met-a-noia

Chapter 13

Tarian's POV:

I turned left on Swaine's lane, Highgate, keeping my head down. The smell of spring infecting my nostrils as I stopped in front of the gates of Highgate Cemetery. I felt my stomach drop, my hands started to shake, gripping the bouquet of Red Dhalias harder than intended, as my throat started to close up just like that day: the I buried the love of my life.

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Flashback:

I was surrounded by nature and the coarse and wet summer green grass below my feet , the mass expanses of the tall and ancestral trees covering my head as the rain poured down ruthlessly. The wind passing through the tree branches created a soft and relaxing song that deafened my ears from the cursed solemn instrumentals that was being played, from people's cries of anguish and grief on my left and right: most of these people were people that I nor Devika even knew. My eyes caught light of the hearse making its way to the cemetery: Highgate Cemetery.

I felt my heart drop, my hands shaking, and a sickly feeling in my stomach watching as the crowd of distressed wannabes separated like the Red sea, the hearse slowly driving down the path that stopped 30 feet from where the 6ft hole where my beloved was going to be laid down. This is really it.. shes really gone.

I scoffed, the cruel irony of the situation: I promised her a life where I wasnt Queen, where we lived together in a small cottage by the Windmere lake, with our horses: Prince and Ezra and our baby, Zael, for a boy, and Fay, for a baby girl. Prince was a gallantly handsome black Arabian, and Ezra a gorgeous brown and white speckled Friesian. Both horses were horses that Devika fell in love with when visited Aylesbury, since one of her dreams were to ride a horse.  I took her to: Hartwell Riding Stables on September 12th, 2015, the day of her birthday. Thats when she met Ezra, well her original name was Starfly but she named her after my older brother who died when I was only 6 years old and fell in love with him. Yet.. here I stand only a couple feet away as her grieving brothers carried her coffin, tears racing down their cheeks, bouquets of roses covering the white oak coffin.

What a disgrace, she hated roses.. always thought of them as mediocre. Her favorite flowers were Red Dahlias, sunflowers, marigolds, and cream pink peonies. If she were here, she wouldve hated how her parents organized this..  she would've absolutely despised the solemn music, she wouldve wanted the song: "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd to be blasted on the best speakers available. She wouldve wanted everyone to be laughing and having a jolly good time, because that was the person who she was. Hilarious, loving, compassionate, adventurous, amiable, a nature lover in every sense of the word, stubborn like a bloody donkey but she knew what she wanted, and above all she was drop dead gorgeous on the outside and on the inside. She would not have settled for this depressing rubbish. she wouldve wanted me to atleast help them.. but they didnt let me. Although, they did get one thing right: if she ever died she wanted to be buried here.. under the decrepit English Oak trees.

I watched as they lowered her from afar, seeing that her mother didnt want me around her or her family. She still blames me for her death, and I do not blame her for it.. I still blame myself for her death too. My heart shattered each minute, as I watched them lay her coffin into the ground. Watching powerlessly as her Mother, Ruby, fell on her knees letting out a scream of pure lamentation , despair, and heartbreak as her Father, Roberto, rubbed her back with sobs of his own.

Just like Ruby and Roberto, Devika was my everything.. and now we've lost her.. forever. I felt a hand on my shoulder and tensed, whirling around and slapped the hand off my shoulder only to see Devika's younger brother: Daniel smiling sadly at me. Daniel was a senior in secondary school, he's 17 now. I immediately relaxed as he whispered, "Hey T..." his voice breaking as his eyes watered, and his face scrunched up in sadness. I sighed and grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a tight hug.

"She would've want you with t-them.. with Mum, Pops, Jason, Kion, Junior, Ben, Jeffrey, an-and I. Y-You're fam-family...y-you know?"

"I know kiddo, I know.. I wish I could be there... but your family's in too much pain to even look at me.. and I dont blame them. They need a moment to grief without having a reminder that the reason their daughter's 6ft in the ground is right beside them"

"Its not r-right... its un-unjust.. a-and cruel"

"I'll be quite alright kid, just forget that I was here, for you and your family's sake"

Daniel pulled back and nodded, wiping his tears from his red cheeks as he
said softly, "I know you loved her.. I know you're suffering like hell too. You lost just as much as we did.. maybe even more. A-And now you h-have to inherit a role you didnt even want i-in the first place. I-I know you're not alright, you're just too bloody stubborn to show it". I snorted and said, feeling a piercing feeling in my chest, "I guess some of her character rubbed off on me, eh kid?". Daniel smiled and nodded, "Please.. know that if you EVER need someone to talk to.. I'm always here for you".

I felt tears stinging at my own eyes as I chuckled wetly and ruffled up his ginger hair, "I know Danny, but I want you to focus on your studies. Like I said, I'll be fine... and I know, with time, you will be too. So focus on your studies, graduate, live a happy life. Thats all Devika has ever wanted for you, okay?". Daniel gave me one last hug and whispered, "Take care", before he walked off towards the rest of his family who wrapped him up in their arms.

I smiled and walked off towards my car, steadying my right hand on the handle of the umbrella as it trembled viciously as I made it to my car, where Ronaldo sat in the driver's seat waiting for me. I turned around, my eyes pricking with tears as I whispered, "Goodbye...my love, sleep well". before shaking away my tears and got inside the black car.. I am to be Queen: Therefore, my emotions must not get in the way of my duty.. starting now.

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I took a deep breath and pushed in the gates, the loud cry of the gate's hinges pierced my ears. Somethings never change I guess eh? I walked up the trail that lead to the private graves, towards the tree grove graves.

I stood in front of the entrance of the grove graves and readied myself. Well, here goes nothing. I stepped in, the song of the canaries and the nightingales blessed my ears, as the crisp winter air nipped at my face. After passing the birch trees grove I entered the oak tree groves and almost immediately found the grave I had searched for.

Kneeling down, I placed the bouquet on the smooth marble and sighed taking a seat in front of the grave.

"Hey Devvy, its been a long time..."

To be continued..