VII
Death.
We'll all personally experience it.
But before we do,
we witness others going through it.
But what I wonder is,
does the person dying suffer more
than the people they leave behind?
The dark ominous cloud which surrounded the family the next morning, was so thick that I wasn't sure how any of us was breathing.
It was only the next day since I had arrived with Bradley at his family home and already, I had to witness this dark side that every family goes through: mourning.
After seeing how his father had smiled so brightly at us just the day before, it was hard for me to believe that he had passed away. But as I looked towards his bedroom, and saw that the door was open with no one inside, while the curtains blew with the wind, I knew that I would have to be a fool not to believe it at that point.
I didn't know that I had been crying until I heard a loud plop from my cup of tea. I looked down and suddenly felt the tears which were streaming down my face.
I had only known the man for one day and already, I felt as if I had lost someone close to me─as if I had lost my own father.
I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, causing me to look at the person and recognize her as Bradley mother, Leanne. She hugged me tightly as I hugged her back, finally able to cry fully.
"Thank you for being here with us, Mia," I heard her say.
I couldn't say anything as my tears continued.
---
The funeral was short. There weren't many people because that was how his father had wanted it.
Only his wife and children, and a few of his family members.
I had spent most of the morning crying, surrounded by Bradley and his family's comforting words. And now, I was unable to cry anymore as I stood with the family, shaking hands with the few who had attended.
A small woman who appeared to be in her late seventies approached me, pushing herself as she sat in a wheelchair. When she got close to me, I bent down to be at her level.
She took my hand and smiled slightly.
"My Bradley doesn't usually bring a girl home. And the one time that he does, you have to witness this," she said to me. I forced a small smile as she continued speaking.
"It was really nice of you to stay with them when they're going through such a hard time."
ns 15.158.61.6da2
