Chapter XXXV. I will crack her skull open.

-This is your final caution. You are not a child anymore. Look in the mirror. You appear to be a mule. You just turned ten.  Observe what I’m saying,

She grabbed him by the ear, tugged hard, and reprimanded him: Do you understand, if I see you defending her or trying to stop me while I punish her, I swear I am going to crack her skull before your eyes, and then I will tell everyone that you killed her with your stupidity while you played you mule?

She tugged his ear tighter. He was writhing in anguish, breathing quickly, his body shivering, and there were bruises on his back and shoulder. He is white with plenty of blue and green bruises, Marwan shook his head and swallowed his saliva, saying, “Okay, Mom, I won’t do it again, I promise you.”

-Mule, I’m not your mother!

She held out her hand, saying, “Come on, kiss my hand, and apologize so that I can give your mother back to you.”

His tears welling up, he kissed her first hand, then her second, saying, “I’m sorry, and I promise I won’t try to stop you from hitting her again.”

She held him on her lap, with the tenderness of a mother and the kindness of her heart: My beloved son, you are crying because I said I am not your mother, do not be afraid, I am still your mother, as long as you behave well.

He repeated the vow while wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his shirt: “I promise, Mother, I won’t try to stop you again, but please don’t kill her, she’s my friend, don’t hurt her.”

His head was dragged into her chest by her.” The good news is that she won’t suffer any harm as long as you’re courteous, son.”

Marwan slumbered soundly after closing his eyes.

Twenty-four minutes earlier.

Alara and Hatshepsut are fighting outside while he and Nubia are hiding under the bed inside the room. Alara is unconcerned by their presence and their hearing of her shouting, yelling, and raving incomprehensible words with herself throughout this argument, which led them to flee. In the meantime, they also repeatedly overheard Hatshepsut.

Today’s argument is different, not only because the mother knows that they hear her, but for another reason, as the name Nubia was repeated in it, preceded and followed by sentences that evoke terror and fear.

-I will not allow you, Hatshepsut, do not try, I will kill you before this.

She was silent as if she was hearing something.

-I’ll kill her then; I’ll kill Nubia before you do.

She ceased talking.

-Liar, deceived, if I perish, you will perish with me, she yelled. You will burn with me.

And with an even more hysterical cry: Don’t attempt on I won’t let you move to Nubia, that filthy insect; if it weren’t for my kindness to her, she would now be dumped on the street, eating out of trash cans, or in an orphanage.

Hatshepsut declares in a rattling voice: “I will,” “I am tired of you,” “Damn you,” ” worthless and indifferent,” “I will move to her,” and “You won’t stop me.”

She sneered:  Nubia takes that power away from me! I’m going to burn her and break her skull in before that occurs, she laughed crudely again.

she ceased talking.

She inhales and lets it out like a whirlwind of fire from her chest, and the only sound is that of her breath.

She shouted again: Well then we’ll see.

She hurriedly approached the door and pushed it with both hands, nearly tearing it off its hinges, as her feet abruptly dropped outside the room.

-Where are you, you prostitute?

His other hand was on her mouth as he held her in his arms.

In quiet sobs, Nubia’s eyes cry out in fear while her body trembles with her.

Marwan does not even blink as he fixes his attention on his mother’s feet as she moves from one area of the room to another.

Screaming at the top of her lungs, “Where are you bitch?” she frantically searched the cabinets, the table, and under the table before coming to a stop at the bed. She then knelt down, stretched her hands out, and vigorously pulled her hair.

She firmly grasped her. Shaking and waving her in the air, Nubia cried out for help. Alara was being pushed away from Nubia when Marwan crawled up to her and grabbed hold of her feet before standing up.

She let go of the girl, then grabbed him, threw him to the ground, ran like a madman to the closet, took out a leather belt from it, and started whipping him mercilessly, damn you mule, her screams became even more hysterical.

Nubia shouted in fear, grew exceptionally powerful, and suddenly struck the mother, catching her waist just in time, “Stop aunt.”

She tossed her to the ground after grabbing her by the hair and beating her with both hands. “Baibars”, Nubia subconsciously cried out for help!

Pushing her aside, she picked her up once more. After striking the wall hard, Nubia collapsed to the ground.

A moment that seemed like an eternity, he called out at the top of his voice: Solmaz.

Then Marwan started screaming hysterically, like a madman, completely out of his mind.

He was brought out of the room by his mother, who then sat on a bench, pulled him in front of her, slapped him, and told him to calm down since it was finished and she wouldn’t hit him again.

But you must absorb the lesson.

Never attempt to prevent me from punishing her.

I’ll pardon you, son, if you kiss my hand.