Chapter#14: Accident or Felony?
[3rd Person's P.O.V.]
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The Chief has been almost waiting for two hours—for the arrival of his personal pilot—driving the Bizliner to Japan. That two-hour wait seemed to be like just a few seconds for the grieving Manuel Seo. He was not yet ready to face the cold corpse of his beloved wife.
For several times, a gentle knock was heard on the door of his office; it was his secretary. He already knew what he would say—it was about the immediate return to Korea—specifically, to mourn his heart out.
Manuel Seo also heard from his distant cousin—who was also a doctor—about his children's condition. They are said to be in a state of comatose. He felt as if heaven and earth were closing in onto him because of such tragic events. It was so painful to accept and heartbreaking to mourn in this way.
He could not help but to feel dizzy and anxious. He can't talk very well and it seems that all his bodily system has stopped. Lifelessly, he prepared himself, the material and things he needs before going to the airport where the private plane was.
He ignored the looks and stares of the people darted on him as he entered the airport. It seems like all the eyes there were secretly judging him—everyone seemed to know how useless he was as a husband for Kyunmi and also as a father to his children.
"S-Sir...? I've already prepared everything that is necessary for M-Ma'am K-kyunmi's funeral. The funeral hall in where her wake will be place was in the same hospital in where your children are confined," It seemed difficult for the secretary to say those words.
He stared at him with those puffed eyes because of the tears he was letting out endlessly, but there was still no emotions seen on his face. He sparingly nodded to the secretary.
He put his head on the car's headrest and closed his eyes tightly. Surprisingly, fond memories of his wife flashed through his mind.
Flashback...
-YEAR 1980-
Inside a pompous and beautiful room—a twenty-five-year-old Manuel Seo can be seen—sitting quietly and frontally on the floor, opposite to a medium-sized low table full of delicious food.
"Are you ready for next next week? Next week you're about to meet—the woman who's scheduled to be married to yours and next week will be your wedding day," Manuel Seo's father—who looks so much alive way back—said softly.
Manuel knew that at an early age, he could not disobey his father's wishes, especially since he was his only child and heir. His father is kind and hardworking, especially when it comes to putting up food on their table. He can't just easily refuse what his kind father wishes to want.
He knew that elders in the family will decide who to marry its children but he strongly believes—that a person should marry the person who it truly love—not just whomever your parents choose.
He smiled sparingly at his father—who deserved to respect his wishes.
"Your future wife's family is from the generation of the last Mayor of Hanyang or Seoul of the last Korean empire wayback 1910. Just imagine the future of the future generations from you, if the wealth and property of your wife and ours will join forces. Your future children will not suffer anymore," Manuel's father said happily while tightly holding his both hands.
"I'm not either getting younger, it won't be long before all our family's property will be yours. When that day comes, you'll have to take care of your family and your old mother. It'll be lonely, for sure but you must endure it and continue in your lives," his father coughed while looking at him with concern in his eye.
"That's my last request to you, my son," said by his father and he took a piece of beef and put it in Manuel's spoon with rice.
His father smiled and motioned him to eat it before the food get cool.
He took a deep breath before swallowing the food in the spoon.
"For the future of my future children," Manuel said to himself and thought of the woman that he was falling for right at this moment.
"Looks like in the next life will be the next time I'll be meeting you..." he said while eating quietly. Clearly, his mind hasn't calmed down because he knew—in himself—that he had a woman he wanted to get marry to...
End of Flashback...
Manuel Seo couldn't help but to cry as he remembered the time he thought he couldn't do what he wanted with the woman he was longing. He hadn't have a time to get ideas at that exact moment, that it was her—the lady that his father was talking about that he would be marrying—is actually his one and only wife, Kyunmi Kim. He tightened his grip on the ring he was wearing. He did not want to go on with life, without the only person could only understand him more than he knew himself. His wife's presence in his life has been a big part of him. He doesn't know now how he can go on, even though he has two more reasons left—the children left to him by his dear wife.
They entered the Funeral room, where the remains of his dear wife were laid to rest. He put on his mourning garment first. He could not comprehend the intensity of the emotional suffering and he did not let go of his sanity. He couldn't help but to avoid staring at the smiling picture of his wife on top of her coffin surrounded by so many flowers. In front of the coffin was a table with three containers of each rice, fruit, vegetables—this was the offering to the dead—plus the incense, commonly seen in funeral houses in Korea.
He just sat quietly on the right side corner where the coffin was perched and still staring at the floor.
"I'm sorry my dear Manuel… Be strong for the kids." He looked up to see his wife Kyunmi, crying while holding his two hands.
He couldn't stop himself from sobbing silently but became evident as his shoulders shook gently. His wife was crying... He raised his hand to wipe the tears that were running down her cheek but the moment he move his thumb on his wife's cheeks she already disappeared in front of him. Hallucination...
Many came and sympathized with his wife's sudden death, most were beneficiaries of his wife's foundations and some were their close family friends.
"We sympathize with the loss of Ms. Kyunmi. She was very kind and we are saddened by her sudden death..." said by a woman in her mid-thirties—who was also one of Kyunmi's beneficiaries.
"This is what I have saved a little. Please accept it for my sympathy and gratitude for the kindness shown to us by your family. Thank you very much," she added, obviously holding back her tears.
Manuel did not say a word or look at the woman but nodded in gratitude to the her. He glanced at his wife's photo for a moment and said to himself, "Why do I have to feel this such painful feelings? It's hard to deal with the people I lead in this state." Those rich tears flowed again for the nth from his eyes again...
He wiped away his tears when he saw another pair of black shoes in front of him. He could see the luxury from the shoes and the slacks—the owner of the shoes was wearing but Manuel Seo didn't pay attention to it. His gaze remained darted on the floor...
Did his former comrade in the military—Mr. Lee—go to him to meet him to console and sympathize with him? It looks like that Mr. Lee owns that pair of feet in front of him.
"I didn't come here to sympathize for your loss. I came here to see how much pain you are suffering. Ha! Now, look at Manuel Seo who was flying so high to the sky, but looks like he's now a dog left and misled because his owner will be long gone. How does it hurt? Well, that's not even enough. It's barely not enough. There's no compensation for what your wife did to me. You ruined the life I have. Do you think I will let you stay happy and smiling? Manuel Seo, I will make you feel the hardship and weight of the feelings that you and your family has caused me when you put me in police custody," said by the man in front of him in a full, clear baritone voice.
Again, he did not even bother look on who was it nor raise his head to stare at him. He was sure it wasn't even his comrade Mr. Lee.
"You ran away? Are you the one who did this?!" loud and full of anger Manuel Seo said as he clenched his two fists, still unmoved by the laughingof the man. Just staring in anger at the pair of shoes in front of him was the only thing he bother to make.
"If I said Yes? What are you going to do? Are you going to put me in jail again? How amusing! Even the police have done nothing, you see I was even here to watch you mourn badly. Aren't you happy?" he said with sarcasm in his voice.
"YOU'RE SUCH DEMONIC! SON OF A BITCH! SON OF SATAN," with full of anger Manuel Seo exclaimed but as he was ready to stand up and punch the person, thats when he looked up and saw no one in front of him. He know that was true and he can't be imagining things. He know that he was just here in front of him seconds ago...
He rolled his sight at the whole place... Worried eyes and sad stares was what he saw around him from people inside the funeral house.
He just stared back at the floor and chose to remain silent. He wants when the wake of his wife had come to an end, she would not be cremated but instead to turn his wife's bones into beads—so that their children can still see it.
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