Abducted

CHAPTER 16.

The shiny, gold and mahogany casket, stood at the front of the church, close to the altar.
It was a rainy day and splatters of the raindrops, could be heard outside as it drifted through the  silence within.
The stained, glass windows with their painted angels, kept a watchful eye on the mourners.
Gerronimo stood in the middle of his mom and his lovely wife.
Mrs. Hartland senior, looked devastated. Her shoulders were slumped, the weight of her grief, weighing them down.
Isabella on the other hand stood aloof. Her features were difficult to discern.
Gerronimo's body trembled with suppressed anguish as he stared at the coffin which bore his twin.
He could have never believed that Geraldo would depart from him.
Now there he was, in the mahogany and gold casket. Just a shell of the vibrant person whom everyone knew.
The wishes of Marina and his mom, to have a closed casket funeral, were adhered to.
They wanted everyone to remember Geraldo how he was. Not that bruised and battered, unrecognisable shell which lay before them.
Wreaths of every variety decorated the altar, reminding him of how popular and loved Geraldo was.
At the entrance to the church, Marina stood next to her mother.
Her chest ached and her vision blurred. The greetings and sympathetic words of the mourners, who were streaming in from the rain, reminded her of her widowed state of despair.
Sara stood behind Marina, keeping a close eye on her best friend.
Then came Tommy, all five feet, six inches of his body, clad in a grey suit, with a white satin shirt below.
Catarina pinned a burgundy corsette on the lapel of his jacket, just like she did with all the other family members.
Sara never met his eyes.
"I have enough time to work out my plans." she muttered to herself.

Recollecting the events at the bar, the night before, she smiled.
Some of the pieces of her married life were falling into place, in everyone's minds.
Or so it seemed.
She had pretended to reach boiling point when it was observed whom the object of her marital deception was.

It's no wonder that Gerronimo had turned to the arms of his handsome tennis coach, as an alternative.

They had taken a seat in the darkest area of the restaurant, closest to the bar, still clinging to each other, like plastic wrap.
When Sara had risen in an attempt to charge on them, Marina had restrained her.
"No Sara! Don't do it!
This is not the time nor the place!
They are not worth it!"

Sara had turned to look at Marina, a deep flush on her cheeks.
Looking into her best friend's eyes, reminded her of all the sadness and pain, which she was going through, Sara slowly relented, inwardly happy that she was stopped.
Not wasting time and trying to avoid any confrontation, Marina's mom quickly placed four bills on the table, next to their untouched meal.
Grabbing their coats and handbags, she had quickly ushered her grieving daughter and a seemingly "mad as a bull" Sara, through the restaurant's door and out into the cold night.

Everything was going as planned for Sara.