Rain, what Hana has adored as a life giving element of nature is painful today. She wakes up in the hospital bed after the mental collapse she had earlier. She is not aware why she is there and what has happened to her. All she can see or hear is lightening, thunder, and hammering sound of rain outside. When she is gradually able to recall the fight of the three men, her joining to her father, and falling asleep in the middle of the quarrel which was supposed to save her children and her, she is astounded. She looks around to see a human face. All she can see, lying on the hospital bed, is a thick curtain with some missing hooks which is separating her from the other side of the room, and two windows with dark glasses. However she can hear the pouring rain and thunder outside. Disoriented, she tries to remember the time of the year, and after a great effort, she says loud: "It's July." Slowly she introspects and recalls Hamid's traveling to Canada, her effort to stay conscious, and her disgraceful discovery about herself. Not knowing the exact date, she wonders how many days she has been there; and what has happened to the three fighting men! She tries to get up but a terrible headache stops her. Looking for an alternative, she finds a small equipment next to her with many buttons on it. One of the buttons on it says, nurse, so she pushes that one and soon an old nurse shows up.
"You're awake! How do you feel?"
"Where are my sons?"
"They are in the family room with their father. I can call them right away."
"How long I've been here?"
"Since yesterday,"
"What happened to me?"
"I'm not your doctor, but I think it was a panic attack."
Hana remembers her mother's breakdown and for the first time she understands her.
Seeing the three fighting men frightens her to a degree of shaking uncontrollably; but when she finally realizes they are not fighting anymore, she begins to relax. They do not act like each other's enemy anymore which surprises her; nonetheless, when her brain starts functioning again, she recognizes they are afraid for her well being. Hamid's smiling face trembles her; and for the first time she understands what this man has put her and her family through. Trying to show her discomfort of him being there, no words can come out of her mouth. The three men, who see her struggle for talking, touch her for comfort which she accepts it from her sons but tries to remove Hamid's hand from her forehead. Hamid, afflicted, says:
"Honey, I love you. Let's not fight again. Things will change from now on."
Farhad and Sam give him a dirty look; and Hana finally finds the courage to babble a few words:
"Get out of our lives!"
Hamid feeling destitute, turns gray. Lost in ambiguity, he searches for proper words to disarm this little woman, his wife, who has suddenly become so big, stubborn, and inflexible.
"We talk at home. Everything will change, promise."
Hana, feeling stronger, turns to her sons:
"Why did you bring this man here with you? Who is he? Do you know him?"
Farhad and Sam squeeze their mother's hands; and Farhad says:
"We didn't bring him here. He came himself. He's begging us since yesterday to forgive him."
"Can you forgive him? Do you believe him?" She looks straight at her sons.
They seem bewildered; however, they both shake their heads for no. She strangely gains a different kind of vigor, the kind she had at the time of the Revolution, and squeezes back her sons' hands and turns to face Hamid.
"Out of our lives before I call the police. Remember we are not in Iran. This is America."
Hamid's ashen face twists of an unwanted pain while his familiar expression of anger is shown in his eyes. Deep in his heart, he knows his wife is serious and he is nothing, nobody, not even a cell without her. He has even refused to learn English and except a few words that suits him for the degenerated things he does, he depends on Hana or his sons to do the speaking for him. He can not even function on his own. He knows he is not even capable of any action as he has pretended for so many years; and for the first time, he feels that his tricks are not working anymore. Hurriedly, he is searching for a solution and the only thing he can think of is to delay his wife's and sons' demand.
"Please give me another chance. I'll change. You can throw me out anytime you want. Just give me one more chance for now. Let me prove myself to you. You know that I love you all."
Hana breaks into a hysterical laughter.
"You want another chance? How many chances you have had. Now you want another chance so you can kill us, as you've said many times. Besides people don't change; especially you. No, you've had all the chance in the world and you did not change. We won't give you another chance; and we can't argue our family matter in hospital. Just leave."
Hamid gives Hana's words back to her by saying:
" See that's what I mean. We are family; and here is hospital. Let's go home and talk about it."
"No, you want me to have another nervous breakdown. I may as well have it while I am in the hospital. If you don't leave now, I ask the nurse to call the police."
Hamid has nothing else to do or to say but to leave. In the elevator, he thinks of revenge. "If they don't want me, they can't want themselves. How could she do this to me after all these years. She is just like my mother. All women are horrible."
Not knowing where to go, in the torrential rain, he gets into the car and drives away while his diabolical mind plans a plot to destroy the entire family.
Hana is awed by the unmistakable strain of hate that her words have carried while gaining back her full energy; and is ready to go home. Her meticulous vigor startles the young men, her sons, who already feel the weight of responsibilities to take care of their mother's emotions on their shoulder.
"Let's go home." She impatiently says.
"Your doctor needs to release you; and besides dad took the car." Farhad responds.
"Go find the doctor; and then call for a taxi."
To Be Continued
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