Dead Boy Bewitched

02 | stealing what's yours isn't insensitive

The funeral was a closed casket and when it was time to lower him to his grave, I couldn't stop that one single tear that escaped my eyes.

It wasn't because of Kai. The tear was for his mother, May Jones, who was crying so loud and calling his name that a large man had to carry her out after she became unconscious.

There weren't many people who attended the funeral. There were a few teachers from school and members of the Church. Father Peter was pretty shocked to see me. I wasn't known for being a 'Funeral Person'. I didn't even go to my Grandma's because I was so grief-stricken on losing her that I stayed bed-ridden for days. I didn't know what made me come to Kai's. Maybe it was the news itself that I got the previous day.

Kai Jones had died at 3 am and the cause of his death was epilepsy. His mother couldn't believe it. According to her, her boy was healthy and well-fed. He never showed any signs of seizure nor had he ever been seriously injured.

It was heartbreaking to see her. Her blonde, short hair was tangled and her heart-shaped face was red from crying, her eyes appeared hollowed. The funeral was small and after the ceremony was over, there was a gathering in Kai's house but no one came.

No one except me.

Although it was a bad time and I was about to do a very insensitive thing, I needed my locket back. It was my Grandma's. My Grandma, who gave it to me on her deathbed, asking me never to lose it and I couldn't. Mom made a replica of it for Millie too after the latter caused a fit out of Grandma's biased love for me.

After the burial was over, I headed over to the Jones' house. As I stood at their door, ready to knock, I checked my appearance and corrected the creases on my black dress. It was an elegant, knee-length attire, plain but classy.

I hadn't put on any makeup, just a lip balm to keep my lips from looking chapped. In my hand, I carried a bouquet, and after much debate with my mind, I knocked.

It took a moment for the door to open and when it did, there stood the large man with a bald head who had carried May out. His eyes matched Kai's. He had a square-cut jaw and he crossed his arms over his chest as he looked down at me.

"What do you need?" the man said in a rough voice, making me flinch.

"I bear condolences. Here to meet Mrs. Jones."

My words must have taken him by surprise for his statuesque immediately turned soft and he stepped away from the door.

"Come in, come in. We had no visitors so I was surprised to see you here," he justified his actions with a soft chuckle.

"No. It's fine." I gave a small smile and he let me in.

When I stepped in, I was greeted by the sight of May Jones sitting on the couch, her head in her hands. Their house was small and the front door opened to a hall with a kitchen. The walls were discolored and the wooden floor creaked underneath my feet. Straight ahead, on a small corridor, I saw a door and two more doors on either side of the corridor walls.

One of them must have been Kai's room.

May Jones lifted her head to look at me with a blank expression. Her eyes were red, the skin under them white and patched. Anyone from afar could easily see that she was in trauma.

After she was done studying me, she went back to rest in the same position. The shadow of the tall figure made me turn and I found the huge man looking at me with a sympathetic gaze.

"She's my sister," he said, pointing to May. "I'm John."

"Nice to meet you, John."

John blinked his eyes, lifting his hand to rub the corners where tears shimmered. "She has been like that for two days now and I don't know what to do," John sighed and I looked at him pitifully.