After a pause, I said, “The price was too high and I thought it was not worthwhile.”
He said, “As long as you like it, then it’s worth the price. Besides, it’s meaningful, too.”
Knowing his arrogance, I did not argue but just replied, “It was taken away by a man named Yuri Bates. Joseph left him a message. After All Souls’ Day, I want to ask him to open the box.”
He grunted and asked, “Yeah, what time will you leave tomorrow?”
“Possibly early. The cemetery is rather far away.”
“Great. I’ll wait for you at home.”
I smiled as I always felt that he was like a child. After hanging up, I slept early.
The next day, we got up earlier than usual as we were going to the cemetery. Summer was still half asleep. In the car, she finally leaned on me and dozed off.
Joseph would be driving us. Perhaps, it was too early and he had not slept enough. There were dark circles under his eyes.
In the morning, Mrs. Eriksen had prepared breakfast. I looked at him and said, “Later, I’ll swap with you. Please take your breakfast first.”
He cast me a sidelong glance and shook his head. Smiling, he said, “There’s no need. I’ve already eaten.”
Today is All Souls’ Day so I said, “I can go on my own. You need to visit the cemetery with your family too. You can go with them.”
He smiled, shook his head, and said, “It doesn’t matter because my parents are around and they will go themselves. So long as the people we care about are all here. They go to the cemetery to see their ancestors. For us, younger folk, we only need to know the place.”
All those who are important are still around. These are probably the words that everyone wished to say on All Souls’ Day. In our life, if those who mean everything to us are around, then we don’t need to go through life and death and think about them on All Souls’ Day. Neither did we need to suffer the pain of separation.
This was the best blessing that anyone could ever ask for.
After driving for a short while, he spoke, “By the way, last night I checked out Mr. Bates. He’s from K City and highly secretive. However, I managed to get some information. He seemed to have met old Mr. Murphy a few times.
I could not help frowning, “Then, he probably knows the Murphys.”
After hesitating for a moment, I voiced my thoughts. “Could this Yuri be a member of the Murphy family? Did they buy the sandalwood jade box at the auction just to find the other one?”
Joseph was silent for a while as he kept his eye on the road. Then, he said plainly, “It’s hard to tell.”
It was noon when we arrived at the cemetery and the drizzle had stopped. The sun was out and a rainbow hung in the sky. The air was fresh.
Summer had a good memory. She had only been here once but she could find the tombstone all by herself even though there were new tombstones added in the cemetery.
In paying respects to the departed, we started with the most senior ancestors. It’s been five years and Old Mr. Featherstone’s photo is slightly blurry and barely recognizable.
Summer asked, “Mommy, will all of us die?”
I nodded. When I was a child, I didn’t understand what death was. When I grew up, I found that the people around me were gone one by one.
Sometimes people leave before we can say goodbye.
I said, “All will die but we don’t really die per se.”
Summer did not understand, neither did I. I gazed at old Mr. Featherstone’s photo, lost in thought. He must be rather disappointed because Anthony is not here.
When he left, Anthony held a lot of grudges against him and so Anthony did not come to send him off but now that the grievances had faded away, it seemed as if the thoughts he haboured toward the deceased was lesser too.
I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing to have someone weeping in front of the new tombstone. It must be someone who has just passed on. The family had not come to terms with the loss and they were still grieving.
I don’t like crying in front of a grave so I led Summer away to Grandma’s tomb after saying goodbye to Old Mr. Featherstone.
Summer tugged at my hand and asked, “Mom, why is that man in front of Grandma’s tombstone?”
I looked in that direction and saw a tall, slim man, dressed in black, standing solemnly in front of Grandma’s tombstone. His back was facing us so we could not see the expression on his face.
I searched my memory but could not remember any such person. Who could he be? As far as I could remember, my Grandma did not have a friend like this.
Out of curiosity, I could not help stepping forward. “Hello!”
The man paused for a moment and turned around to look at me sharply.
His elegant handsome features seemed aloof as he cast me a glance. Without a word, he turned around, ready to leave.
Noticing the white chrysanthemums and offerings in front of the tombstone, I couldn’t help looking in the man’s direction, asking, “Mister, you are…?”
The man turned around and cast me a glance, saying, “Just a passer-by!”
After this short phrase, he said no more.
Watching him walk away, I could not help being curious. When did my Grandma make friends with someone like this?
Leading Summer to pay respects and bid goodbyes, I set aside those thoughts. Macy’s grave was the newest. After five years, there were no weeds or damages. It looked brand new.
I could not understand Jared. Perhaps, he had never loved Naomi or Macy. To him, they were just passers-by and his feelings for them are just guilt.
Neither of them was around anymore nor so all that was left was a heart filled with remorse.
If both of them were still alive, I’m afraid he would still be cold and indifferent to them as if they were just strangers.
On the way back, we met the man with the aloof expression again. His car was parked in front of the cemetery, it was a black off-road vehicle, cool and domineering.
When I arrived with Summer, he cast us a nonchalant glance and put on his sunglasses. Then he entered his car.
In the car, Joseph told me, “Mrs. Featherstone, Mr. Featherstone instructed me to book the air ticket for tonight. Is that alright for you?”
I smiled. “Alright!” It was already booked. There was no point in cancelling it.
The car had barely started when there was suddenly a screeching sound of braking. It was so loud that my eardrums hurt.
Our car stopped abruptly and Summer fell into my arms. Joseph calmed himself and looked with narrowed eyes at the black car in front of us.
I came back to my senses as two men alighted the black car with wrenches in their hands, obviously coming at us.
Crack! The windscreen was smashed.
The windscreen on the driver’s side crashed down even as Joseph cried, “Mrs. Featherstone, call the police!”
His door was opened and two well-built men pulled him out, tying his hands and shoving him into their car.
My mind went blank. When I got out my phone to make the call, it was snatched away.
Before I could react, the back door was pulled open and two big and burly men stood there, expressionless, looking at me. “Ms. Stanhope, please come with us!”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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