Chương 21: Nothing Happened - 2
It was a spacious room but the amount of people inside made it seem smaller. The main attraction of the room was the Buddhist altar covered entirely with a hefty amount of flower and a portrait of a man together with a spirit tablet. It was the funeral arrangement (tsuya ritual) of the man named Hyosuke Hirata, father of Arata Hyosuke and the late husband of Hyosuke Saeko.
All funeral guests wore black: men wore black suits with white shirts and black ties, and the women wore either black dresses or black kimono. One by one, each of them offer condolences to the mother of Hirata, and Saeko who was standing all numb beside her. They handed over the offerings (in black and silver envelopes) to Hirata's mother and passed on to the other side of the room.
"It was such a good family…why did they have to suffer such terrible fate?"
"Poor Saeko. She's still so young and already lost her husband. They had their kid a few years ago too…I feel really bad for her."
"I wish they cope up and recover from this tragedy gradually, as the time passes."
"That said, I don't see their child…What was his name again, Arata? Where is he?"
"Yeah, I heard that he is under a severe mental trauma and is simply not in the right senses to even walk properly."
"Poor kid, I even heard that he was there in his room while the culprit killed the father…I can't even imagine the pain he would have went through."
"Did they catch the culprit yet?"
"I don't think so and the family has already decided to keep the case private…let them figure it out for the time being."
"Yeah, that's for the better."
…
"Thank you for attending the funeral of my child on such a short notice…We really appreciate that." Hirata's mother said as she departed the guests with parting gifts.
Although, as the part of the ritual, some of the close relatives decided to stay overnight and keep vigil with the deceased overnight in the same room.
Hirata's mother took a long sigh and looked at Saeko whose eyes were still blank with half-dried tears and an emotionless face. "I will take care of this place. Go and take care of Arata, he's in a worse condition than you imagine."
"Yes, Mom…" Saeko replied as she went off the room and climbed up the stairs to enter the room where Arata was.
"Arata, Mom's entering…" She tried to speak with joyful tone but couldn't keep up with the act for too long and went silent by the end of the sentence.
As she turned the knob to the other side, the door creaked a little and moved inside. There he was, sitting at the corner of the room all mushed up among his body parts.
Saeko, a little scared and worried, walked towards him and sat down in front of him…"See, you mama is here, Arata…it's all fine…" She tried to calm the mood so that her kid doesn't feel any kind of sadness or dismay.
"Ma…ma…?!" He said with a tense and trembling voice. His body was quavering like crazy as he hurriedly held Saeko's hand tightly.
"Yes, Mama's here…Calm down…" Saeko said as she held his hands with more warmth and care. His small shirt was stained with red blood and so was his body but they got it washed…Although…he didn't let anyone touch his shirt so he was still wearing that.
"Mama…P-Papa…I…I…" He was trying his hard to speak up but his vocal chords wouldn't let him because his body was shivering simultaneously.
With a simple smile on her face, Said said, "It will be fine, Arata…even if your dad isn't here…It will be fine…"
"…No…it's better that way…Pa…Papa…was a bad man…papa needed to be eliminated…Papa…black…it's all black around him…so…I…splintered his…his face with…the scissor…until it got all red red…me even…got his eyes out…his mouth was all messed up…but…what should I do, now, Mama?! I…"
At that moment, there was nothing but a single feeling inside Saeko and only one expression on her, FEAR. "You…you…"
Saeko suddenly recalled her conversation with the cops on the location of the incident.
"Uh…Saeko-San…your child was found sitting beside your husband's body, covered with blood while crying and shouting in pain. I believe he has seen something he shouldn't have…Please take good care of him…and don't worry I assure you, we will try to find the culprit as soon as possible." The policeman said while getting the body of the dead cleared out from the room.
"Yes Sir…I will keep that in mind…" Saeko said while looking to the other side through her blank pupils.
"Take care of yourself"
Everything felt connected to her but it was all still unbelievable…
"H-How is…something like that possible?!" She put both her hands on her mouth as her tears ran out more intensely.
"You…killed…him…You killed your own father…?!!!" She shouted at him in rage but then quickly calmed herself down as she saw the expression on his face…
"I-I…got rid of the bad man…mama…but…but…why wouldn't…papa wake up?" He started crying out loud while screeching fiercely.
"Huh?"
"Papa…he said…he will play with me…but why wouldn't he? Why did those people…took papa…away?! They are…bad…man…too?! Mama…please…please…I want papa…to call my name again…to take me out…I need him here…right now…" He continued crying while speaking broken words.
At that moment, Saeko understood…understood everything.
She let go of her rage and hugged the young Arata tightly and started crying in pain, together with him…
"It…will be fine…Arata…You didn't do anything…It was…a bad man…yeah…a bad man…papa…was…a…bad man, right? Papa…is somewhere…more beautiful…okay? So don't cry…We all will meet him in that beautiful place someday…we will meet him in hell someday…So…nothing happened…nothing happened Arata…"
Arata nodded slightly as he kept crying with his eyes closed and trying to feel the warmth of Saeko's hug but it was all hollow…that was one dark night.
*
"Let's get going, Ciel…they are already here…You wouldn't want to miss it." I am awake from my sleep and am still looking at the ceiling…
Why do I have to see those kinds of memories again? Let it be something more clean and pure…God…Let me give a chance to free myself…Let me give myself a chance to change everything…
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