Ultimate Sacrifice - Episode 8

 

Kim

If I could tell time to stop,
To stop there for a moment,
And let me have those moments,
Just for a little while longer,
Maybe I could understand better,

If I could tell time to hold,
Just for a second,
And let me experience it once more’
Just a little bit longer.
Maybe this would be much easier,

If I could tell time to stop,
A minute or just for a second
And let me look harder
Maybe I could see what I missed
One second,
Is all I need
It’s all we need.

Yet again Kim read another poem. Carefully folding that piece of paper, he placed it on Antonina’s bosom again . That’s what his wishes were at this moment. If only Antonina could see him or feel his wishes. Minxy and Jerry joined him and they both placed red roses in Antonina’s folded hands. Even in her death, Antonina still looked beautiful. Beautiful as her life had been.

The time to lay her body to rest reached. Four men came, closed the casket and carried it to the grave site. The crowd of mourners followed. Constant sniffles and muffle cries could be heard. Christine, Mark and their children held on to each other as they followed, Kim also filed in closely. The family clung onto each other desperately

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. The men placed the casket on top of a fresh mound. Final rites were performed. The pastor crowned it all with a short verse and prayer. He then took a small portion of the soil and poured it into the grave, the men had already lowered the casket.

“Man is dust, and to dust he shall return.”

Each family member followed with Kim being the last. Then the handy men went full blown into burying the casket completely. It wasn’t intentional but to the bereaved it felt like the men were in a hurry to get it over with. Christine couldn’t take it. She moved away from the grave site to the house where her wailings and screams of agony and pain filled up the air.

Mark stood by her daughter’s grave site. Closed his eyes and let tears rolled softly from her eyes as he joined in with the rest of mourners in the hymn they were singing. With each thud the soil made. Kim felt like a dagger was being sent through his heart. This was really happening. Minxy and Jerry stood beside him. They held tightly to him and he in turn placed his hands on their tiny shoulders. They stood their crying.  It was sad partly because they did not really understand what death was but had to deal with the fact that it had snatched away their sister.

********************
That night Kim had to sleep in one of the relative’s house. Other relatives were also there. Death had its way of bringing people together.

Kim sat at the edge of the sofa hugging himself, quietly thinking. Beside him sat Tony’s eldest aunt who was sitting in a bent over position probably thinking of the sad fate that had reached them.  The air was chilly, tensed and flat out sad. Even the tea that was served could not break it.
One by one they retired to bed. Kim just sat there still deep in his own world. It was sad, so sad that in the past few years he had lost two important women in her life. What made him sadder was the fact that he could do nothing about this. He thought about his attempt to redeem himself by avenging Tony’s death. Now the occurrence felt more stupid, he thanked the heavens he hadn’t gone through with it. He was lucky, real lucky that Detective Paul hadn’t arrested him. What would have been the difference between him and Becka anyway?

“Quite lost in thoughts I see.” 

The sound of Antonina’s eldest aunt jogged Kim slowly back to the room.

“Yes.” He muttered.

“You know she did not do it?”

“What!” Kim exclaimed.

“Son I have seen a lot of murderess in my time. I was the lawyer representing Tony’s family, second council in the case and I am positive she did not do it.”

Kim slowly unfolded his arm and shifted his position which now felt uncomfortable at the gaze of the woman beside her. 

“Why didn’t you say something, then? What made you so sure about her being innocent?”

“Something about her, I don’t know she seem like an extremely good person. All the time she was in the court amidst tears she would lift her head and look at three places, her mum, where the two Stacy and  ...”

“And Lucy.” Kim helped

“Yeah Lucy were seated.” She paused.

“You said three places, which was the third place she kept looking at?”

“The court room door.

Read " Made " by the same author ( DORSILA ANYANGO )

. I figured she wanted someone to show up. Her dad or a boyfriend.”

At the mention of boyfriend Kim tightened his jaw.

“Ia...Mmmmm Ian was not there?”

“No, he wasn’t. Must be such a darling.” The aunt commented sarcastically.

Kim gave her a puzzled look. How was where Becka was looking at while in courtroom show if she was innocent or guilty.

“So?”

“In my opinion she really cared about those three places, her family, friends and love. Even before she was arraigned I got to listen to a phone conversation between her and her mum. All she kept on asking her distraught mum was how you guys were holding up with the news.”

So she might have actually cared after all.

“Maybe she was just remorseful after realizing what she had done and how it affected everything she had.”

“Son, you owe it to yourself to find out what really happened that afternoon.”

With that she slowly rose and disappeared to the next room.

Kim’s gaze followed her all the way. In his heart he knew she had a valid point. She had made more sense than any other person he had met that week. Removing his shoes, he made himself comfortable on the sofa then fell asleep almost immediately. He did not feel Cindy, covering him up with a shawl so as to keep him from cold.

AUTHOR’S NOTE
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