All Men Are Not The Same

Death of the Truth

Life asked death: "Why do people love me but hate you?"
Death replied: "Because you are a beautiful lie and I am a painful truth."
-Unknown-
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Whilst his heart was submerged in disbelief, Maddox still had no other choice than to accept that his mother was gone. The cries around him, the depressing words and the sullen faces, all were forcing him to believe in what his soul refused to acknowledge. His mother was no more. She breathed her last just a few hours after Maddox left the hospital.

Maddox sat down on the floor in a corner of the living room. He hugged his knees against his chest, his head bent down in sorrow. He did not want to face anyone. He did not want to hear consolation words from the people around him because these words were making him more aware of the pain he will have to live through for the rest of his life. From time to time, some relatives or neighbours went over to him, some would run a hand through his hair while others would mumble a few words of sympathy to him, yet his head remained buried between his knees.

Maddox finally looked up when he heard people murmuring, "Evan is here." He turned to the door and his eyes fell on his father's face. It was the first time that Maddox saw Mr Howard with a face harbouring a painful expression. The cruel look in his eyes was no longer there. Instead, tears were building up in them, threatening to fall at any moment.

Mr Howard walked to the nearest chair and sat down, his hands hanging by his side in desperation. As people gathered around him to show their empathy, he let out a muffled sob. Maddox never saw his father in such a state before. He could not help but think, were these tears of grief or regret? Is he heartbroken because mum died or does he regret that he never treated her right?

Conflicting feelings seethed inside his chest but then he made up his mind not to think wrong of his dad. No, mum taught me never to judge anyone. And this is my dad. He can't be so bad. He must be feeling the same pain I am feeling right now.

Maddox watched as his dad shook his head desperately. Just as the little boy was about to go and hug his dad, the latter uttered some words which made Maddox as well as his feelings freeze. In a flash, the feelings of sympathy he had towards his dad were taken over by anger and hatred.

"I took so much care of her, never hurt her. I've never let a single drop of tear fall off her eyes. Yet, she left," Mr Howard wailed.

Maddox stopped and stared at his father in disbelief. Why did he lie? Why did he have to say this? I have witnessed the pain he inflicted upon my mum. How can he be such a liar?

At the same moment, a young woman who has been standing beside Mr Howard since the time he entered the house came in front of him and hugged him, patting his back and whispering, "Handle yourself, Evan."

Maddox did not have any idea who the woman was. He has never seen her before. The stranger woman did not seem to belong to the neighborhood. From the way she was dressed, it was obvious that she belonged to a wealthy family.

As the young woman kept on comforting Mr Howard, being way too intimate, some of the people present were sharing confused looks as if questioning each other.

Maddox noticed Miranda's cousin David, standing at the front door. His eyes were stuck in the direction of Mr Howard and that woman. David looked at them, his face going red in anger. It seemed like Miranda's cousin, knew much more about the young woman than the other people knew.

Painful hours passed by as Maddox sat beside his mother's lifeless body, his eyes not leaving her face. He reminisced his old best friend's departure - Elisa's departure. Although her death amounted to around four years back, the memories were still so fresh as if it was yesterday. The old wounds were not yet healed and new wounds were again inflicted upon the ten-year old boy.

Finally, after all the rituals were completed, Miranda's body was carried away from the house to the cemetery. Maddox watched as his mother was buried into the earth. At that particular moment, pain would just be a four-letter word which would do no justice in explaining what Maddox was feeling. In fact, no word would be able to describe his feelings.

Above all, Maddox also knew that along with Miranda, the truth was also buried. That truth which he so wanted to know about. That truth which would mark him for life.

Maddox gave up his hope of finding that bitter truth. But, he forgot that when God wants something to happen, He will make it happen, at times, in the most unbelievable ways.