Chapter 65
1337words
I was staying in Ethan’s hotel room. Our house was still under investigation, so I couldn’t go back there. Jonathan was finally discharged from the hospital.
Ethan and I were on our way to Mrs Polinski’s funeral. It was going to be a terrible day, I’d say, but it would also be an angelic one for her. Finally, she’ll be going where she can find peace easily. I hope she does.
“You ready to go?” Ethan asked while I straighten my black dress standing in front of the bathroom mirror.
“No,” I say.
He smiled and walked up behind me.
“It’s going to be okay.” I turn and face him, holding him close in my arms.
“I know she didn’t deserve to go like this, but believe me, Ms May, she’s way better off in heaven than here in this shitty world.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Come on, we’re going to be late.” Ethan kisses my forehead and walks out of the bathroom to give me a minute.
I look in the mirror once again.
“I wish it never came to this, Nat. What we had was so much more than what you wanted it to be.”
I shook my head and walk out too.
The funeral was about to start, and I saw some people who I knew. But I guess this wasn’t the time to exchange good wishes today.
I see Mr Polinski sitting with his comrades, trying to look tough. But deep down, every single person present knew how he was feeling. He not only lost his wife but his daughter too.
All of them said their eulogy. Mr Polinski decided not to say anything about her. His thinking was, “This wasn’t the time when they say goodbye”. She was still here with him and always will be till his last breath. And we all respected that.
As worse as funerals go, this was rather a beautiful one. At least I know she’s somewhere safe.
After the ceremony, I looked around and saw Jonathan getting out of his car.
“Jonathan?” Ethan was standing right beside me. He wasn’t pleased that Jonathan was here, but it wasn’t a place you actually command someone not to meet the other one.
“Just gimme a minute, please?” Ethan doesn’t react much, he just gives me a brief smile, and I rushed towards Jonathan.
“How...what?” I flutter.
“What am I doing here? Well, I heard about what exactly happened with Mrs Polinski and I realised what caused my accident was so. I guess I’m here to give her my warm wishes.”
“I thought Rick already told you who the driver was.”
“Oh, he did. But I guess I was still in shock to figure out who he was talking about.”
“You...You should sit down. You’re barely standing.”
Jonathan sure was discharged, but his injuries weren’t healed. We walked towards a bench nearby and sat there.
We stayed quiet for a while, looking at the sky.
“I’m sorry, Angelica.”
“Sorry for what?”
“That you had to go through all of that alone.”
“Well, I wasn’t all alone.” I try to make a joke out of it, but I quickly regretted the fact that I was talking about Ethan in front of him.
“Right, him.” Jonathan looked in his direction and looked at me.
“I heard and saw a lot of articles about your Vegas trip too.”
“Oh, please don’t bring that up.”
“I actually understand why he took you on that trip. I really do.”
“I just...”
“You just...what?”
“I just hate the fact that it wasn’t me with you. I don’t like the idea of him and you.”
“Jonathan...”
“Angelica, call me crazy, but you know that you deserve more than him. He’s a celebrity in the world. And his world has already corrupted yours.”
“How?” I ask in a growling manner.
“All the reporters? Articles? News? You’re telling me you’re okay with that?”
“Look, I’m not saying that I’m okay with that but...”
“Angelica, you can’t deny what you feel about me. What I feel about you. You know we’re perfect for each other. I can’t seem to understand what exactly are you waiting for.”
“I...I don’t know..”
Jonathan looked at me, all concerned, before nodding.
“I get it.”
“Get what?”
Jonathan stands up and walks away, barely managing to even walk straight.
“Jonathan, you shouldn’t force your body to-“
“I should, Angelica.” He almost screams.
“I actually should. You know what? I’ll just go.. I can’t be here. I’m sorry I have to go.”
“At least let me drive you?!”
“It’s alright, my sister is driving me.”
I looked at Jonathan’s car and see Juliana pulling down her side of the car window. She was watching me like she was disappointed.
“I wish you well, Angelica,” she says as Jonathan gets in the car and drives away.
“Are you okay?”
“Not now, Ethan.” I look behind me where the voice was coming from.
Only to find that it wasn’t Ethan.
“No dear, Here I thought I was losing my eyesight. I guess it’s you who’s losing it.” Mr Polinski says, making me laugh a little.
“I’m sorry Mr Polinski, I just..”
“Have a lot going on in your mind?” He finishes my sentence.
“Yes,”
“Come, sit with me for a while.” He says while sitting on the bench, and I do as he says.
“You know I was in your position, ones.”
“Really? With two women fighting over you?”
“Oh, no, with two men fighting over my beloved wife.”
“She was beautiful as the moon when she was young. We were college lovers too, you know. She had every guy giving her roses, chocolates, letters, everything a woman could desire. Meanwhile, I? I only gave her trauma.”
We laugh.
“What kind of trauma?”
“You see, I had nothing to give her, had no money, no fame, no face value or even a simple type of reputation. I used to hang around her alone, watching her every move carefully. If she was about to be in some type of trouble, I was the only one to save her from it. All the other guys who gave her those fake props never showed up. But there was a guy who gave it all to her.”
“Took her to movies, showed up on time, treated her like a princess. I knew I couldn’t compete against him. He had it all and from the looks of it, I thought she was falling for him, too.”
“I was about to go live my life alone as soon as I realised I had nothing to offer her. That was when she came under a tree where I was waiting for my bus to the military. I remember that day perfectly. It was raining when she watched up at me and confessed. She never wanted all of that. Letters, roses. They were just props and fake gifts to her.”
“She knew what was real and what wasn’t, as I showed her the true value of love.”
“That was..?”
“Loyalty. I stuck to my morals. I never touched her before without her consent, never even shook her hand. I feared her. But the others? They all ended up trying to get physical use of her.”
“You’re young, Angelica. A lot of them will tell you to think you only want to hear but don’t need.”
“Life tricks you at your every step, Angelica. Be careful who you were, and you may get up getting what you truly desire.”
“Even if it’s between two gentlemen or no men at all.”
Mr Polinski smiled and walked away.
“You know she would have hated this, but at least she would love the fact that one of her daughters was here.”
“I wish you well, dear.”
And he walks away, leaving me thinking.
What do I need the most?
