MY HUSBAND’S BROTHER

TRAUMA

Yes! That's right, the little girl became paralyzed, like she could not walk or do anything at all. Her aunt and all of her doctors took it as a temporary illness. She didn't have any symptoms or had any accidents in the past. Everything seemed great with her records, but they could not explain why the little girl was paralyzed.

The only person who had the slightest idea about the cause was her therapist. The therapist believed that Maizah was traumatized and Aunt Masara was like "...."

Maizah's sister blamed herself for her sister's health, and she knew how she was not close with her parents. Her parents always gave Laylah attention more than Maizah. But that's not even close to the reason. Maizah was happy with the fact that her parents were not paying too much attention to her. Layla was always told by her parents how to act, how to walk, how to sit, how to eat, and how to breathe. Yes, how to breathe. Laylah developed a tendency to breathe heavily, so they taught her how to breathe calmly and sophisticated like a lady. Damn! That's one of the reasons that made Maizah not care about how she was treated.

The therapist, well, let's call him by his name. Dr. Zohair believed that after Maizah heard about her parents' death, Her brain tricked her into believing that she was also in the car accident, and now all those negative thoughts led her to think that they were real.

On top of that, once she realized that she survived the so-called accident, her energy was depleted. The brain allocated whatever was left to "normalize" her system, dismissing everything else since it would consider it not necessary anymore, like remembering everything she used to do daily, including getting the hell out of bed.

So Doctor Zohair continued by saying that trauma caused her body to suffer from a series of alterations that can cause damage to several of her processes, parts of her body, functions, and behavior. Some of that damage can be permanent, and some can be cured.

After Aunt Masara heard the cure part, she breathed a huge sigh of relief. At least there was hope for her little dove.

And just like that, Maizah was thrown into different interventions like attachment interventions, AEDP, mindfulness, Narrative therapy, Schema therapy, DBT, NFB, hypnosis, mindfulness, and many others.

But did it help, though? No!

Years passed by with no progress, three years to be precise. Everything was exhausting and heartbreaking for Maizah and everyone else who cared about the sisters and their aunt.

How could a young, healthy, respectful, and loving kid just commit suicide with no suicide note explaining her reason unless there's something sinister behind her death? Some villagers still haven't gotten over the fact that a mysterious kid killed the Igwe couple, and no one was arrested for their death. Nothing was done. Everyone just continued living their lives. Some people were in shock about Laylah's sudden death, but some were in doubt, thinking there was something sinister going on in that house.

Others couldn't help but blame the poor Masara since she was currently running the Igwe family business; some people knew it was her family business, and there was nothing wrong with that. Some were curious how was a 'woman' able to run a business. There had been speculation and murmurs about how Masara killed the couple to inherit the company and how her niece (Laylah) was so clever and found that Masara killed her parents, so Masara had nothing else to do but also to kill her niece to hide that.

But then again, that's just some mean people, and mean people who spread rumors want attention and approval. They think life is a popularity contest, and they are shallow individuals who are very insecure and need people to pay attention to them or to be famous to validate their self-worth. They don't know how to form genuine friendships or improve themselves as individuals, and they don't have goals either. Their whole existence is to pit people against one person and to have that person mentally destroyed so they can feel better themselves, and that's precisely what happened with Masara if God and her ancestors turned away from her.

Laylah committed suicide after she got her grade 12 results and found out that she had failed the class. The police said that might be the reason since she didn't talk to anyone that day, and they didn't see a foul place where she was found, so, just like the case was also closed.

Things didn't stop there for the Igwes. There was heavy rainfall for three months straight that led to flooding, which washed away soil nutrients and damaged all of the crops. Masara's business went downhill, and just like that, she was drowning in debt with a disabled 16-year-old girl at home.

She was mourning her niece and her business, and on the other side, Maizah was all gloomy. Smiles ceased to happen, or if they did, they looked so dead. There wasn't any shine in her eyes when she smiled. It was like a plastic doll, eyes in a daze, distant. It was as if she was always somewhere else. Her head, perhaps? Or maybe a whole different world.

She didn't talk much anymore, either. She gradually became more reserved, distancing herself from others and fumbling for her words. It was as if she was afraid to utter a word. As if doing so would lead to punishment. She seemed unsure of herself and insecure.

She preferred to be alone, isolating herself in her room. She didn't talk to her therapist or aunt much anymore. She didn't dream her dreams anymore. She dreamed of being like Batman and finding the Joker kid who killed her parent, but how would she do that now?

She didn't want anything anymore. She didn't participate in her old hobbies anymore. Nothing mattered because she felt hopeless. And the shine in her eyes was long gone; the little smiles she gave were not alive.

"Little Dove, you have been in this room for three years. I think it's time to go back to school," Said Masara, appalled at the sight of her niece; she used to be a chubby little girl, but now she was a skeleton look-alike. Her niece was lying on the bed; if her head were under the covers, she would have been easily missed. Masara's heart broke at the sight of her niece.

Masara had failed her brother; she had failed to protect his kids. She had failed to protect his business. She failed in everything, and there's nothing else she can do; she doesn't even know how to help the one and only person she's left with. She doesn't know what words to use; hell, she doesn't even know if she is in the right state of mind to help anyone, and the rumors she hears about herself don't help either.

"Just leave me alone," Maizah said, shaking her head. "Just… go." Her voice was soft, almost fragile, as if she and her heart would break any minute. Perhaps her heart was already broken.

"I'm sorry, my love, but I have been giving you space for some time now." Said Masar as she walked around trying to find the bedroom bench, which is usually next to the bed, but somehow, it was hidden by a massive pile of tissues. Her maid had just cleaned the room two hours ago, but it looked like it hadn't been cleaned for over a month.

Maizah had been crying, so her voice still cracked and caught in her throat. "There's no point in leaving this room; what for the sun? There's nothing I'm going to do outside except sit in the sun. My whole family is gone. I'm paralyzed. I'm already left behind in school, and there's pain everywhere in my body." Said Maizah. Masara bit her tongue, trying to control herself from saying the wrong words to her niece.

"You can't continue living like this. I am not saying you stop thinking about them, which you must. But you need to follow your routine to get better. There's still hope; you might be able to walk again. You have a responsibility to yourself. I am sure you will come out of the phase that you are still struggling into that it is a reality that could not be helped out and averted. But I ask you to be again brave, my little dove, be positive, be strong, and fight for yourself; I am sure your parents and sister all wanted and expected this from you. Fulfill their wishes and dreams!" As Masara spoke, her voice started sharp, but then, she broke down, and before Maizah knew it, Masara was on the verge of tears, trying desperately to hide it and keep her face and words straight and stern. Her words broke up, and all she could say were stuttering sounds. Hot tears streamed down her face, and she squeezed her eyelids shut in the hope her tears would stop. Her choppy breathing and watery eyes remained for quite some time, and she sat there on the bedroom bench, unmoving.

Maizah noticed her aunt's silent cries. She slowly lifted her head to look at her, but her aunt had her back facing Maizah, and she could see her shoulders shaking as she silently cried. Maizah just wanted to rise from the bed and slowly crawl down next to her aunt and engulf her in a tight hug like how they always do before everything came crushing on their lives like a tornado.

Sadly, the only thing she could do was watch her aunt crying her lungs out. She silently prayed, "If you're listening up there, please help us. If you're busy, just send one of your angels, but if they are also busy, send the devil himself. Please, just anyone. In Jesus's name, Amen."