5. The Funeral

Jaxon's POV

I closed my eyes, and the best memories I had with Linx played in my head. I questioned myself on why life pushed us that far. Linx and I were best friends during high school. It was beautiful, shining like a diamond, but it disappeared like lightning. We used to jump the mountains, surf the oceans, and fly the skies, but after high school, things changed. Even though I entrusted him with the letter, it didn't mean our friendship was still shining like how it was. However, nothing was going to stop me from attending his burial. The night I heard the news, I took my passport and some of my money and looked back home. I didn't bother waking Amanda. Instead, I wrote a note for her and left it next to her pillow. After that, in the thirty minutes that followed, I was at the airport. In the next few hours, I was landing at JMN International Airport in Bulawayo city. It was already in the morning of the sunrise. I took a taxi which was going straight to Gwanda town. The driver started the engine after he understood that I was in a hurry. I didn't want to be late for the funeral. Gwanda town and Bulawayo city were closer together.

Along the road, I couldn't stop myself from admiring the beautiful savanna trees. That helped me to relax my mind. But, I was constantly asking myself whether I was going to be able to face Cassie and my mother? I wondered whether Cassie received that letter from Linx and understood it. All the questions I had had no answers at that moment. The answers were in await until I reached Gwanda. The journey took me almost two hours. From there, I walked a small distance to reach my home.

I couldn't believe the state of the surroundings at home. It looked like a ruin, not vibrant anymore. I walked closer to the gate. The hedge was down, the building walls had cracks, the door handles looked rusted, and the grass was in every inch of the yard. I couldn't believe it. My home looked deserted. The doors were locked by padlocks. I screamed, calling my mother even though my conscious told me no one was still staying there. No one was responded. I tried to peek through windows and saw that the curtains looked thousand years old. My mother was nolonger staying there. That was definitely because she wouldn't have stayed in that ruin. I wondered a place she could have visited.

When I was still looking around, I saw the neighborhood children staring at me. It didn't take time before a woman appeared from the house. The woman was new to me, and she asked about me. I told her I was home, and she said she had never seen anyone staying at my home since she relocated to be my neighbor. She came from Botswana. I chatted with her a little and realized she didn't know about my family. After that she went back to her house. I was confused, thinking about my mother's whereabouts.

My watch buzzed, and it reminded me of my agenda of going to the funeral. The time was already after nine. I knew I was getting late. Despite the exhaustion, I walked to the church building, a place where all burial services were hosted. It was when Cassie hit md by a car while the traffic lights were red. I was crossing the road relaxed, my mind miles deep to the core of my thoughts. The moment I took my eyes to my left, I saw a car coming straight to me. It was already late, and within a second, I was on the ground. When Cassie came running to me while trembling in seeing blood from my mouth, I was feeling dead. The moment we held hands and saw each other was a shock to both of us. It was unbelievable. I learned that she had a daughter after that girl called her mother. Frankly, I felt jealous because it was clear to me that Cassie moved on with someone. She was married. I wondered who her husband was, who gave her a pretty daughter. The way she was dressed made it obvious to me that she was going to the funeral. Thus, I requested a lift.

When I was inside her car, she frowned, a sign that she didn't want to speak to me, so I remained quiet until we reached the church building. I looked at them as they ran up the steps until they entered the church building. I could tell we were late. Cassie even forgot her hat in the car. I picked the hat and scented it. The fragrance of it intrigued the memories of my last night with her. The night we sneaked to make a strong memory. I smiled as I allowed my mind to go wild to that memory. Thereafter, I exited the car and followed them into the church building. When I was about to enter, I stopped. I imagined how people hated me for running away from my wedding. The fear of being judged made me sit at the entrance, still holding Cassie's hat.

After about twenty minutes, I heard the pastor asking the wife of the deceased to come forward. It was when I stood up intending to see Linx's wife. I was curious to see his wife. I opened the door a little and threw an eye to see. My heart instantly poundered when I saw Cassie going forward. She was Linx's wife. I couldn't believe how all that happened. My anger made my blood boil. I found myself already inside the church building. Everyone had their eyes on me. I walked forward after realizing I still had Cassie's hat in my hands. I wanted to give it to her.

As I walked forward, I felt my shoes weighing me down and my joints clicking. Something was sucking my energy. It was already war, which I tried to avoid the night before my wedding. I saw Mathew's face big and veined. He was breathing like a fish. He walked forward, trying to stop me, but Cassie stopped him. I saw him becoming angrier. Mathew was outraged while everyone in the church building was shocked. Even Cassie behaved as if she didn't come with me. After she received her hat, she landed an electric slap on my cheek. That surprised me. I closed my eyes, trying to control my anger. When I opened them Cassie was nolonger in front of me. I stood at the podium next to the priest. I could tell everyone wanted to hear me speak. My heart pumbed faster until I felt my chest paining. My breathing became uncontrollable, my eyes closing and my sight disappearing. Questions about Linx and Cassie drummed in my head. It became intense to the extent that I lost consciousness and fell down. I don't know what happened to me next.