Endless Summer🌞

41: Farewells

13th May, 2017.
Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali.
Hanan stared at her heartbroken self in the washroom mirror. Her eyes were heavy from crying herself to bed the night before and her head, oh how her head felt like it was going to explode in any minute. She recalled what happened two nights before, when Muhsin broke the hideous news to her. No he didn't actually tell her himself, he couldn't bring himself to do it, Maama did. And by Allah, it was the first time the devil made her want to believe that her mother hated her. She carried that feeling a day and a night until her faith overcame the whispers of the devil and she understood it's for the best.

(Flashback)
11th May, 2017.
Taro village, Ubud.
When Muhsin said he wanted to talk, Hanan knew it wasn't any random talk, it was important and she needed to pay attention to his words. But not a single word came out of his mouth. He couldn't bring himself to it and that petrified her.

"I am listening Muhsin. Tell me." She said in her best soothing voice.

Muhsin swallowed, he didn't know how to begin. It was hard on him too, something he never saw coming but it's happening. And he knew that very decision was taken with their interests at heart. Or so the decision makers thought.

And that was the moment Maama called back and he felt at ease. He knew he couldn't break the news to Hanan, but Maama could. And when he picked the call, he said a few words to Maama before passing the phone over to Hanan.

The two exchanged pleasantries even though Hanan's heart was literally in her mouth. She understood the news wasn't a pleasant one and she wasn't sure if she was mentally ready to assimilate it, but she had to.

"Hanan listen to me carefully. What I am going to tell you right now is something we the elders discussed thoroughly and we think it's for the best, for both of you and for Iman in particular. Let the little girl return home with Huda and the others."

Hanan gasped, the phone almost slipped out of her grip. Maama's sense of humor was really terrible. It wasn't a funny joke talking about separating a mother and her child. She might not have given birth to Iman but the girl had been with her from the very first day she came into the world. How is it even possible to separate them? Of course Maama was joking. It had to be one of her very bad jokes.

"Maama are we really doing this now? I mean I don't find it funny."

"Hanan" Maama called, the sound of her voice reminded Hanan of the day she dropped the news of her marriage to Muhsin to her. It brought her to her senses, Maama wasn't joking. They were taking away Iman.

"How do you think you are going to take care of her when you both go to work? You are not possibly thinking of leaving her with your nannies, are you? Because that won't happen. Hanan indai ni na haifeki (if I gave birth to you), then you won't even try to protest. Give Iman and everything that belongs to her to Huda. Umarni ne Hanan (It's an order)." And with that, the line went off.

Bowled over, Hanan let the phone slip down along with the salty water from her eyes. Why would they let her have her in the first place when they knew they were taking her back? Why is everything in her life taking a 360 degree turn in just a blink of an eye? The fact that she loved Muhsin was killing her. Not being able to keep him was killing her. His shattered relationship with Huda was killing her. And now this?