I Am Reever

By Morsheda Amin

Reever is a six years old boy who lives with his sister and mother. He has radical thoughts and ideas about life that fascinate all grown ups. It appears that he is not a cute little boy, rather a child activist at heart. His cousin Geoffrey is his playmate and dream sharer. Later on, in their teenage years, they together decided to impact the world communicating truth using all social media platforms. It is a story of a boy who has great desires for greatness, and his heart is a center of singularly unified life. He is playful, passionate and has a great sense of humor. It is impossible not to love him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669812463

Morsheda Amin

I love poetry. I have been admiring poetry since I was a child. The admiration put me in front of one question: where does the feeling of love come from? I used to look in the beauty of sky to find my answer. I looked at the beauty of roses to find my answer. It took a long, long time for me to realize that I am magic and I am made of love with so much creative potential inside of me. Now I look back and laugh at my confused mind. It was not actually my fault that I couldn’t see my power like a tree doesn’t think about the fertility of the soil. But we human beings need to think about our power so we can use it righteously better. Now I am a thinker of “magical human inside.” I am fascinated by the magic and write my fascination through my writing.

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Copyright © 2022 by Morsheda Amin.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/15/2022

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CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Fifth

Chapter Six

Chapter Seventh

CHAPTER ONE

The big brick house is full of people. Aunts, uncles came from multiple cities. Reever is trying to see the ceiling of the house standing in the crowds. He sees only the legs of the tall people. He got scared and started crying. His ten years old cousin took him to his mother. Mother asked him if he could eat breakfast. He said that he had breakfast. Mother looks ugly because she is crying too. Reever noticed that no one was paying attention to him. He came out of the house into the garden. Outside is bearing a magnificent spring. Reever is six years old and he can walk and run perfectly. He is running through the garden and trying to catch butterflies. There are hundreds of colors of butterflies. Among them, Reever is chasing a red one. The red one looks like his elder sister’s hair ribbon. He is running behind the butterfly. He came by a lake before he knew it. A man wearing a red hat is fishing at the lake. The butterfly went in the middle of the lake. Reever said butterfly. The man who was fishing followed the eyesight of Reever.

The man asked, who are you?

I am Reever.--said Reever while making a big conscious distance between him and the man.

I am Jay. I am a hunter and fisherman.--the man introduced himself.

What does a hunter do?--asked Reever.

A hunter catches animals.--said the man.

What is in your bucket?--asked Reever.

The man said, the fish I catch I put them in the bucket.

Reever asked, can I see the fish?

The man opened the lid of the bucket and showed Reever the fish in it. Reever saw fish swimming in the bucket water.

Can I have a fish? We have a fish tank.--asked Reever.

The man brings out a plastic bag and puts a fish in the bag with water. He gave it to Reever. Reever ran back to his house. The man follows him from a distance. He saw that Reever got into a brick house. So he is the child from this house. The man is relieved and comes back to fishing. In the house Reever is looking for a chair so he can drop the fish in the fish tank standing on it. First he hides the fish under the dining table. Then he brings a dining chair to the fish tank. The tank has no cover. He dropped a three inch long white fish in the tank. The fish is swimming perfectly fine along with other fishes. The atmosphere of the house didn’t change a bit. Mom, dad, uncles, aunts, cousins all are crying the same. They hug one another and begin to cry again. Reever hears the exciting sound of hunting. Reever came out of the house again and started running towards the man again.

Jay smiled and asked, do you want to sit next to me for a while.

No--said Reever.

Reever said from a distance, can I hunt?

Jay laughed and said, I go hunting in the deep forest. Most people hate hunting, but I don’t because I don’t have prejudice or regret.

Reever needs to say something. He said, people who cry regret, right?

Jay is shocked. He said, I think you are correct about it.

I don’t cry, not when the doctor gives me a shot.--said Reever.

You are like me. One day you and I will go hunting.--said Jay.

Reever asked, when are you going? I want to go today.

Jay said, you have to grow up a little bit. A strong, grown body can balance with the animals’ speed of running, and with the sound of a shot.

I like burgers but not vegetables. Will eating vegetables help me to grow faster?--asked Reever.

Yes. vegetables, meat, rice, beans, water, minerals all you need to be a nicely grown man.--said Jay.

Reever said, I like cold water and I eat small ice cubes.

Jay doesn’t know why Reever said that. Maybe eating cold ice cubes is a very challenging task for him and he is trying to prove that he can do something challenging. Hunting can be included in his challenge recipient capacity nicely. He is trying to remember what he did with the ice cubes when he was a little boy. He remembers he ate popsicles. The colorful art in the popsicles seems a little less interesting compared to Reever’s skill of swallowing ice cubes. Jay sees that Reever likes him a lot. He reminded Reever, don’t you think you should go home. You mom may be looking for you.

My mom is crying.--said Reever.

Why?--asked Jay.

Somebody died.--said Reever.

Oh no. don’t you feel bad for your mommy?--asked Jay.

My daddy is crying too. What happens when people die?--asked Reever.

Jay said, we don’t see them around us anymore.

Is it bad not to see someone any more?--asked Reever.

If you don’t see me tomorrow, you will miss me. It is like that.--said Jay.

You have to come here. We are going hunting together.--said Reever.

Yes, I will come. Now go inside your house.--Jay almost requested Reever to go home.

Reever listened to Jay and came home. It is lunch time. Kids are served with food. One of Reaver’s aunts is looking for Reever. When she found Reever around her, she asked if he was hungry. Aunt served him macaroni cheese. Reever doesn’t want macaroni cheese. He wants meat and vegetables. Aunt cooked steaks and mixed vegetables with a wonder in her mind. Kids act weird in times of difficulties. She told Reever that tomorrow they all are going to the cemetery because they have to bury his great grandmother who died yesterday. The great grandma was a celebrity. This is why people from every corner of the town came to say their condolences. Grandma was a famous actress. Reever came to his mother. Mother showed him a framed picture of a beautiful young lady and told him that it was his great granny when she was young. Reever looked at the picture and asked his mother what happened to his great granny. Mother told him from now on he is not going to see her again. He understands that there is some serious loss around not being able to see her. He actually came to his mother to say that he has a pet fish which he kept in the fish tank. There are many people in the crowd who are seeing Reever for the first time. Some say he looks like his mother. Some are saying he got his father’s look. Reever went to her sister’s bedroom where there is a dressing room with a wall to wall mirror. He locked the door of the dressing room and began observing himself in the mirror. The boy in the mirror became his friend. He told the boy what happened today. He told the mirror boy that he is going to be a hunter. A hunter fights with a tiger and then kills it. Reever starts acting as if he is already a hunter. He killed an imaginary tiger and showed the dead tiger to the mirror boy. The mirror boy is jealous because he can’t get out of the mirror. He told the mirror boy that tomorrow he is going to bury great grandma in the cemetery. Even though Reever has no idea what a cemetery is, he describes it as a very respectful place. At one point he starts to dominate the boy in the mirror with his knowledge. He told the mirror boy not to cry. If he cries he will never be able to be a hunter. A hunter never cries. Then he told the mirror boy about the fish. Reever showed him how a fish swims in the water. Then he wears his sister’s scarf and tells the mirror boy how some fish have fins like fabrics. Reever describes Jay as a mysterious man who came to the earth from a forest and no one knows the address of the forest. The forest is on the other side of the ocean. He is trying to prove that the world is full of difficulties and this world needs a boy like Reever and a man like Jay. When he thinks that he said everything to the mirror boy, he comes down to the fish tank to see how the fish is doing. The fish is swimming fine and chasing other small fishes. Reever is very pleased with the fish. He went to see the kittens in one of their basement rooms. Their cat Miska got five kittens last week. Kittens were closed eyed babies when they were born. Reever found most of the kittens open their eyes. Not only that they start playing around their mother. He told them that his great grandma died. Tomorrow he is going to bury her. He drugs a kitten by the tale. He is dragging all the kittens on the floor by their tales. Miska is patient with his wild curiosity. When Reever is seriously wild, Miska scratches him on his legs. Reever is bleeding. He is in pain but trying not to cry. But finally he has to cry because the wound is hurting him so badly. One of his cousin’s sisters found him bleeding. She asked him if he fell. She took him to the bathroom to put some antiseptic ointment and band aids. His sister got him a brand new puzzle and left him alone. He came upstairs with the puzzle and opened the box. His one year older cousin came alone. They together make cars, houses, and whales with the pieces of puzzles. As they make stuff, Reever told his cousin what it means to be a hunter. His cousin promised to get some stickers of the hunter for his younger brother.Then they went to see the fish and kittens together. Next day they went together to the funeral service and from there to the cemetery. In the cemetery they found a tomb with angels and a sculpture of a hunter. They recognize the statue as a hunter because it has a bow and arrow in its hand. Hunter hunts with a bow and arrow –one of the brothers informs the other brother. They run, jump, and play in the cemetery wearing black tuxedos. Someone came and gave them two white roses to put in the great grandma’s grave. As he asked, they did it. People around the cemetery look like the bounce of red ants hidden in black capes.To Reever life is full of possibilities. He breathes in air full of dreams and breathes out doubts. Reever’s cousin Geoffrey saw a butterfly floating towards him. He challenges Reever if he can catch it, he will give one hundred hunter stickers. The butterfly brought them to a pond with a sprinkling fountain in the middle. Their chased butterfly disappeared in the sprinkled water. Geoffrey starts to throw rocks in the middle of the pond at the fountain. Reever is following him. They are competing to see who can hit the baby angel which is placed in the center of the fountain. They are running backward to grow some gravity and coming forward to throw the rock. Geoffrey miscalculated to measure the ground under his feet and fell in the pond. He is floating on the water while holding the creeping grass by the pond bank. There is nobody around them, not even a watch man. Reever looked around and found a long dry tree branch. He gave the other end of the branch to Geoff. Geoffrey has no courage to shift his hand from grass to a dry tree branch. Reever is screaming on the top of his lungs saying’ you have to do that Geoff." Geoffrey holds the tree branch. Reever lie down on the ground because the other side of the branch is heavy. He keeps screaming and encouraging Geofrey to come out of the water. It happens that Geoff found ground under his feet. He managed to come out of the water. Then he lies down on the ground like Reever. They hugged each other lying down. Geoffrey asked Reever not to tell this to anyone. Reever promised he would not tell this to anyone. They came to the burial event. Everyone asked them why they were all dirty. They said that they were playing by the pond. When it is time to come back home, no one wants them in their car because there is thick mud all over them. Geoffrey’s mother wiped them down with kitchen tissue which she had in the car trunk. As she cleans, she slaps the kids softly on their back. She complains that she has no time to pray because of these noughty boys. Coming home, Reever feels more grounded with himself. He actually can rescue someone. He went to his sister’s dressing room and stood in front of the mirror. He told the mirror boy that he is the most intelligent one in the world. He saved his cousin. He can do anything he wants to do. He has all the bravery in the world like a hunter. Reever sang a song for the mirror boy. He is really very happy for himself. He came out of the dressing room singing a song he just made up. At the dining table at dinner time, Reever demands meat and vegetables again. His mother is happy because her son is actually eating something. Next morning he woke up early and went to the garden to see if he could see Jay from a distance. The outside is foggy and cloudy. He has to wait until the sun comes out to meet Jay. but mommy reminded Reever that he has to go to school. He missed his school for a few days. He refused to go to school. It won’t take a second to make up an excuse for him not to go to school. Reever told his mom that his tummy hurts. Mom said it is because he is eating too much steak lately. Mom believed his son perfectly. Reever looks through the window lying in the bed. He is waiting for the sun to come out fully. The sun came out exactly at eleven o’clock. When mom is busy making lunch for the family and the rest of the other people are busy packing up for their flight, Reever goes to the garden again. He is being very mischievous. He ran to come by the lake. Yes Jay is sitting there fishing. Reever says hi to him. Jay hi back.

Jay asked, why don’t you go to school?

My tummy hurts because I eat too much steak.--replied Reever.

Oh, so what are you going to do today?--asked Jay.

I saved Jeoffrey from drowning.--said Reever.

Jay said, you are very brave. I see you have everything in you to be a hunter.

Do hunters go to the gym?-- asked Reever.

Yes, they eat well. Go to the gym and love everybody around them. They love themselves while loving everybody else.--said Jay.

Do you love your mom? your cousin?--asked Reever.

Jay laughed and said, I play with my cousin and love my mom.

I do the same.--said Reever.

You have to go to school tomorrow. Will you miss me?--asked Jay.

I will miss you so much. Can you come here after I come back from school?-- asked Reever.

I can come on Saturdays and Sundays.--said Jay.

I have football and swimming these days.--said Reever.

Oh, okay I will come in the afternoon.--said Jay.

What do you do? My dad is a lawyer. He argues in court.--Reever said it so he can know about Jay.

Jay said, I write books. I work from home and occasionally I go hunting.

I am going to second grade next year. I want to go to school riding my bicycle--Reever introduced himself elaborately

Do you like to study?--asked Jay.

Reever said, I like to read books. My mom brings books for me from the library.

You have a very good mommy.--said Jay.

Yes. My mommy works at the hospital. She is a doctor.--said Reever.

Do you have a sister?--asked Jay.

Yes, I have a sister. She is tall like my mommy.--replied Reever.

All these conversations Reever has done from a distance. He still considers Jay as a likable stranger. And Jay respects his judgment.

I think you should go inside your home. Your mommy may be looking for you."--said Jay.

Will you come here in the afternoon?"--asked Reever.

Jay said, yes.

Reever ran back to his house. His mother caught him at the entrance of the house. He told his mother that he was chasing butterflies. Mother asked about his tummy pain. She went to get her medical stethoscope. Reever hates to be checked up. He went on hiding. The guests in the house are leaving one by one. Cars start one after another and Reever’s mother says bye to them, wishing to see them soon. Reever’s best cousin Geoffery lives close by. He doesn’t take an airplane ride to get back home. Still Geoffrey is leaving today too. Before he leaves, Reever wants to play with him in the garden. He called Geoffrey standing at the landing of the staircase. Geoffrey came out of one of the bedrooms with a football in his hand. They appeared in the garden. Reever brings Jay to Geoffrey’s attention. Reever said that the man is a hunter. In response, Geoffrey said a hunter rides on horseback while he holds his bows and arrows. He adds that the man seems like a fisherman. What actually is happening here Reever and Geoffrey are seeing different things even though they are watching the same thing. Reever doesn’t want to introduce Geoffrey to Jay. He doesn’t want his magic to go away. They play together for a while. Then they come home to play spiderman with water guns. In the evening when Geoffrey is supposed to leave, Reever goes to hide himself because he feels like crying. He doesn’t show his tears to anybody else. His mother can’t figure out why he does what he does. Reever looks at the evening sky sitting at his room’s window. Still there are pink clouds in the sky. The air is filled with the smell of garlic. Street lights are on. In a bit, Reever is sobbing. He is sobbing because he loves everything. His mother now really begins to believe that Reever has bad tummy aches. Surprise, Reever comes to his study desk and unpacks his school backpack. He pays attention to study. He got lots of homework. Her class teacher sent the homework through his mom’s laptop. He is doing his homework quietly sitting at his desk. Mother peers into the room and can’t believe what she is actually seeing. After an hour or so daddy became violent. He throws things and curses mommy. His mommy says their daddy is sick. When he loses the case, he takes alcohol and curses all of them. It seems he is actually a loser lawyer. Mommy is the person who runs the family. When daddy played sick, Reever never got out of his room. Mommy strictly told daddy that if he touched kids during his sickness, he has to go to jail. Mommy is really concerned and sad most of the time because of daddy’s sickness. Daddy hates the name Reever. It is a native American Indian name. Daddy has no faith in American Indian spirituality. But mommy has. Dad sometimes calls him Rah-rah to insult mommy. Reever thinks one day he will go hunting and never return back to this family. He counts how long it takes to be a grown man. If mommy doesn’t love him he probably would be an invisible boy by this time. Sometimes he asks mom why she doesn’t make a treatment plan for daddy. He needs to see a doctor and a counselor. Mom said that daddy is not willing to change so no treatments are going to work for him. No medicine can reverse the effect of a severely afflicted ego. Sometimes Reever dreams to be an innovator. He will invent a magic pill that helps failure to take as a part of winning. Reever seriously doesn’t mind if he loses a game. His sister Maya doesn’t like to lose exactly like daddy. She keeps playing until she is a winner. Maya is a seventh grader. She goes to middle school. Maya really thinks Reever is a very little brother who is nothing but absolute trouble. Anything that Reever values Maya has to disregard. But Reever loves everything Maya cares about. On his last birthday Maya gave him a superman cape. Reever enjoys playing with it so much. When daddy is sick, Maya and Reever both hide themselves in their rooms. Only mom is out to take care of dad’s business. One day Reever went to his sister’s room to hide in a sick event. Reever thought his sister would kick him out. Her reaction was actually the opposite of what he thought. She invited him into her bed designed like a gondola or peacock boat. Then he talked to his sister.

Maya asked, are you scared?

Yes I am. Aren’t you?--Reever asked another question in reply.

When daddy is sick and giving mommy a hard time, think about the beauty of the world, think about the fairytales, mermaid, superman. It is not our fault that our daddy is sick. We should not stop thinking about the good things.--said Maya.

I can’t think of good things when daddy is mad. Fear dries me out. I feel like I became a fish bone.--Reever described his state of condition while dad is mad.

I understand you. Still try.--said Maya.

Maya, are we not supposed to be one big family?--asked Reever.

Maya said, It is still okay if our parents can’t manage to make a happy family. Nothing is our fault. We can have fun with our friends.

I wish daddy was happy with us.--said Reever.

Daddy doesn’t know that daddy is sick.--said Maya.

How come? If I get hurt, I know it.--said Reever.

Maya explained, Daddy’s pain is not physical pain. Daddy thinks he is worthy of nothing. No matter how much he tries he can’t succeed.

Why doesn’t he quit his job and open a liquor store?--asked Reever.

He can’t quit his job because his job is his pride. He will die with it but will not leave it.--adds Maya.

You should teach dad what is right.---said Reever.

Great grandma Is with us just to keep dad in control. She is not scared of dad. Dad is still together with us without hurting us because of her.

Reever remembers his sister’s thoughts about their dad. Now their great grandma has died. There is no one stronger to handle dad. Reever doesn’t know what really is going to happen to them. Dad may be going to eat them raw. Reever can’t wait to be a grown man and take care of his hunting business. He pays attention to his study. When daddy is violent he studies with extra attention. In the other room daddy is screaming on the top of his voice. It seems this time it is not a failing case. It is great grandma’s inheritance money. She gave all her money to charity even though she lived with the Reever’s family all her old age. She had good insurance so her treatment didn’t cost a penny from her family. But everything else that they did money can’t buy. Mom and dad stayed up all night in the hospital. They took care of all the visitors that came to see their great grandma. Reever hears that mom is trying to make daddy assured that they have more than enough. This is why grandma donated her wealth to less privileged people. Nothing is working. Dad’s mind is obnoxiously focused on the dollar sign. The more he argues with mom, the more he gets sick with more alcohol. Reever’s six years old life gets frozen as he thinks anything is possible by dad. Sitting at the study table he is melting down to air. Suddenly he remembered that he didn’t see his fish for an entire day. Everyone is so busy here. The fish did not get eaten for a long time. Reever quietly got out of the room and stepped down for the dining space. Daddy is right there in the dining room expanded to the kitchen. A few minutes ago he was conversing with mom in their room. It is very unexpected seeing him in the kitchen. Reever turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Dad called Reever. Reever stopped