CHAPTER THREE

Day One of the Lion Hunt

After a quick discussion with Zayn, Ibrahim called home to get permission to spend the night at Yusuf’s house. Zayn’s job was to research the surrounding woods both on-line and in his parent’s vast library. The boys rode home together since Ibrahim still had to go home and get his things. His dad had agreed to bring him back later that evening.

“Do you want me to drop off my fishing net?” Zayn asked his cousin.

“You want me to catch a lion with a fishing net?” Ibrahim replied, slightly out of breath. “Besides, I don’t plan on catching anything tonight.”

“You don’t?” Zayn asked, a little surprised.

“No, tonight I’ll be a fly on the wall. I want to hear what Yusuf’s been hearing,” Ibrahim explained. As he wiped the sweat off his forehead, he looked over at Zayn’s new bike. “Why is it you’re pedalling less than me but going the same speed?”

“If the famous detective Ibrahim Khan can’t figure it out, how am I supposed to know?” Zayn teased as he rode off to the right, heading to his house.

Ibrahim just shook his head as he continued up the street deep in thought about Yusuf, lions and hyenas.

“Call me in the morning when you want to be picked up,” Ibrahim’s dad told him, as he helped him carry his sleeping bag to Yusuf’s front door.

“Thanks Abbu!” Ibrahim said, as he waved from the front porch. Tomorrow was Saturday and Ibrahim knew he’d be missing his mamma’s famous waffles in the morning.

“Oh well,” he shrugged. “Being a detective isn’t always easy.”

Once again, before Ibrahim had the chance to ring the door bell, the door was opened by Yusuf.

“Assalamu ‘Alaykum,” Yusuf greeted Ibrahim with a small smile.

“Wa‘alaykum as-Salam,” Ibrahim answered.

“So you’re Ibrahim, eh?” came a voice from the kitchen. Ibrahim looked over and saw Yusuf’s big brother Kamran sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of ice cream.

“Just ignore him,” Yusuf whispered, as he carried Ibrahim’s sleeping bag in.

“I heard from lil’ Yusuf here that you’re going to catch the big bad giraffe in our yard,” Kamran teased, as he started laughing loudly.

Yusuf quickly dragged Ibrahim the rest of the way up before he had a chance to reply.

“I guess he doesn’t believe you either?” Ibrahim asked, as Yusuf closed the door behind them.

“No, no one does,” Yusuf sighed. “But you’ll see for yourself tonight. Then you can tell everyone I’m telling the truth!”

Yusuf had cleared up a little and there was now enough room for Ibrahim to set up his sleeping bag under the large window that overlooked the back yard. He pulled out his brown sack which carried all the surveillance equipment he’d need for the night.

“You don’t mind if I leave the window open a crack do you?” Ibrahim asked. “I’m going to have to run a few wires through the window,” he explained.

“Do whatever you need to,” said Yusuf. “Say, is that your famous brown sack?” he asked. “I heard the boys at school talking about it. One of the boys in grade two thought it was magic!”

“It’s a special padded bag actually, not magical at all,” replied Ibrahim. “I’ll have to ask you not to look in it though, a detective has to have some secrets,” he said with a smile.

Ibrahim continued to set up the delicate-looking equipment both in Yusuf’s room and out on his window sill, while Yusuf got ready for ‘Isha’. As the boys prayed Ibrahim thought he heard something outside but ignored it and continued his salah.