"Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut?"
Khanom, who had always has her way, broke up her silence:
"She is a bitch; and don't you talk to your mother like this ever again."
"You're not a mother. All you did for me, was giving birth. A dog can do that, too. At least a dog takes care of her young until they can be on their own. You even didn't do that for me. You don't talk about Hana like this ever again. She is my only chance in this world, for..."
Amir finally ended his silence and in a very low tone said:
"Khanom, Hamid is right. If Hana's family knew everything about you, they would never, I mean never let her marry your son. Just be grateful; and don't interfere anymore."
Agha, Hamid's father, finally broke into conversation; and turned to his wife and said:
"All I want peace. I work and you take care of the household. Anything else, just leave me out of it. You all solve your problems, leave me out of it."
Dallas-
The fuming remembrance floats in the air of big Dallas and leaves an indelible mark on a forty years old woman, who has lost everything either by death or by her own perpetual banishment. She stares at the foams of clouds that turn to dark gray and sees the reflection of soon crying sky in the water which is called Lake Dallas. Here participating in a picnic on a hot, humid summer day, she meets Horie, an Iranian woman, a little older than her, who immigrated to America a few years later than Hana for the same reason they did. Horie and her three children love Lake Dallas; and she who has never seen Hana here before, recognizes these fellow Iranians by their looks right away. Hana, who has always had a hard time to make friends, or being truthful, afraid to make friends because of Hamid, is irritated by this woman's persistence for conversation. However, soon Horie's warm and kind words soften obstinate Hana for making friends.
Going back home in the car, Hamid questions her about the woman she met by the lake and Hana simply says:
"Horie is an immigrant like us. She is very nice."
"Nice women don't go to lake without their husband." His voice is harsh.
"Her husband is still in Iran. He can't get out; so he sent his family here. He was a colonel in the Shah's army."
"Even worse, a woman alone in this country! I hope you didn't exchange phone numbers. I don't want you to talk to this woman."
Hana despondently remembers that they did exchange phone numbers.
"Yes, we did. Believe me she is very nice, a real lady."
"Don't you dare to talk to her. Only a whore goes to lake without her husband!"
"Stop it Hamid. She was there with her three grown up children. Her oldest son goes to Medical school, her daughter is Farhad's age, and her youngest son is Sam's age. We all can become friends. We're very lonely here."
"I said no. You don't need friends. First you want a friend; and soon you want to have a boyfriend. A decent woman don't go to lake without her husband, do you hear me?"
"How about you? You go to lake every Sunday without us. Does that make you an indecent man?"
Hamid, who had more than enough to drink, suddenly loses the control of the car; but somehow by miracle, nothing happens. Farhad, who exasperates by his father's impossible behavior, suddenly scream at his dad:
"Dad, I promise I kill you one day. You're not a human being, you're an evil. I know what you do to mom at night, and specially one night that you sent her to hospital."
Hana had no idea that her son is aware of the abuse she takes at nights and that one time that she went to the doctor.
At home, Hana feels that is much better not to go anywhere ever. Later she finds out that the reason Hamid wanted her to go to lake with him this one time, was his friend's insistence to meet Hamid's family, who is married to an American woman, and Hamid has an eye for her. Hamid met him in a club one night, and ever since he has made a bet with himself that he can take his American wife to bed. They became very close friends ever since. When Hamid is after something, he could be quite charming. The man trusted him and they became the best of the friends. Hamid went to lake and other places with them a few times; until one day, Farshid told him that they like to meet his family. Reluctantly, Hamid took Hana and the children with him that day.
Hana thinks back to what Horie told her at the lake:
"I don't like the way you husband acts around his friend's wife."
"What do you mean? Actually this is the first time I see them."
"It is not my business; but he doesn't pay any attention to you."
Hana scolded herself.
"No, you're mistaking!"
"Come on, I wasn't born yesterday. Look at him around that woman!"
Hana, who had already looked at that scene, was wondered why Susan's husband did not mind it. However, when she saw Farshid was flirting with another woman, she knew the answer.
Hana finally ends up to tell Horie not to call her again. she briefly explains the reason. So this becomes the end of a friendship that it actually has never started. Hurting by her own act, to reject a friend, she looks back to the days that she was trying to continue her friendship with Fery, who introduce her to Hamid, and Khanom, Hamid's mother objected that.
"A decent woman never makes friends. Her family is enough."
How much Hamid sounded like her mother, a woman who has many friends and ignored his family. When on their engagement day, she called Hana,"that girl", Hana thought she would like her when they were married, but she never did. Their endless battles anytime they saw each other continued for ever, while for Khanom was gaining power, and for Hana was not losing her dignity. However, as Hana learned to live that destructive life in Tehran then, she has learned that meaningless endurance here in Dallas, too. Growing dread that fills her days, leaves her a sense of nothingness; but one thing no one can ever takes from her- hope for later, one day, a day, sometimes, maybe.
<>
To Be Continued
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