do. he was a good soldier. he would follow orders. usually because he was taller than most of us and older, he would play in the front because this way he could use his head to score. >> reporter: batarfi says the teenage osama would usually take the high road. he remembers the time his friend was being bullied. >> so i went running to the guy and pushed him away from osama. and solve problem this way. but then osama came to me and said, you know if you waited a few minutes, i would have solved the problem peacefully. so this was the kind of guy who would always think of solving problems peacefully. >> reporter: while batarfi took the lead on the playing field, when it came to religion, there was no question, osama was in charge. >> that's the mosque we used to pray. yes. >> reporter: five times every day, devout muslims turn towards the holy city of mecca to pray. osama was always among them. >> for him, it was a must. >> reporter: it is something of a mystery why this son of a