Hana was grateful for that strange twist of life. Should she not learn from the seriousness of life and the hardship of separation; therefore, all was a futile agony with no acquired learning. As nature was changed from winter to spring in her secretive absence, she was also changed from an stubborn impetuousness to a cautious conservative. Her chain of thoughts, while uncle Nabi was driving her home, however, did not stop her of absorbing the beautiful change of nature, where the skeletonized, icy trees had turned to pale green with small leaves and the moderate breeze through the open window of the car gave life to each and every cell of her body. Oh, nature, something that no regime could touch or change, how they would follow the order that the Creator had made them! As much as she wanted to reach home quickly, she yearned to stop that moment somehow to assimilate the breezy nature, the aromatic perfume of freshness, and the colorful blooms of trees and flowers. Being surprised of her desire, she learned fast how scared she was to face home, her children, mother, and Hamid. Uncle Nabi's silence brought her the realization of her wrong judgment for so long towards him. While Behroz, the youngest of her grandparents' three children, had always been her favorite relative and best friend, she had always thought of uncle Nabi, older than Behroz, and younger than her mom, as a greedy, selfish, and self- centered man. In that ordeal, he had proved himself otherwise; and now by his silence, she knew that he understood her empathic, unique ardor for nature. Ironically, when they were only ten minutes away from home, he finally broke his silence:
"I must tell you things so you don't get shocked when we get home!"
Suddenly her heart began pounding.
"What is it? Is mom okay?"
"Let me start with Hamid first. He didn't spend much time at home while you were gone. He was just going there to change clothes or pick up things once in a while."
"Where was he, then?" Hana asked curiously.
"God only knows. You know him; perhaps in a prostitute's home, or I don't know or care."
Hana always liked uncle Nabi's straight forward answers. He never hid anything except his second wife, Ziba and his son, Mehran. Others always lied or hid things to protect themselves.
"Where did he get the money?"
"Your mom found out that he stole all your jewelry and sold them."
Hana sighed. If that is all he had done, she really did not care; as long as her mom and children were not harmed.
"What else uncle Nabi? It seems there is a list of events while I was gone!"
"Sara's baby was born dead; and she went to coma while bleeding badly."
"What happened?" Hana shook all over to hear about her sister's misery.
"She came out of coma, but now she faints frequently with convulsive contraction and loses her consciousness. Doctors think she has epilepsy."
After the birth of her daughter four years ago, doctors had told Sara many times that it was dangerous for her to have more babies; but her husband wanted a boy and she tried and tried and always had miscarriages. This one was her fifth pregnancy while she had to rest the entire time. She always lost them around month four; but on this one, when she passed four months and nothing happened, she was so happy and yet fearful at the same time. She willingly stayed in bed without complaining. She had been in Hana's home so Gol could take care of her and her daughter. Suddenly Hana felt the possibility that her crisis might have an effect in her sister's disastrous ordeal.
"Was she still in my home while I was gone?" Crying Hana asked.
"No, her husband took her home. He thought the turmoil in your home wouldn't help Sara's condition. Besides, you know how much her husband hates you." Again one of uncle Nabi's straight forward talking.
"Then, who was taking care of her and her daughter?"
"Well, when her husband was home, he did. Gol went there once a day after taking your children to school and stayed with her until the time that she had to go pick up your kids from school; by then, her husband has returned home from work."
Hana instinctively knew that her ordeal got to have an impact on Sara, having a still born child. Coming to that conclusion brought her to a hysterical cry which made uncle Nabi to pull over and stop the car.
"Listen Hana, you must be strong. You must control yourself. I know how tough you are. Stay that way. That is the only way you can survive by being tough." Then he hugged her niece gently and affectionately.
"I have more to tell you."
She knew that he had reserved the worst news for the last.
"Tell me uncle Nabi; I can handle it."
Nabi went to a deep thinking; and Hana could see by his face expression that this last news must be unendurable. After a long silence, he finally said:
"Your mother..." And he stopped.
"What about her? tell me!" She grabbed his hand while the flood of tears blinded her to see his deplorable face.
"Well you know how weak and fragile she is. You know what happened to her after Van's execution. She just can't handle trauma. While your well being was under question and she was worried to death for you and had the responsibility of taking care of your kids, that startling misfortune happened to Sara, Hamid stole your jewelry, and then Sara's husband blamed you for everything; she just couldn't take it anymore."
Hana remembered she had not spoken to her mom for two weeks. It was grandma on their appointed day for the phone conversation. When she had questioned grandma that where her mom was, she had simply said:
"Sara had a baby girl again and your mom is staying with her for a while; and I'm taking care of your kids."
Not only that Hana had believed her grandma, she had not even thought for a second that Sara was not due for another month and half. How ignorant and self involved she had been not to know any better! While she did not want to hear the last and the worst news from her uncle, she was impatiently waiting for it.
"Is mom dead?"
To Be Continued
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