"Why did Haji do it?"
Amna tapped her fingers looking at the police officer indignantly. "Like I said," she said to the officer, "He did it to save us. He didn’t have a choice. Heaven or Hell." Heaven and Hell were old-fashioned words, but they didn't sound strange on Amna’s lips, not when referring to Haji’s actions.
Amna watched the officer put on gloves. Then, he reached into the brown envelope on the table and took out a gun. He examined it carefully, and then placed it on the table in front of Amna.
"He had a license for the gun," Amna explained apologetically.
"I didn’t ask you if he did or didn’t," The officer barked. Amna remained quiet.
"Why did he do it?” The officer continued, “Why didn’t he come to us if he was threatened?”
"He wanted to save my life,” Amna answered, then pointed at her belly, “And save hers." She was pregnant with Haji’s girl.
The officer looked at her for a moment, "Well, are you happy now?" the officer said, “He’s gone now, leaving you a widow and her, an orphan.” The officer stared at her belly.
Suddenly, Amna’s eyes welled up and she began to sob. Hiccups followed immediately.
The officer offered her water from the dispenser and then finally said, “Listen, we know it wasn’t him.”
Amna looked up, "Then, why am I here?”
“Because you saw the actual perpetrator.”
Silence.
Fear swelled in Amna’s heart as she signed, "The other man was tall, bald and had a gun. He thrust the belt onto Haji. Haji had no choice but to run far, far away. God knows where his body is now."
“Then, you don’t know about his body?” The officer asked. Amna nodded.
“We never found it.”
Amna stopped crying for a moment, as something hit her. It was hope, “Is he alive?”
The officer stayed quiet for a moment, and then finally said, “We think so.” He paused and then added, “Tell me everything. And I will make sure you get your husband back.”
Amna tapped her fingers looking at the police officer indignantly. "Like I said," she said to the officer, "He did it to save us. He didn’t have a choice. Heaven or Hell." Heaven and Hell were old-fashioned words, but they didn't sound strange on Amna’s lips, not when referring to Haji’s actions.
Amna watched the officer put on gloves. Then, he reached into the brown envelope on the table and took out a gun. He examined it carefully, and then placed it on the table in front of Amna.
"He had a license for the gun," Amna explained apologetically.
"I didn’t ask you if he did or didn’t," The officer barked. Amna remained quiet.
"Why did he do it?” The officer continued, “Why didn’t he come to us if he was threatened?”
"He wanted to save my life,” Amna answered, then pointed at her belly, “And save hers." She was pregnant with Haji’s girl.
The officer looked at her for a moment, "Well, are you happy now?" the officer said, “He’s gone now, leaving you a widow and her, an orphan.” The officer stared at her belly.
Suddenly, Amna’s eyes welled up and she began to sob. Hiccups followed immediately.
The officer offered her water from the dispenser and then finally said, “Listen, we know it wasn’t him.”
Amna looked up, "Then, why am I here?”
“Because you saw the actual perpetrator.”
Silence.
Fear swelled in Amna’s heart as she signed, "The other man was tall, bald and had a gun. He thrust the belt onto Haji. Haji had no choice but to run far, far away. God knows where his body is now."
“Then, you don’t know about his body?” The officer asked. Amna nodded.
“We never found it.”
Amna stopped crying for a moment, as something hit her. It was hope, “Is he alive?”
The officer stayed quiet for a moment, and then finally said, “We think so.” He paused and then added, “Tell me everything. And I will make sure you get your husband back.”
