At nine in the morning, Khalid came and asked if he could borrow my phone.
I told him yes, but he HAD to wake me up at 9:40, because I had a doctor’s appointment to get to. I have bronchitis so I’ve been stealing some extra snoozes in the morning.
Khalid agreed, took my phone, and then left.
What felt like five seconds later, he came back and said, “Momma, wake up! It’s 9:40 am!”
I opened my eyes groggily and said, “Khalid, I don’t think it’s 9:40 yet, can you please check again?”
Khalid studied the wall clock for a moment and said “Oh, sorry- it’s 9:21.”
“Come back in twenty minutes please, Khalid.”
“Okay!” he chirped, and then skipped out of my room.
Ten minutes later I was still awake and figured that staying in bed any longer was pointless, so I got up. I went into the living room to relieve Khalid of alarm clock duty and this is what I saw:
Khalid- stock still, sitting on the sofa, intently staring.
At the clock.
Watching the minute hand.
Waiting for 9:40.
“Khalid! Have you been staring at the clock since nine???’
Khalid turned and blinked a few times, thinking. Then he simply said, “Yes.”
I was so touched, and so shocked, and so humbled by the methodical devotion required to stare at a clock for thirty minutes that I smothered him in kisses. He seemed embarrassed but tolerated my affection briefly, then breaking free to leave and play with his dinosaurs.
SubhanAllah, it’s times like this that make me marvel at how amazing a little person he is, and how grateful I am to Allah for making him that way. Whether it’s because of autism or in spite of it, Allah has blessed us both. AllahuAkbar.
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