Hacine’s ax handle

Hacine’s ax handle is both a sign of Hacine’s return and the weapon he uses to attack Kader. Introduced as an unexplained object in his hand, it acquires a violent purpose when he swings it without warning, leaving Kader seriously injured and the surrounding group stunned.

Appearance and Connection to Hacine

When Hacine returns to the courtyard, he is carrying the handle. The others have heard he is back and are curious about why he has returned, having understood that he had been living prosperously in Morocco and Spain. His possession of the object draws immediate attention: the group first mistakes it for a cane, then realizes it is something else.

Asked about it, Hacine holds the handle in front of him and grips it firmly. He gives only a brief explanation, saying it was for his father. The account does not clarify what he intended to do with it for his father, leaving its original purpose uncertain even as its later use becomes unmistakable.

Use Against Kader

Later, Kader is speaking to Hacine in a patronizing manner when Hacine interrupts him with a sudden blow from the handle. The strike hits Kader in the lower face and leaves his jaw displaced. The attack is described as coming without warning and without an evident motive; Hacine watches in silence as the others react with shock, and one of them begins to vomit.

Kader initially struggles to understand the seriousness of what has happened and tries to stand. When he tries to speak, he realizes he has been badly injured. The handle’s function has shifted decisively: what had been an unexplained possession, briefly associated with Hacine’s father, becomes the means by which Hacine violently asserts himself against Kader.

Narrative Significance

The handle links Hacine’s return to an act that disrupts the group’s familiar gathering. Its presence is noticed before its purpose is known, and the gap between those two moments makes the attack especially abrupt. The object is not merely carried through the scene; Hacine’s use of it changes the gathering’s mood from wary curiosity to shock and fear.