The Tree's Girl

Chapter Twenty Eight (Author's POV)

The day was dark and cloudy, people of all ages wore black and mourned, and a dead body in front of him was inside a white coffin surrounded by flowers. It was the first time he was at a funeral. He was only a child then.

He stared at the dead body for a long time and wondered why the people around him were sad and crying. His mother pulled him close into a tight hug. She thought that had been being a kid he was, he just didn't understand. He didn't understand the fact that he was standing before a person's deceased body. Someone who left a lot of people. Someone who could never return no matter how much you wished.

The important members of their family and friend came to the coffin one by one, blessed it with holy water and went back to their sits. When it was his turn to do so, he looked at his Mother with confused eyes. He refused to do so. His mother was devastated. She couldn't handle to see the sight of his son not understanding a thing about the situation. So she just took the bottle, blessed the coffin and went their way to their sits, next to his Father who was silenced in grief.

It was about time for the coffin to be lowered. Everyone watched and cried as the one they cared for was slowly lowered into the soil.

Everyone started to cry, even the manliest of man.

He was left alone, still wondering.

He looked around and was worried to see everyone so sad. 'Why?' he thought, 'Why are they crying?'

Everyone really thought he understood nothing about his situation then. Everyone really thought that he was just an innocent kid.

Well they thought wrong.

It turned out that he, the innocent little kid, saw and knew more than any of the adult did on that day.

'Why?' he asked again, 'Why are you crying over a doll?'

Ah... he was truly smart, just like his brother.

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It was the second time he attended a funeral, that time it was a funeral for two. For his beloved Mother and for his disgusting father.

It pained him to see her get buried beside that man, but there was nothing much he could do.

Unlike the first funeral he went to, that day wasn't cloudy, but it was dark and stormy! The rain poured as if there was no tomorrow, still it didn't stop him. Also, due to the weather, no one came. It was only him and Maria. The two of them didn't seem to care that they were getting soaked.

Joseph stood strong in front of his mother's grave, Maria five steps behind him. Maybe it was because of the rain, but the tears that ran down his face weren't visible at all...but you can hear his sniffles and his sobs. He was truly mourning.

Maria had no words. Nothing could express the sadness that enveloped the two of them. The best she could do was be there for the one she loved.

Joseph's mind was filled with cloudy thoughts.

'Where are those so-called family members now? Where are my aunts and uncles? My cousins? The one they loved is buried probably ten-feet below the ground under the pouring rain. Where are they?'

He had long lost hoped for his family members. He knew few of them, and he remembered very little. Ever since him and his mother ran away from his father, he never heard from anyone. It was as if they've given up.

'Where are my mom's friends? Don't they care?'

He knew it was a rainy day and that no one would come. But he still hoped that someone would sacrifice getting wet just to say condolence... to mourn upon a lost soul that would never come back no matter what you do.

Those certain someones were only him and Maria.

They've been standing on that place for almost an hour. Maria finally decided that it was time to go home. She was about to walk over to Joseph... but was stopped by the sounds of foot steps on the wet concrete cemetary floor.

A guy came walking towards the two graves where Joseph also stood. That guy was wearing a coat, ordinary slacks, black shoes, and an umbrella so tilted that it covered his face from Maria's point of view.

She figured that it was a family member of the Strauss so she wasn't alarmed at all. She stopped herself from her tracks and kept quiet for the sake of the people who came.

From looking at his Mother's grave, Joseph turned to face the man and his eyes widened.

"..."

Joseph said something but it was washed out by the rain, Maria couldn't hear.

The two -Joseph and the man- talked, Joseph looking angry and shocked. He was stepped back and he seemed to be raising his voice, but the words were scattered by the sound of the rain. The man didn't put up a fight, he seemed to be listening to Joseph's every word... taking each and every one of it in.

The rain started to calm... Maria slowly started to understand.

"-when I came to your grave that day, on that day when so many years have already passed, and gave you a chance to make things right again... it meant that you had to return immediately! Not return 10 freaking years after when everything is too late to fix!"

Maria was a little shocked with what she was hearing. 'What happened ten years ago? Who is this guy?' she asked silently. She just kept a close eye on them. She was already starting to feel uneasy.

"You bastard! You don't know how long we've been living in pain because of your coward actions! "

"You were the only person who could change everything back to normal. Didn't you know?!"

"Christian went abusive because of your so-called 'death'!"

After hearing that, Maria was shocked.

She knew the reason why Joseph's father went crazy. It was because of the death of his prized son, Jian Strauss.

What was Joseph talking about?! Was there another reason his father went wild?!

Maria's curiousity glued her to her place, h

oping to get some answers.

Joseph continued to shout at him. He was very angry, frustrated and other negative emotions. He made sure that he released all the things that built up all the years in his heart. His tears were now more visible because the rain started to stop. His voice was cracking and weak. He continued on and on about him making everything right and arriving too late, but his most frequent statement was:

"You're the reason for all this! Why did you let your family die just like that?!"

The man threw his umbrella away and charged his way to Joseph.

Maria was alarmed, she was about to run to his aid... but to her surprise-

"I'm sorry, Joseph."

He didn't attack Joseph, he hugged him. It shocked the both of them. Maria was confused and Joseph looked disgusted but sad.

"Let go of me!" Joseph pushed him away, but the guy's grip was to tight around him. "You don't expect me to forgive you with just that simple apology! You ruined everything-!"

"I know. I know." the man grabbed the back of Joseph's head and softly forced it to his shoulder.

Joseph didn't want it to happen, he didn't want to be comforted by him. He wanted to be angry at him! But he couldn't control himself. He was forced to cry on that man's shoulders.

Maria was completely silenced. She couldn't understand anything... until she heard it from Joseph.

"You jerk. Why return now of all times? Why Jian?"

The final note to make everything fall in place.