A Reply to My Husband

Truth 3

Hanna widened her eyes in disbelief. He could no longer deny that Alicia was not Barra's son. Whatever excuse he gave would not be able to fight the fact if Barra was barren.

"So ... now do you still want to say that Alicia is my son?!" just like before, Barra's tone sounded slow but very frightening.

Hanna suddenly became like a mute. Not a single word could come out of his mouth.

"My answer!!! Is Alicia my flesh and blood?"

Hanna was silent. He did not dare to look Barra in the eyes.

"Look into my eyes and answer my question!!!" barra shouted right in front of Hanna's face.

"I ... I ... Are you really barren?" Hanna was confused as to what she was going to say.

"Yes ... I said clearly, I am barren!!! So surely Alicia is not my son!!!" barra's voice returned flat and terrifying as before. Her hand still held Hanna's neck and pressed Hanna's body against the wall.

"So you've been lying to me this whole time? You just used me to be a father to your son?!!"

"I ... I .. didn't mean it that way .." replied Hanna.

"Then what do you mean? From the very beginning you knew that child was not my son but we still held me accountable!!! So can you explain what you mean?!"

"I'm sorry Barra ... " Hanna's getting scared. He could no longer defend himself now.

Barra was furious. He banged Hanna's head against the wall. Hanna could only scream.

"Don't blame me completely Barra. You also married me for needing money to pay off your mother's debts. You're just using me, too" Hanna replied stammered.

Not accepting Hanna's words, Barra smacked Hanna's face until fresh blood flowed from the corner of her lips.

"Barra don't do this .. we can talk about this all right," Hanna was terrified.

"If I don't know my condition, will you keep this a secret from me forever?"

"I just want my son to have Barra's father, that's all ... I don't know if you're barren."

"Tell me who's the man who made me responsible for what he did?!!"

Hanna shut up, she got more and more scared. Obviously he doesn't know who Alicia's father is.

"My answer!!!" snapped Barra again.

"I don't know Barra ... I don't know who impregnated me ..."

"Well?!! You can't stand who's impregnating you? How many men fucked you? Are you a whore or what?!!"

Rania struggled to hear Barra's words. He wanted to slap Barra's mouth. But she herself could do nothing because Barra was still holding her neck.

"You have no right to call me that Barra. You don't know anything."

Barra throws Hanna's body until she slumps on the floor. Barra took a vase of flowers on the nightstand and slammed it right next to Hanna's body until it broke. Hanna could only cover her face with both hands. He screamed out loud hoping someone would listen.

"Stop your yelling because no one will hear!" Hanna recalled that she had her in-laws shop for vegetables with Imah who brought Alicia along. Barra walked over to Hanna who was curled up on the floor.

"Then what should I call you if not a whore?" continued. The pull of Hanna's hair was exactly what she had done to Rania before.

"Meaning the baby that Rania was carrying back then wasn't your child either?!"

"If you hadn't come and held me accountable, maybe my life would have been fine with Rania. We were fine until you came and said you were pregnant. You ruined my life!!!"

Then Barra dragged Hanna's body using her hair. He bent Hanna's forehead to the corner of the sofa just as he did to Rania.

"You two both lied to me, so you'll be treated the same!" Barra laughs.

"Remember Barra, you chose me to save your mother. Don't blame me, it's your mother's fault, too." Hanna braced herself to defend herself.

Back one hit landed on Hanna's cheek. Hanna's pretty face was no longer visibly covered by the bruises and red marks from Barra's slaps and punches. Not to mention the blood flowing on his forehead and the corners of his lips.

"Marra ... Please ... stop this. I'm sorry ... I know I'm wrong." Hanna tried to get up and rest at Barra's feet. But Barra kicked her belly instead. Hanna's body was thrown a few steps away from Barra's front. He could only moan while holding his stomach.

"Will your apology make things go back to how they were? Will I be happy with Rania? Or will I still be proud to have Alicia as my son?!"

"If only you hadn't come and messed things up!!!" Barra screamed out her emotions. He was like a person who lost his wits and slammed everything around him.

Hanna tried to crawl and take cover behind the sofa while Barra kept slamming the things inside the room. Barra pulled Hanna's hair again as soon as she realized Hanna was hiding.

"You can't hide from me!!!"

Hanna could only grimace in pain.

"Marra ... I'm sorry ... Please forgive me for Alicia." Hanna's voice sounded desperate. "Didn't you love Alicia so much? He's still your son even if he's not your biological son. I'll do anything to make amends for you."

"After this incident do you think I still love Alicia like before?"

Meanwhile under Widia and Imah just came home shopping for vegetables. They went straight to the kitchen to put the groceries.

"It looks like Hanna and Barra are home, their car is already in the garage" Widia told Imah. "I'll ask Barra what she wants cooked tonight. You wait here, huh!"

"Okay, ma'am" replied Imah short.

Widia walked up the stairs to Barra and Hanna's room. At the door she heard Hanna crying.

Widia knocked on the door. "Marra ... Are you inside?" There was no word from within when Widia clearly heard Hanna crying.

Hit their bedroom door again. "Hanna are you okay?" ask Widia again. The curious Widia directly opened the door of the room without waiting for an answer.

How surprised Widia saw the condition of Barra's room was very messy. Stuff and lots of broken glass on the floor. He saw Barra crouching and grabbing Hanna's hair.

"Fra!!! What are you doing?!! Release him!!!" shouted Widia. She still hasn't seen Hanna's face because it's covered in some hair.

Barra turned to look at her mother's arrival and let Hanna go.

"Mother?" Barra's surprised. He was busy beating Hanna so that she did not realize her mother had called her.

Widia walked over to the weakly rolled Hanna. He pulled Hanna's hair and saw her face battered with wounds from Barra's actions. And for the first time, Hanna was thrilled to see Widia.

Widia cries to see Hanna's condition. He turned to Barra who seemed to have just woken up from a dream.

"What have you done Barra? Why is my Barra being like this?" Widia held onto her head and then fainted beside Hanna.