Odyssey... ~~30- Awakening

Farhad has never seen his mother in bed this late. He wonders about his mother's date with Mario last night; but since he gave her the permission to go on a date, he must stop his rising curiosity to ask her about it. After all, she never asks him about the particular of his dates. Ironically he is certain that last night has been more than a simple date for his mother. She is acting differently. Did his mother make love last night? That thought paralyses him. He can not imagine such thing for mom. As his wisdom rules to accept the fact that mom is a human being like him and she must enjoy her life and since love making is one of the sensual pleasure for every creature, she can have it, too; his heart overrules it. "Oh, not for her." Nevertheless, he knows every girl he has dated, if sex did not happen on the first date, it most definitely happened on the second one. He calls himself hypocrite; nonetheless, he can not help the growing dread of imagining his mom in bed with a man.

"Mom, what happened last night?" He finally asks.

"Oh, we went to a restaurant. That's all."

"You came home very late. Eating doesn't take that long!" He hates himself for not being able to control his curiosity.

Hana feels that her son is interrogating her. She is not going to tell him.

"After restaurant, he just drove."

"You mean you were in the car all that time?!"

"Yes, we were talking. We went by the White Rock Lake, too." She is not sure why she said that.

"What were you talking about for so long?"

"Oh, Farhad, what is the matter with you? I don't remember all the details. We talked mostly about life. I talked about Behroz."

Farhad nods his head. In spite of being ashamed of his questioning, he knows he can not help it. He realizes as much as he feels sorry for his mom for what she has been through which he witnessed most of them, and wants her to have a gentle, kind, and considerable man, he does not want anyone to touch her. Sometimes he thinks if he had money, he would put mom in a beautiful and valuable glass container so no outside harshness can harm her. Then he would provide the best of everything for her and take care of her and worship this adorable woman, the way he knows the best, which he needs to learn it. But how can he object the inevitable essence every human needs from his mom? He recalls his rejection for Valery's friendship with his mom, but when he finally accepted her as his mom's friend, it was not bad after all. Can his mom take away his simplest need, having a friend, from him? Knowing how unreasonable he is when it comes to mom, he finally comes to the realization of his possessiveness and the way he wants to control her, as his inhuman dad did. The thought shivers him. "Oh, God, I don't want to be like my dad. He was an evil man."

Sam comes home the next day, taller, more handsome; and in his quiet way, more communicative. He has changed tremendously not only in appearance but also in his behavior. Before he joined Army, everyone used to tell Hana that her younger son had a baby face. Those people can not by any means say that about him anymore. Sam has passed that stage. He does not have a baby face but a face of a suffered man who carries the demeanor of a soldier. The young man is not going to accept the old treatment from his mother or brother; and Hana knows it and feels it. He demands respect; and Farhad complies with it.

To Be Continued