On the day of the funeral, a small crowd had assembled at Kevin's gate memorial park. It started to rain heavily that evening, people were mostly dressed in black, and they soaked wet under their umbrellas. Around twenty minutes past five; the weather had started to change, and thick clouds formed in the sky. Then, a heavy downpour of rain started to drop and people inconveniently covered their heads with umbrellas.
The cemetery was a large space graveyard, and it was filled with so many gravestones. Several cars were parked across the entrance of the cemetery. And people walked in through the pavement towards the last monument at the end of the sidewalk. It had Victoria's name carved on the headstone; 'VICTORIA STEVENS (1996-2022)
People gathered around the grave in a semi-circle, hanging their heads low and a few people sobbed. They paid their respects one after the other. In a short time, the monument was filled with flower bouquets. When it was time to give the eulogy, a priest walked towards the front of the grave with a bible in his right hand and started to give a short speech, it didn't take longer than five minutes. During the time, Sunny was standing beside a middle-aged woman wearing a black dress and a black shawl over her head, she was the mother of the deceased. Sunny put his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder in search of comfort. Her skin looked under-toned and tears rolled down from her eyes. It overflows and drips down her damp cheek, falling to the ground as it blends with the drops of rain on the ground. She had an exhausted look on her face as she cries silently through Sunny's embrace. Her eyes were puffy and red, shedding lifeless tears like they weren't alive, but the grief she was feeling at that moment seemed too surreal for her to hold back her tears.
Sunny's arm wrapped around her tightly, and he held her close to him under the rain, and his other hand gripped the umbrella above their heads keeping them dry. His eyes were worn out and they filled with regrets, loss, and pain. Sorrow crept at the corners of his mouth almost dragging down tears from his eyes, but he holds them back.
He didn't want to lose the little that remained of his dignity, as much as he felt terrible enough, he holds it in. He could not afford to lose it in presence of the sorrowful woman in his embrace. He was supposed to comfort her, he thought.
A few moments later, A black Jeep pulled up at the entrance. The driver stepped out of the vehicle and walked towards the passenger side to open the back door. A forty-year-old-looking man in a dark grey suit descended from his seat. A few people turned around to look in his direction, he had two bodyguards and a driver, all dressed in black suits. One of the bodyguards held a big umbrella above his head and they both walked slowly in synchronization. At the entrance, the other bodyguard led the way through the paved walkway to the other end of the graveyard where the standing crowd was gathered. Eyes were fixated on him, and few people instantly recognized him. As he approached the near gathering, Sunny looked up in his direction, and his face suddenly lit up with a strong feeling of displeasure. He recognized the figure approaching, it was Senator Atkins. He suddenly felt the urge to run in his direction, but the deceased's mother grabbed his hand and gave him a disapproving look. He quickly understood what she meant.
Senator Atkins walked slowly on the wet grass along with the two feisty-looking figures that walked with him. He held a flower bouquet in his hand and walked towards the gravestone of the deceased, he gently placed the rose on the monument. He stood and then turn around towards Sunny's direction, he walked a few paces to where Sunny was standing with the deceased's mother as he moved closer to her.
"Please accept my heartfelt condolences," he said in a low voice. He stretched forth his hand to grab the deceased's mother by the wrist and placed his palm on her folded hands. He had a gloomy appearance on his face that made him look as if he was showing sympathy toward her. That gesture made Sunny bit his lip and he clenched his fist hard. He knew the man was faking it, it made him furious and uneasy. Sunny looked at him with an intense look.
"No parent should ever have to bear the loss of a child" the man continued. "If there's anything I can do to help ease your burden, please let me know. Victoria meant a lot to all of us. I'm so sorry for your loss" he said, while he took a short glance at Sunny. Sunny stared right back at him with intent, but the man snubbed him as he turned around to leave. Just as he was about to enter the vehicle, Sunny walked fast in his direction, but one of the bodyguards quickly stopped him.
"It's okay, I'd just like to have a word with the senator," he said, while he struggled to walk past the huge figure in front of him. The senator turned around to signal at his guard to let him be.
"Let the man be," he said as he gestured with his left hand, he walked a few paces to close the distance between him and Sunny. He paused and then looked Sunny straight in the face. "I'd be lying if I said I don't notice a sense of displeasure in your attitude towards me recently, officer...." he said with a brief smile on his face.
"It's Inspector Sunday Williams" Sunny responded with a hard grin on his face.
"You know, it's funny seeing you here at the funeral. One would think that you care senator."
"Listen, officer.." the Senator said before Sunny cut in.
"Once again, it's inspector! Senior inspector Williams!" Sunny exclaimed
"Well, I'm just here to pay my respects. Whatever grudges you might have in you, I suggest you get over it." Senator Atkins responded
"You don't need to be here. Nobody wants you to be here!" Sunny said angrily. One of the bodyguards attempted to shield the senator from Sunny's aggressive words. "She was a good person! A good daughter, sibling, and she didn't deserve to go out like that." He continued
"Are you suggesting I had something to do with her? " the senator asked.
"I know you're involved somehow, I might not be able to prove it now, but someday I will. I'm going to expose you for what you are," he said looking straight into the eyes of the senator. The senator looked back at him and gave a mischievous smile.
"I'll be looking forward to that " he responded, and turned around to walk towards the jeep, the hefty-looking man that guided him in all his steps opened the door for him.
"I guess I'll be seeing you soon senator!" Sunny shouted
"Maybe. Maybe not"
The vehicle drove off leaving Sunny standing behind. It was exactly six o'clock, and the sound of the chime of a church bell echoed from a distance across the graveyard. The melancholy tune added more depression to the mood.
There weren't many guests, people who were done paying their respects walked away quietly when the funeral ended. The mother of the deceased and the fiancé were the last to pay their respects. They both gave their sad, bitter farewell to the grave.
Soon, Sunny was the only person remaining. His white shirt and tie were still soaked, the rain had stopped. He holds no umbrella with him this time, and his black hat clings to his head in an old-fashioned manner. He held a single white rose in his hand drooping with rain, and its petals were almost wilted. He lifted it to his eyes and looked at it before he took a step closer to the grave. He placed the rose gently on the headstone as he kneels ignoring the wet grass. A bitter look of sadness filled his eyes, his lips move just above a whisper, and said;
"I'm sorry," he said to the grave.
"I'm at fault. I have failed you." He paused. And then hysteria builds in his voice as he continued to talk to the grave. He placed his hands on the edge of the headstone and traced the words written on it with his fingers. He sighed.
"You shouldn't be here," he said. A tear rolled down from his cheek, and his face turned pale, sad, and dispirited. He stood up and walked a few paces backward, still watching the grave, and then turned around to leave. His words were still looming over the grave, he dragged himself towards the entrance of the cemetery, trudging his feet in the grass. He turned at the corner of the gate and then disappeared.