Words Apart

Part 7: Harsh truths

Part 7:
(Still a year later)
It was the 15th of August. A year and 1 month since they've been married. Inayah returned home from work and as usual, she rushed upstairs to get changed. As she walked upstairs, she felt a hand on her shoulder. The touch was familiar. It was Musa.

He looked petrified. His eyes were making eye contact with Inayah's but at the same time he was trying not to. The lines on his forehead showed more anger and stress than usual. And then he spoke. "I need to talk. Now." He took her by the hand and pulled her into the bedroom. And then locked the door behind them almost instantly.

Inayah was petrified. What was it this time? Her heart was beating really fast. Her hands shaking and her mouth incapable of speaking.

He sat her on the bed. And stood in front of her. He was about to speak, but he didn't. He couldn't find his words. What could have been so difficult to say? He paced himself up and down the room a few times, before Inayah found the strength and courage within her to ask: "What's wrong? You're worrying me.." He looked at her. The same way he used to. With love in his eyes. But his eyes were saying something different at the same time. Like he was hiding a pain. A truth. Just something.

He walked up to her. He took her hands in his, and said: "I'm ashamed." His eyes wandering everywhere but towards hers.

"It must have been about the last few weeks. How he'd been acting up, it must be about them." Inayah thought to herself.

"Wh-what are you ashamed off Musa?" She asked as she felt a gulp in her throat and her heart becoming heavy.

"I've done something. Something terrible. You won't forgive me for this.."

Her heart began to sink even further. Further than she thought possible..

He continued to talk. "That night you rang me. You told me you were worried.." at this point Inayah removed her hands from his, but he continued speaking. "I drank. I drank alcohol. A lot of it. I was stressed. Everyone was on my case. They started teasing me, saying I'm a house husband. I didn't want to remember their words. I wanted to forget it all. I took a sip. And after that it was all a blur for a day or too.."

Inayah had her head down and her face in her hands. How much more was he going to torture her? He paused in his tracks, he placed his hand on her back and continued.

"I don't know how else to say this other than in its most simple form.. I slept with another woman. But, it didn't mean a thing."

Inayah almost instantly crashed to the floor. Her tears streaming down, her heart becoming heavier and oh how every inch of her body was aching. How could he do this?