Outburst

Chapter 13 - Fist and Furious

I thought my Dad's funeral would be the last funeral I would attend.

Apparently, Phil Easton was a man with many friends. Friends, not colleagues. His funeral was flooded with his acquaintances, sobbing and crying. He was loved, respected, praised-not a single negative comment came out when his family and close friends gave their eulogies, including Chad.

Chad, who was the last one to speak up, looking stronger than ever, even though it was obvious that he once had tears on his face. He didn't speak that long, unlike the people who got the honor to do so. Chad had admitted that he and his father weren't close. They always had different ways of seeing something, thus made them argued all the time. But, his eulogy was nothing but kind, loving words addressed to his father. It ended with, "I'm sorry for not being the son you wanted, Dad."

The sorrow that surrounded the funeral increased as Chad recited those words.

Chad got back to his family; his restless, mournful mother, and his calm but fragile little brother, Toby. After hugging his mother, he kneeled down to Toby, grabbed his shoulders, and gave him a little speech. Toby was expressionless all the time, but when Chad talked to him, his face started to tighten, his lips arched, and the tears broke. Chad hugged him, tightly.

I couldn't help but let my tears down as well, seeing the family mourning their patriarch. It was really heartbreaking because this had happened to me, twice. Grant, who drove me here and now stood beside me, noticed this. I immediately took my handkerchief and wiped it.

My mind went back to the day before. Grant rushed back to the backyard after Una got to the house to call 911. I was still standing at my spot, unmoved, with my shaky hands still locking up to each other.

"It's Phil Easton, isn't it?" I asked, almost like I was whispering to myself. We just called Phil Easton's phone and we could hear the ring clearly-in the woods. Grant went to check and got back with a strange behavior. "Please tell me that he's okay."

I knew he pretended not to hear me. "Get back to the house," he said while hastily locking the gate.

"Grant, is he okay?" I repeated.

"I said, get back to the house!" He shouted.

"Stop acting like my uncle, damn it!" My voice was trembled, but I still managed to shout back at him. In the last few days, my head had been cleared from the image of mysterious and stiff Grant Olivier that I once knew. It turned out that I could get along with him and dropped all the formalities we used to have at each other.

Una came back to the backyard while holding the phone receiver. "I'm calling 911, Sir, but what should I say?"

Grant stared at me briefly before looking at Una. "Tell them we found a body."

I was startled when Grant touched my shoulder and I suddenly dropped my handkerchief to the grassy ground. He bent over to take it.

"I'll wait in the car. You take your time," he said while giving it back to me, and then turned around.

The funeral ended. The attendees were going back home, leaving the cemetery half-empty. The Eastons stood up by Phil's grave, having their last moment with him. I saw them from the distance. I didn't want to leave just yet because Chad's best friends, including Ivan, already did. I just felt like staying here for a little while. Even though Grant stated that he was fine waiting for me, I knew he couldn't wait to get out of here.

Chad left his family for a while to approach me. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot for us."

"I'm so sorry, Chad," I said. "I also came here on behalf of my uncle. He couldn't come."