BEYOND A SERVANT

Chapter 32

AJ gave a last wave to the last guest who just left with the taxi, she did not expect it was going to be that tiring hosting a funeral but she was glad that her father had made many friends and family. She saw those tears in their eyes when they spoke about him, they have lost a beautiful man inside and out.

AJ looked at the mansion that she had 10 years ago when her company started to do very well. JJ was happy so happy that he invited all his friends to stay over for the next 5 years. Showing them what his daughter's achievement was, he was so proud that he could not stop smiling when telling friends and family.

The 5 bedrooms with ensuite attached, with an entertainment basement and a big backyard with a pool. His father always plans Sunday BBQ with their neighbors when JJ invites them who were skeptical about them the first time they meet. JJ changes them with a smile and delicious desserts.

Cassey opened the door and looked at AJ, they both thought they were ready but when JJ left them at the hospital reality kicked in, they could not move for a second as all those years it has always been the 3 of them, highs and lows just the three of them. AJ smiles and walks towards her, they hugs tightly, believing that they will be stronger than ever.

"Isabelle!!" AJ heard her name being called a name that onlyher mother called her, she let go of Cassey and looked only to see Rose was standing near the staircase. AJ looked at her with no reaction,

"I'll be leaving tomorrow... back home!" She lied as the moment she left her ex-boyfriend house she had nowhere to go, she wanted to let AJ know so that AJ would know that she would be leaving the next day forever. She planned to leave before they woke up so that they don't have to speak to each other awkwardly. But AJ did not say anything and walked away. They looked at AJ, they accepted AJ would react the way she did. Even during the funeral, AJ did not speak to Rose or even interact with her, Anna and Cassey would talk to her assuring Rose to stay until the funeral ends.

AJ walked to her father's room which was at the end of the first floor opposite the kitchen and the living room. She walks in and memories dash into her mind, from the first time she showed his father the room to the day before they sent her to the hospital until he passed. The room was full of photos of family and friends. AJ walks into his father's studies room where he would spend time there alone with the books that he reads and letters that he writes for his friends.

AJ sat down at the single sofa which was near the window, bookshelves with many kinds of books his father has read and has placed a sticky note. AJ did ask her father why he placed those sticky notes on the books he's response was for her to see and remember him when she read them.

Her heart was filled with his father's memories, she wanted to be strong but just looking at the books made her tear up. Then she saw a leather cover in front of a book that his father read for her when she was a little girl, "Madeline by Ludwig Bemelsman". AJ stood up and walked to the shelves and took the leather cover before she walked back to the sofa. The brown leather was being tied with a brown string, AJ untied the string and opened the leather and saw 3 bundles of letters with their names in it: AJ, Anna and Rose.

AJ was too busy with work, finding her sister and finding a way to cure his father, his father was already preparing to leave them. Everyday without fail he would sit in the study room and write 3 letters for them, to tell them all the words he could not say when he was alive and words he wanted to tell Anna's daughter he could not grow up with. He wanted to tell her all those things he did with AJ and words he wanted to tell her privately especially how sorry he was that he should find her sooner.

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The lights from Rose were still bright when Anna had finished using the bathroom. She could not sleep, she has not been sleeping for the last 3 days ever since her father passed. She did not feel so loved when she saw her father for the first time, even though it was the shortest time she ever spent with anyone but that was the most wonderful time she ever had and felt.