Convenience

Part 3

Two days after they married, David's grandfather died suddenly in his sleep.

The planned honeymoon failed to eventuate. For the two days of their marriage were spent in transit. A flight to Singapore followed by, on hearing the news about his grandfather's demise, a flight back to Auckland.

On the flight out David spent almost the entire duration reviewing company documents ignoring his new wife and forgetting the fact he was recently married. Hardly surprising and as to be expected given neither had paid that much attention to the other either before or during their short wedding service, neither seemed to worry about his lack of attention.

Beatrice was equally content with the state of affairs. After all, what did she really know about the man sitting beside her other than what she had learnt through other people? Her husband certainly hadn't supplied any information personal or other about himself. What she knew was garnered from other sources.

Her grandfather thought David was a good man. She took her grandfather's word but he had also suggested she find out a bit more about the man. So she had.

Quietly Beatrice flicked through the in-flight entertainment programme before finally succumbing to sleep during their ten-hour flight. They'd barely checked into their hotel when they got word about David's grandfather's death. In fact neither had even unpacked. So within minutes of arriving they were soon on their way back to the airport, to get the first available flight back to Auckland. On the flight back, David tried to keep his mind on the company documents, even as his heart mourned the loss of a man who had been, in essence, a father to him, rather than a grandfather.

Beatrice spent the flight trying to decide whether to offer him comfort. Given the first class seating arrangement on that particular flight, it had been difficult. She couldn't simply lean over and hold his hand, or sit beside him to offer support. But she'd made an effort. After the plane had taken off, and the seat belt sign was switched off, she approached him, and softly offered her condolences once again and asked if there was anything she could do for him. She knew she sounded gauche. But she didn't know what to do. How did one offer comfort to a man you barely knew? Did he like to be held? Comforted? Hugged. Did he want to talk about the good times he'd shared with his grandfather? Did he want to be left alone? Should she offer to hug him or listen?

In any event her approach went down like a lead balloon. His response was terse and dismissive as he rebuffed her overtures and suggested she return to her seat. With casual disinterest he rejected her tentative gestures offering comfort and wondered what he was expected to do with a clingy wife. Beatrice returned to her seat and wondered whether that compromise she'd envisioned when she'd agreed to marry him, was ever likely to occur. He seemed even more distant.

David finalised his grandfather's funeral arrangements without any support or in put from her. He advised her of the date and time, and she duly arrived with her grandfather to mourn the loss of his friend. It was pretty clear that her grandfather felt the loss quite strongly, so while her husband was busy accepting commiserations from a steady stream of well-wishers, Beatrice had stood alongside her husband and grandfather, knowing that the silent emotional support was only recognised by her grandfather.

Beatrice walked alongside him at the funeral, with his parents ahead of them, and her grandfather alongside. David barely acknowledged his divorced parents, as he stood beside Beatrice, but then he wasn't taking that much notice of her either. He seemed even more distant, in his dark suit, and with his closed off expression. His face was etched with stoicism. But in the depths of his eyes she saw pain, and knew that beneath the cloak of autonomy that he wore, was a man who cared about people. He was taking the loss of his grandfather hard even if he kept that hurt well hidden. It was just a shame that he chose not to look at his wife and see that in her he had an anchor and support.

At the wake they had stood and greeted people who approached to offer condolences. Yet, at no time had they held hands or said anything other than to verify practicalities.

At the end of the wake she returned with her grandfather to their home, while David went back to his house alone despite her grandfather trying to persuade him to come and stay with them.