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“I’ll leave now. You bake really well; thanks for the hospitality.” I said and walked out of the porch.
The sun was shining resplendently in the sky, lightly burning my skin as I made my way out of the property.
*****
As the driver rode past, I thought I might have seen a sports car resembling Christian’s.
It was possible it was his since I had not gone too far from the farmhouse.
Since it was a Sunday, I thought about church. I had not listened to a sermon in a while now. However, church made me think of the cemetery and my father.
The church cemetery possessed an unmatched serenity.
It was one of the places people would never naturally think of visiting, but it was a prominent landmark in my life.
I remembered I had read a passage where an author had written something like; I fancy three settings; the firmament, the earth, and the grave.
It was unusual, but it struck me differently.
A sense of peace enveloped me; the only sound I could hear was the incessant chirping of the birds.
I could see many old and weathered stones in the trajectory that led to where I could faintly remember where my father was buried. On the other side, however, lay a plethora of fresh, pristine stones.
The distance ahead of me rolled up to the magnificent structure of the church, its spire piercing the azure blanket of the sky.
My father’s headstone was well-weathered and shrouded in lichen. Nevertheless, the inscription was very much legible. It read;
Here lies Adam Alexander Reece, beloved husband, father and friend. May he rest in peace.
There were no flowers at the base of the stone, but a couple of dried leaves made a crunching sound when stepped on. I hadn’t premeditated my visitation, so I didn’t have any flowers.
However, I thought I could pick a couple of flowers from the bushes bordering the cemetery and hold them together with a firm twig, so I went ahead.
I picked the flowers, the very best ones I could find, humming to myself. I wondered sometimes how different our lives would be if my father had been alive. Would we have remained at Laketown? Would we have been happier if we stayed?
It didn’t matter, I thought to myself as I placed the flowers and a kiss on his headstone.
“We’re doing really well, Dad,” I said. “We love you.”
I turned away and headed home, making a mental note to check up on my mother when I got home.
******
When I arrived home, I thought it wise to let Allison in on everything that had transpired between me and her mom. So, I gave her a call.
“Mom’s seriously gone overboard,” she sounded agitated. “And she’s really being selfish. She and Dad. I’m very sure that Dad knows about this.” She continued, annoyed. “I hope she wasn’t rude to you.”
“No, she was quite desperate, so she was nice.” I honestly said.
“Have you told Christian about this?”
“No,” I responded, staring out of the window. The lights in his duplex were out, so I felt he was not yet back.
“Do you plan on telling him?”
“I think I should.”
“Yes, Christian definitely will not appreciate you keeping such a thing from him.” She agreed, sighing. “I think I may have to return sooner than planned.” She added.
