's footsteps for the rest of his life. Willy now was more thankful than he ever was for anything in his life. He now promised to be the Muslim man he'd become, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of his days; no matter what crossed his life or what anyone said or did. Allah changed his life forever.