"Kaivan couldn't make it, he sends his regards and condolences. He's currently at the hospital with his mother," Aldo reported.
I just nodded, hearing the news from Aldo and thinking about how he learned of the bereavement I was going through. Yet, something felt off. How did Kaivan know about my mother's passing when I hadn't contacted anyone?
*Perhaps Dad told my mother's friends\,* I contemplated silently.
"I should go now, to join the funeral prayer," Aldo excused himself.
He appeared to be signaling Aunt Ayu and Bik Ela, suggesting I could use their company. Both women approached me again before Aldo left to follow the procession taking the body to the mosque for the prayers.
The cemetery designated as my mother's final resting place was a bit distant from my neighborhood. It took about ten minutes by car to reach the site. Aldo was driving my car, where I sat beside him gazing out the window. Aunt Ayu, Bik Ela, and Mbak Marni occupied the rear seats.
Silence filled the journey. A tightness gripped my chest, my eyes burned and were misting up again. If I said one word, I was sure it would trigger a torrent of tears.
I wanted to scream, to tell the world that my mother was no more. The person I loved dearly, who brought me into this world, could no longer be with me.
"Yura," Aldo said. I turned to see we had reached the cemetery parking lot. Even Aunt Ayu and the others had already left the car. "Are you sure you want to go there?" Aldo asked me.
"Yes," I replied softly.
"Let's go," he invited.
I walked with the procession of mourners and those accompanying the body. Aldo stepped right behind me, while Aunt Ayu walked beside me, her arm around my shoulder.
I wasn't the only one in tears when the body was buried and the soil started piling on. Aunt Ayu seemed to comfort Uncle Edwin, while I broke down in sobs again. Aldo kept patting my shoulder, eventually pulling me into an embrace as my weeping intensified.
It was nearing dusk when the burial was completed. A religious leader invited everyone to pray. I glimpsed several beings that, under normal circumstances, might have made me run and scream.
Aldo seemed aware that I could see the unseen creatures flitting about. And when we began to leave the cemetery, he stayed close beside me. I glanced back at the mound of earth I had sprinkled with flowers.
Even my father had moved ahead, passing by me.
"Come on," urged Aldo, interlocking his fingers with mine. I didn't resist, my emotions were too turbulent at that moment.
"Mother," I whispered as I looked back once more.
"Yura, let's go. We can come back tomorrow; it's already evening. Staying here too long under your current condition isn't good," Aldo said. I didn't understand his meaning, nor did I want to.
I sat on the side porch, with my dinner arranged on a tray freshly placed by Bik Ela. Not far from me, Aldo was washing his feet and splashing his face with water, returning from the mosque.
The man stood looking at me, wiping his wet face with a handkerchief, dressed in a black shirt opened at the front to reveal the t-shirt underneath.
"Don't daydream, better eat that. Bik Ela said you haven't eaten since lunch."
"I'm not hungry," I replied.
"And if I told you to sleep, would you say you're not tired either?"
"Possibly," I responded with a shrug.
Aldo then sat in the chair next to mine, the small table in between.
"You know it's wasteful not to eat this. If we don't say a prayer, certain ... well, especially when it's clear that nobody's eating."
I quickly grabbed the plate from the tray. Whispering a prayer, I began to bring food to my mouth. The meal felt difficult to swallow.
"Take it slow, no need to rush," Aldo soothed, patting my head. Somehow, I felt incredibly comfortable and protected with Aldo's presence.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 57 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments