Unexpected ever after chapter # 3

 Chapter # 3 The untold misery.

As I look back on our married life, I can't help but think of it as a complete roller coaster ride. Maria, my wife, was a dominant partner. She always wanted to be in control. In those early years, we faced our fair share of differences, but as time went on, I found myself surrendering more and more to her dominant personality.

Maria was possessive and aggressive when it came to me. She would fight anyone and everyone to keep me by her side, but she could just as easily turn that aggression on me. Our arguments were fierce and often left me feeling drained and defeated.

Despite the ups and downs of our relationship, there was no denying the depth of Maria's love for me. She was passionate and devoted, and I knew that I would always be her top priority. As I sit here now, reflecting on our life together, I can't help but feel grateful for every moment we shared, even the critical ones.

 

Almost three years into our marriage, Maria and I were blessed with a son - a beautiful little boy we named Gabriel. Maria was a natural mother, showering him with love and affection from the very start. But as they say, God works in mysterious ways. Just as Gabriel turned six years old, he fell gravely ill, and we soon received the devastating news that he had blood cancer.

Our lives were turned upside down as we devoted every moment to battling this merciless disease. We fought with everything we had, seeking out the best doctors and treatments available, hoping and praying for a miracle. But after eight long months and twenty-two grueling days, Gabriel's tiny body finally succumbed to cancer that had severely damaged it.

The pain of losing a kid is unimaginable. It shook us to our core and left us spinning in sorrow. In the days that followed, all we could do was hold on to each other and try to find a connection in our loss. Though we knew our lives would never be the same again, we established to remember Gabriel's memory in every way we could, cherishing the little time we had with him and carrying his spirit with us forever.

 

After three long years of sorrow, we found ourselves expecting once again. But this time, things were far from easy. Maria was still deeply depressed, and her mental state was causing a host of

complications during her pregnancy. She had become a shell of her former self - silent and isolated, spending her days going through countless treatments to overcome her illness.

As her husband, it fell upon me to do everything in my power to support her. I made the difficult decision to move our home and switch jobs, all so that we could be closer to Maria's parents, who had been a constant source of strength for us throughout this ordeal. Every day brought with it new challenges, as we struggled to manage Maria's increasingly fragile health.

Despite our best efforts, Maria's depression continued to take a toll on her body and the health of our unborn child. Her poor routine and lack of appetite during the third trimester made the situation even more precarious.

I knew Maria need regular therapy and support, and I tried my best to offer it. Her parents were at our side the entire time, and we were able to survive the storm and finally welcomed our daughter into the world.

The long-awaited moment arrived when the nurse exited the delivery room, smiling. "Congratulations!" "It's a girl," she remarked. We were delighted and I realized that despite all of our difficulties, seeing our lovely daughter's face had been worth it.

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Within a few minutes, I fell asleep. The next morning when I woke up, a nurse was standing beside me examining my blood pressure. She greeted me as she saw me open my eyes. My eyes were hurting. I swelled due to crying. The nurse said nothing and left.

I couldn’t get over Mehmet’s departure from life. Time passed by when heard a knock on the door. It was a guy with the breakfast tray. He greeted me and helped me sit.

"You have beautiful eyes, Sir, avoid crying. May God bless you and help find your beloved family." He whispered. "Please let me know if you need anything before I leave." He added.
I looked at the breakfast and smiled, "Thank you. Everything is perfect."

In the afternoon, the investigation team showed up. With them were Maria's parents. After asking me how I was doing, one of the officers told me how fortunate I was to be stuck in the car for a whole day and still made it alive and barely injured. He described how the impact damaged the entire society. The rescuers had to pull several bodies from the pile of concrete and wrecked aircraft. They pulled only a few fortunate victims alive. Few of them are still fighting for their lives.

Moreover, he pardoned me for the bad news. Tears ran down my cheeks. I could see Maria's parents weeping. I've already sensed it. He cleared his throat in ordered one of the officers to show me the documents with pictures of my family. If this was my family, he confirmed it. He paused for a minute and told we identified them as casualties. I couldn't believe my ears and I bore my face in my hands and cried hysterically. My life without my partner and my only daughter was never something I imagined. It devastated me.

I cried till my tears dried out. I had lost all my strength to cry anymore. My baby, she had her whole life ahead. I could hear her voice in my head and I screamed with terror. “Alaraa…………!!!”

I experienced terrible episodes of panic attacks. My emotions had been entirely drained by sadness, and I was just breathing.

After two days, I was released. I was very angry and wanted to blame someone for my misfortune. Maria's parents took me to their home since I had nowhere else to go.

I stopped communicating with anyone. My life had stopped. I had isolated myself completely. My brother called several times, but I never talked. Even my parents tried reaching out, but I had nothing to talk about. Uncle David insisted on seeing a psychologist at my follow-up with the doctor. But I didn't bother. Maria's parents took excellent care of me. They fed me on schedule. They did not abandon me. Uncle David even attempted to bring up Maria and Alara for me to open up and express my sentiments or cry out my anguish. Regardless, I wanted to keep it to myself.

My elder brother Reda came to see me after around two months. He was embarrassed for not paying me a visit sooner. Reda Observed my situation and recommended that I see a psychiatrist so that I could recover from the trauma. Depression and silence were killing me. My brother Reda made an appointment with the greatest psychiatrist after convincing me.

Reda reminded me of Mehmet's wife while we were waiting in the hospital. He reminded me that she was the family's sole survivor. She has no maternal family members. Her medical condition is also not stable. Only God knows how she managed to survive her horrific injuries. Her body was riddled with fractures and bruises. She had a stroke as a result of internal bleeding. It's been four days since she's been awake and showing signs of improvement in her health. Nonetheless, she is unaware of her loss. She requires our assistance. Mehmet was like a brother to us.

I kept silent in shame. She was not only Mehmet’s wife but my neighbor too. And a good friend of Maria’s. How can I forget about her? I felt sorry for her. Our daughters used to play in the backyard. Alara always treated them as her siblings.

“Who has been paying her hospital expenses?” I inquired.
"She is still in a government hospital. We should visit her after meeting the doctor." Reda replied.
Thinking about that poor soul, my sorrow felt nothing. That day I talked about my misfortunes in the doctor’s office.

After speaking with the psychiatrist, When I came out I told Reda how difficult it must be for her to have no one who cared for her. 

"Imagine how helpless she must be feeling," Reda murmured. That was enough for me to comprehend how her grief outweighed mine. She'd lost both of her children as well as her partner. When Mehmet married her, she was an orphan. She was always there for my wife when she was depressed. She even cooked for us on multiple occasions.

Both our houses were destroyed in the accident but I at least had Maria’s parent’s house to live in. How Maria's parents were taking care of me, providing everything even moral support, had opened my eyes.

We headed towards the government hospital where Hana was being treated, Reda and I proceeded to the reception desk to inquire about her. We had to produce a few documents to confirm that we were related. During the procedure, Reda asked if I wanted to continue my therapy or stop going.

After one and a half hours of waiting, we finally got to see Hana. She was fast asleep but we got a chance to talk to her doctor. The doctor informed how Hana’s life is fragile and she cannot afford any trauma. He also mentioned the progress she was making. He suggested us we visit while she is awake.

That night, I felt awful and told myself that I would not skip my treatment sessions and that I would get better soon. Now I had a purpose in life: to care for someone who had lost everything. I had also lost my wife and kids, but I still had individuals I considered family. That sad little being has no one to call her family. These sentiments motivated me to show concern for the world around me. I knew I was capable of making a difference in someone's life. I returned to my workplace and resumed my job as soon as I was physically able. 

After office hours I started to visit Hana. But unfortunately, I always found Hana sleeping. Reda usually visits her in the afternoons, so he used to tell me about her condition. Reda mentioned how Hana is lost and never talks to anyone. The nurse said that she just asks about the girls and Mehmet. She must know the truth by now. She does listen but never responds to anything Reda ever spoke to her. Reda again asked me if I was willing to continue my therapy. I nodded in response.

" What is gone is never coming back. At least I can help people who are facing the worst days of their lives. Supporting Hana morally and financially will give me peace. I have decided to move on with
something worthy and productive."

I could see tears in Reda's eyes. He hugged me tight. Being a brother, he could feel my misery, yet felt proud of my decision. He told me how Maria's parents had been requesting me to come and take you with me so you can get over this loss. “I knew you were a lot stronger than that," Reda exclaimed. " I never came to take you with me. I just wanted to wake you up so you can observe your surrounding and the people who are in the worst situations. The people who actually needed your existence. Maria's parents are now lonely. Losing a daughter is a never-ending sorrow. And now that poor girl Hana.