บท 45: Left To Pick Everything Up

43.

My respect for my grandfather continued to rise with each hour that passed. The butler, Peng Fei, was an extremely competent man who was able to take charge of everything and made sure it was perfect. At least Grandpa was smart to hire him all those years ago. I don't know what I would have done without him.

I stood, dressed in a black dress, with black nylons and Mary Jane shoes, between the coffins of my mother and grandfather at the funeral home, watching the people who kept coming up to me, offering me their condolences.

It was nothing but bullshit as far as I was concerned. Women sat in row after row, crying daintily into Kleenex, their eyes darting around to see what the others in the room were doing. If someone was crying harder than them, they would all of a sudden act as if they could no longer live without my grandfather around.

It was nothing but a joke… and I couldn't even laugh.