HIS GREATEST BETRAYAL

Chapter 6

The day suddenly turned grey and very cold just like my current state. An icy wind was blowing through my hair as l stood shivering in the graveyard. A sad atmosphere hung heavily in the air.

There was even a sad melancholy in the tune of the birds chirping in the trees of the graveyard. Tears streamed down my face as l stared at my parent's coffins being lowered into the cold pit.

It was a terrible feeling!

Aunt Amira glanced at me with tears in her eyes. She squeezed my hand and l smiled at her through my tears. I leaned my head on Lola's shoulders.

I saw Ferracco across the graves in a black suit . He gave me an assuring smile and I felt relaxed for a bit. It was a nice feeling to know that many people had come to support me.

My parent's business partners, workers and distant relatives had come to show their support and l appreciated that a lot. Realising that my parents were so much loved and cherished brought me an inner joy and peace.

The funeral ended in the afternoon and we drove back to the Castio mansion. As soon as we arrived , l went up to my room. I needed to be alone. Who wouldn't after coming from burying their parents. I went in the shower and stood under the cold spray.

It was not a wise move to take a shower on such a cold day but a cold shower have always managed to calm down my thoughts.

I heard the bathroom door opening . Lola perked her head into the shower room. She gave me one of her popular smiles that always made me smile back impulsively.

She was always ever smiling .

A ray of sunshine!

I doubted if she ever get disappointed in life. At times like this , l envied her smile.

Lola was one strong girl. Always stood up for me ever since we were growing up. The only time l ever saw her broken down and crying in helplessness was when her father , uncle Roberto died with lung cancer.

We were six years old then. After the funeral , she had locked herself in her room the whole afternoon refusing to open to anyone, even me. Aunt Amira had cried so bad in my mother's arms. My dad had to break into the room only to found little Lola unconscious on the floor.

As l stared her , l realised that Lola had lost her father but she had lived through it. I can live through this pain through.

Lola was a beauty with her long black hair and big hazel eyes. She was once envied by most girls in our high school and adored by the boys.

"Jane!"

Her voice jerked me out of my thoughts.

"Uh?"

A worried expression appeared on her face.

"I have been talking to you for the past ten minutes. Are you sure you okay?," she asked in a voice laced with concern.

I found myself grinning. Again l was struck by how lucky l am . My parents may be dead now but l still had people who cared for me.

Lola always acted like my big sister though we were almost of the same age. I remembered how she punched some creepy guy at our high school prom. The guy was a stupid jerk. He had ran his hand along my bare thigh under the dining table and Lola who happened to bent down to remove her high heels had noticed it.

"I am fine Lolita . At least l can say l am not in a suicide mode," l said with a weary sigh.

"Deaths are always associated with pain but with time we will learn to let go and cherish their memories instead."

"I know but l doubt it will be easy. Every time l walk around the house , l am overwhelmed with their memories."

I turned off the shower and she handed me a drying towel.

"Do you want to hang out with the girls. Get drunk and stuff. Today l am not restricting you on the number of shots to take. It can help you keep off some of the stress a bit......"

"Lola l am fine okay. I just need rest," l argued with her.

She raised an eyebrow at me showing that she wasn't buying any of this . She always read me like a book. I sighed in defeat. Like always l ended up admitting what l was denying to her.

"You are correct. l am not fine. I mean who would be fine after something terrible like this happens to them. But l am not in the mood to go out and get drunk. I did rather stay behind at home."

"If you need anything just ring me up okay. I am going downstairs little sister. And tonight I am coming to sleep in your room again . I know you will be having nightmares."

She walked out of the bathroom in her graceful step.

"I am not a baby!," l yelled after her.

She looked back over her shoulder and smiled before walking out of the bedroom door.

After dinner, I stepped out onto a wide terrace at the back of our sitting hall. I leaned on the railing sucking in the clean night air. The air was perfumed with the scents of roses, daffodils, irises and many others whose names l couldn't identify.

Nearby was my mother's little garden. She never allowed the workers to work on it. I smiled as l remembered how she would wake up early in the morning on weekends to water the flowers.

She always said it gives her joy to watch something bloom into life under her tender care. I made note to tell the workers tomorrow to start watering the garden again. This was one of my mother's pride .

In the distance l saw city lights spread out and l heard distant sounds of cars hooting and music blaring. The city was always alive at any hour of the night.

It was getting chilly now. I hugged myself to keep warm. I was wearing a short and a crop top. I whirled around at the sound of approaching footsteps . Ferracco was standing in a shaft of the moonlight with his skin glowing in the pale light.

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