In the small holiday town of Elysian Harbour, the many mourners wept and showed saddened faces as they looked towards the glossy black casket with silvery hardware and adorned with flowers, childhood memorabilia, his photo and a plaque with his name and age
Daniel King
30 years
A much loved brother of Evelyn and son of the devastated Roslyn, he was an adored friend to all who knew him, even those who had a brief encounter remembered him fondly.
On both sides of the church were the many friends that travelled from interstate and overseas to pay their respects to his family and say their goodbyes, Evelyn was sitting in the front row with her mother Roslyn and her never present father Harland and other members of her family. Evelyn had recently celebrated her 18th birthday and not the average build for someone of her age, none the less she had developed into a beautiful young woman with her reddish brown hair, eyes that were almost black, freckles adorned her sun kissed skin.
Evelyn sat looking at her fingernails that she had painted a very dark navy and wearing a black lace dress with a skin coloured lining, even though she wanted to wear completely black, she took the advise of her mother and went with this dress, which Evelyn knew deep down she would never wear again.
Evelyn turned to see the mourners pouring out of the entrance, and then in the doorway stood the person they suspected being responsible for his death.
Evelyn stood up and glared at the woman and before she could confront her, an usher approached her and escorted her away, the whole time she was objecting to being ordered to leave and did not go about it quietly. All eyes were now watching the commotion happening at the exit and then towards the annoyed Evelyn which made her uncomfortable and she quickly seated herself next to Roslyn, who was both angry and shaken by the woman's presence as she was instructed to stay away and allow the family to grieve the beloved son, brother, cousin, uncle and friend
"What a hide" Evelyn whispered angrily to herself but loud enough for Roslyn to hear.
The service began and as the entire time words were being said, Evelyn stared at the casket, not hearing anything, still in disbelief that her brother was no longer living, and wished it was all just a bad dream as they were very close, but sadly it was all too real.
'Danny, oh how I miss your humour, our conversations at the dinner table or just laughing at something stupid' Evelyn thought as she stared at the coffin.
Then suddenly everyone was standing and Danny's family gathered around the casket to say a final goodbye, before we all knew it the pallbearers appeared and grabbed the handles of the casket and carried it to the hearse.
Evelyn looked over to the black sheep of the family, her older sister Margaret, with her collection of children that she had no interest in raising, the eldest child, Laurel formally a guest of the Blake family, now a woman with a child she conceived with….um…someone.
Evelyn held her mothers hand as the two women wept for Danny, while Harland remained stoic and stiff.
The mourners congregated outside and as they did the rain fell heavily from the sky, all eyes were glued to the hearse as it drove down the winding road many with tears rolling down their faces as they gathered around his family to exchange stories but most wanted to know all about the mysterious woman that was escorted away.
Danny's family and friends drove to the wake and came together to share their favourite memories of Danny, some filled with joy and others with tears but the only thing most wanted to know was who the mystery woman was and why was she asked to leave, this made Evelyn and Roslyn angry.
"Today is meant to be about my boy Danny, no one else" Roslyn snapped trying to contain her tears. Roslyn was determined she didn't want to discuss that woman on the day she wanted to ensure that it be all about Danny.
When the wake was over, the Blakes returned to their two story Tudor contemporary style home, Evelyn's never-present father Harland disappeared to his study, Evelyn walked through the living room to the kitchen and poured herself a drink, she didn't know what it was just that it was alcohol, one glass after another she downed half the bottle, she staggered up stairs to her room and fell asleep still fully dressed from the days events.
Roslyn sat in the living room feeling how empty her life felt now, when the phone rang echoing through the house startling her from her thoughts, it was the detective with information on Meredith Simon, the unwanted woman at the funeral, he stated "she was some piece of work" and was convinced she knew a lot more than she was telling anyone. He told Roslyn that after numerous attempts to contact her, and finally having success, he confided that he didn't like her.
After a brief conversation, Roslyn sat on the sofa alone hugging a cushion with tears once more and feeling concerned at how angry her daughter appeared and wondered whether it was time to sit her down and have a serious conversation with her, and thinking that her husband Harland who had been distancing himself from his family for sometime was being quite insensitive in not supporting his wife and daughter, and could help but think how fractured her family was.
Roslyn had suspected for some time that Evelyn had perhaps inherited it, and that Danny's death that might turn push into shove.