"Okay now that your moment is over can we please get going," said a very impatient Hailey as she stood near the doorway with a tissue box in her hand. We both pulled away and looked at Hailey.
Mark just stared at her with painful eyes. He's always had a crush on her since we were kids. But that idiot couldn't confess. Coward. Hailey on the other hand didn't exactly have any type of feelings for him. According to her, she found my brother ogle worthy but she didn't fancy him. Their relationship for her was plainly platonic. It hurt my brother every time he saw her dating some guy but he shrugged it off always like it didn't really matter to him. But it always did. Hailey didn't know about my brother's feelings for her so I couldn't really help his case. I asked Mark if I can tell Hailey about his feelings but he always ends up snapping at me. That cranky man!
Hailey, Mark and I were going in Hailey's car while my dad and Aunt Becca's family including her husband, bitchy Taylor (she's the queen bee of our school. How unfortunate for a nerd and a queen bee to be paired up in the same family), and little Cassidy. She's just five and she's adorable by the way.
At the end it was decided that Cassidy was also going to travel to the cemetery with us as their SUV didn't have much room to take another person.
Hailey sat in the driver's seat while Mark sat in the passenger's seat. I being sullen and moody, didn't feel like calling out shotgun. Cassidy sat at the back seat with me. Even someone as bubbly and cheery as Cassidy couldn't help but cry. She was my mother's biggest fan to be completely honest, because my mother always gave Cassidy an upper hand. My Aunt often used to say that my mom was spoiling her. But her heart was just completely filled with love and adoration for Cassidy that she didn't mind.
Hailey soon revved up the engine and started the drive. The cemetery was hardly ten minutes away from our place.
The car ride was silent to say the least. Just the occasional sniffing by Cassidy. I didn't feel even feel like saying anything. Honestly, I was very much exhausted. Sleepless nights and lack of food didn't help my case either.
Everyday Aunt Becca would come and try to convince me to have meal but I didn't budge even once. I felt like I'd permanently lost my appetite. I didn't even remember the last time I shoved some food down my throat. Everyone forced me to eat but I was way too stubborn to budge.
Soon enough, we were at the cemetery. Hailey parked her car and we all got out. I held Cassidy's tiny hand and she quickly intervined her small and delicate fingers with mine.
The weather today was gloomy and sad. I couldn't think of anything positive as I was completely surrounded by negativity. The weather today was rainy and cloudy. It was one of those days when you just want to sit by the windowpane and read a good book with a hot streaming mug of coffee etched to your hand.
I didn't even realise I was crying, until I felt the wetness from my tears stream down my lips, the salty tears creating a weird salty taste in my mouth. I shook my head, letting out a huge sigh and headed to where everyone was standing.
Hailey looked at me with sympathetic eyes and gave me a sad, small and encouraging smile. I tried to quirk my lips up in a smile but failed miserably and ended up looking somewhat constipated.
My eyes automatically moved to the man who is my Superman, my dad. His eyes were lost and forlorn. His jaw clenched and his lips pressed in a thin line. I hadn't seen him once in the past week because I didn't let him enter my room once. I needed space and I was sure he needed too. He gave it to me. His fist was constantly clenching and unclenching. He looked up at me and our eyes met. And his face just looked a million times worse. He was a very handsome man, I could give that to him. He was lean and muscular but not bulky type. But right now, his eyes had dark circles beneath 'em and his normally hazel-brown, eyes that I and Mark have inherited had turned black. His cheekbones more prominent and I guess it was because he hadn't had much food.
His eyes contained so many raw emotions in them. Anger, sadness, grief, regret, hatred and guilt. He just gave me a brief nod to acknowledge my presence and turned around just in time for a traitor tear to fall down his cheek. I knew he was trying hard not to break down in front of his kids.
A hand slipped into my other one and I looked up to see Mark smiling, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. I nodded and we all entered the cemetery.
My eyes wandered around and I saw that a large amount of people had gathered for the funeral. Of course. They all loved my mother. After all she was brave, wonderful and a beautiful woman. She was confident, independent and strong. One of her ability out of many was to make friends quickly. She would go to a jungle and the tribes there would elect her to be their leader. Yes. She was that friendly.
In the front of the gathering, there laid a large oak coloured coffin, decorated with garlands of white lilies, my mother's favourite flowers. We used to have plants bearing white lilies in our backyard. Gardening was my mother's favourite pastime, apart from cooking of course. Soon the priest started the ceremony and the people started paying their condolences and prayers. The same dialogues and the same pitiful eyes continued for an hour. The people then started with their speeches and the unnecessary sobbing.
All this while, I was numb.