Chapter 46: Chapter 44

Song: 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash

I hurt myself today

To see if I still feel

I focus on the pain

The only thing that's real

The needle tears a hole

The old familiar sting

Try to kill it all away

But I remember everything

What have I become

My sweetest friend?

Everyone I know

Goes away in the end

And you could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

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HANNAH'S POV

“Coffee?” she asked after getting herself back together.

Her nose has naturally gone pink from all the crying. Did I tell you how gorgeous she is, I mean, I’m sure she must have had a long queue of boys after her. Mr. Norman is really lucky, not just because she’s pretty from the outside but inside too. She made me comfortable around her, I feel like I’ve known her for a long time.

“After all this, I think I’ll need some,” I said with a serious face. We both broke into a laugh.

We were in the kitchen making coffee. I didn’t know she would be the one making it considering the number of house help they have here. We just have one cleaning lady that comes home when I’m in the office.

“I didn’t know you’d be making coffee,” I asked.

“Why not,” she shrugged as she whipped the coffee with her hands. Who does that any more?

“I mean you have so many people here who can do this,” I said as I looked at her skillful whipping hands in fascination.

“Yeah, we have. And mostly I don’t get the time to do this either but I like cooking,” then she gestured towards the cup in her hand, “and making coffee when I have time, especially for special people.”

Special people, who? Are we making coffee for others too?

“You, Hannah, you’re special.” Wait! Did I say that out loud?

“No, you didn’t, you were mumbling it.” Shit! I made sure I said it in my heart. She laughed as I sat there embarrassingly.

“Now we have all these fancy machines and all but back in the days when we couldn’t afford all this I used to make it just like this. For some reason, handmade coffee tastes so much better. Elijah has taken after me in this regard.”

If only he was like you in other regards too. Huh, wishful thinking.

“Do you like cooking, Hannah?” She asked all of a sudden.

“Umm, not really. I don’t think I have patience for it though.” Should I tell her that I can make egg and toast, and heating up frozen food,does that count in cooking?

“It’s okay, you’ll learn that with time. It’s a good thing that Elijah can cook,”

Elijah can cook?

What does he cook, bats and human corpses?

We were generally talking and laughing when walked in a very VISIBLY angry-looking Elijah Norman.

“Why did you go to my room, mom?” I’ve always seen him angry but he’s always composed, never giving it away with his expressions. But right now, he looks ready to make all hell break lose. His eyes are red in anger and his veins are popping out, like really popping out.

It won’t surprise me if he suddenly turns into The Hulk.

“Yes. Would you like some coffee?” his mother asked avoiding eye contact.

“Where’s my stuff?” first time, the aggression in his eyes was matching the intensity of his tone. Heather didn’t answer.

“Mom, where’s my stuff?” his clenched fist turned more red with each passing second.

Is he a drug addict, looking for his “stuff” like Jesse Pinkman? Oh my God! That’ll explain so much.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Still no eye contact.

Oh oh, why do I feel this won't end well?

“You damn well know what I’m talking about. Where the fuck is all my stuff?” He slammed his fists on the kitchen counter and screamed like a madman.

I don’t think I’ve seen him shout like this ever.

Oh, and mind you, I’ve had my fair share of fights with him, in fact, that’s all I’ve ever had.

I'm not going to lie, the rage of his eyes and the harshness of his tone are making me scared of him and I’m not even the one he’s talking to this time.

I’m a tough nut to crack, but if he ever talked to me like this, I don’t know how I’ll hold up.

His mother on the other hand is the epitome of patience, she didn’t budge one inch, probably used to of his outbursts.

“It wasn’t right to leave them there anymore, Elijah, it’s not only your room anymore.” That’s when his eyes landed on me and he noticed my presence. His gaze became more deadly and artic if it was possible.

“Because of her,” I can already feel the venom of his words, “You picked up all my stuff from my room because of her?” his words were laced with despise.

“Of course because of her,” she folded her arm and looked directly at him, giving her full attention now, “She’s your wife it’s her place now.” She said with authority.

“This fucking gold digger is not my wife and it’ll never be her place.” I just stood there dumbfounded.

This isn’t the first time he’s said these words but this is the first time he’s said this in someone else’s presence. That had to hit different and it did. It did hurt more this time, more than ever before. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because in front of others, we were to be a happy couple.

No one was to know our dynamic but now does. All of a sudden I felt more embarrassed of being found out as a traitor after he broke the façade I was carrying throughout the evening.

The façade of being in love.

And he wasn’t done yet, he was just starting. There was much more he had to say.

“Mind your language, Elijah. How could you use such a word for her? I will not tolerate this behavior, what has gotten into you?” The stern of her voice was mixed with a bit of shock. I think she wasn’t expecting this or maybe she didn’t know this side of his existed.

“Please Mom, don’t give me a lecture on how to treat her, how to behave. This is none of your fucking concern. I did what Dad said and you stayed quiet, I don’t think you have a right to interfere now either. So please, stay out of it, and now, put my fucking things back in my room.”

“I will not,” she stood her ground, “and neither will I let you insult her like this. You will fix your tone and you will say sorry to her and you will say it right now.” the authority of her words was not what caught me off guard.

It was her standing up for me.

Against her son.

I don’t know how to react to this. It’s so overwhelming to see a person you hardly know backing you up. It's been a while I had someone looking after me like this.

“Yeah, right, over my dead body. Now put my fucking things back before I do something you won’t like.”

“I’m already not liking what you’re doing right now, what more can you do?I raised you better than that, Elijah. But please, go ahead and threaten me further, I’d like to see how far you’ve gone!” she challenged.

“Are you kidding me, you’ll go stand against me for this whore. You think this money-hungry bitch deserves your sympathy. You have gone blind to think she’s so innocent, so pious, and devoted to me as my loving wife that you can’t see her reality? She’s a fraud that you and Dad shoved down my throat and now want me to digest.”

“Wow, I didn’t know all this. You opened my eyes, Elijah.” She paused and looked down, “Thank you, for showing me your real face.” she looked back at him in disdain. “I don’t know what you’ve become. Yeah, maybe we failed you and I’m sorry for not being the mother you expected me to be. But right now, I feel ashamed of you, ashamed to call you my son.” Hurt was evident in her words.

She then turned towards me as I stood there like a train just crashed into me.

“I’m sorry, Hannah, I really am. I’m sorry for all that I said to you earlier, forget all that. That’s not your burden, not your battle to fight.” My heart broke at her dejection.

“Oh for heaven’s sake Mom, don’t be so fucking delusional. All this will not make you win the Mother-in-law of the Year award. This is just making you look fucking stupid.” I can’t take all his bullying anymore. How can he say this to his mother?

“I think you’ve said enough for the day and I heard it all, it's not the first time for me. But it is for your mother and you're clearly hurting her, at least, be respectful towards her”

“And who gets to tell me that, you?” He pointed a finger at me, but it was his words that pierced through my heart, “A person who doesn’t have a mother. Maybe she thought dying was better than raising an abomination like you. And so did your dad, too bad for him he’s still alive.”

I think I heard Heather gasp but I’m not too sure. His words echoed like a whistle in my head leaving me hurt and broken into million pieces. He’s hit me where the wound is fresh, still bleeding.

Can a human being be so cruel and insensitive to make such a remark? I guess I know the answer now. I know I never expected well from him what he said right now I couldn’t imagine in a million years. Every time I think he can’t go below this, he reaches a new high.

My brain stopped working as tears shed down my eyes. I broke the promise I made to myself, I became weak in front of him. I vowed to myself to never let his words affect me but guess what there’s no such thing as never.

“That was low, even for you. Yeah, I know my mother isn't here and I’ve been feeling that void every minute of every day since I was 7,” my voice cracked and I let it having no energy to put a strong façade this time, the burn was too deep to not show nor did I care to hide, “No one can know more about it than I do. So listen to me when I say this, cherish your mother while she’s still here, alive and well, before it’s too late.”

The words were becoming heavier with each passing second and his face was becoming unbearable. Having no more energy left in me, I left the kitchen to find some solace. I heard Heather calling me frantically but I didn’t stop.

It’s been too long since I’ve cried.

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Author's note:

This had to be the toughest chapter I've written so far.

I think I myself shed a tear or two by imagining Hannah's pain.

Do we officially hate Elijah or is there any hope of redemption left for him?

Is he a hero or an anti hero?

This was a major turn of events in the story and a beginning of an unforgettable journey.

Don't forget to leave your votes and comments (love to the ones who already do)

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