His words choked in his throat. He sniffled and placed the flowers down at the grave. There were quite a few flowers there already. He placed another besides the little grave and said “My baby”
He ran his hands over the gravestones and tried to imagine Ava’s face. Is she happy where she is or the pain of his betrayal still plunged her innocent soul?
“This may sound weird Ava, but I missed you. And more than that, I realise that you are the purest woman that any man could ever be lucky to have.
Patrick Connor realised that on time but I didn’t….” He trailed off. Yes, he didn’t realise it on time. He was going after shadow, deceit and falsehood. He lost her to death and lost his friendship with Patrick as well.
All for a woman who was nothing close to Ava. Ava is dead but Patrick avoids him like plague. He didn’t know what to do to get his friend back, he was already doing anything and everything he can, to get him back.
“Please forgive me Ava. If there’s only one thing I want you to do for me, is to be forgiven by you. You and my baby were treated badly, and it’s all my fault…” he pleaded.
He stayed there all day, fasting. Until he gets back home, takes a shower and changes into other clothes , then he will take a light meal before going to bed.
Grandfather Lester sat at the gate of the house, looking out for Ava. He spends his own day like this. He looks older with wrinkled skin but he is still strong and healthy.
He would sit at the gate and wait. According to him Ava might return to him one day. She might stop by to say hello to him. If not daytime but at least in his dreams.
But he’s been waiting for four years now. Ava hasn’t taken pity on him and stopped by. She’s a spirit with a soul and definitely would know that he wants to see her, but she never came.
Sometimes he goes to bed with the hope that Ava would visit but she never did. Is she unhappy with him too? Did she feel he was the reason why she died such a tragic death?
If anyone could split his heart open and if it was possible to read what was in there, she would know that her death was such a difficult one for him. He never thought she would die in fifty years. But alas, death has no age range and there’s no seniority in death.
And when he heard about the news of Sam Leon, he couldn’t utter a word for many days. But what will he do? what has happened has already been done. No amount of heart pain he felt about it can bring Ava back or his dear friend Sam Leon.
“The sun is setting father, please come inside” Richard pleaded. It hurts him that his father had turned this into a ritual every year. And since he’d been staying at the gate, Ava never returned, she was never going to return to them.
“No, I’ll stay a little longer. Who knows if Ava would take pity on me and pass by briefly” Grandfather Lester declared. He kept looking out with full expectation but Ava didn’t come.
The yearly remembrance of Ava was being broadcasted every year, sponsored by her darling husband Adrian Lester. Her picture was displayed on TV screens as many times as possible.
Clara Leon sat in her sitting room and sipped in Coffee. She glanced at the picture of her daughter Ava Leon being displayed and a smirk appeared on her face.
So Adrian could spend so much to commemorate her pseudo death? They should remain in their mirage, she has found peace and happiness after she realised that Ava was still alive.
She usually gets to see her daughter once a year after that and they communicate a lot. Now she has a beautiful adorable grandchild and her life seems so beautiful.
No poverty troubling her and to make it appear real, the help came from the government to leave no room for suspicion at all. Everyone who saw how changed she’d become concluded that the government of New Jersey compensated her and took care of her as a widow.
But she’d never for once welcome the Lester’s. Anna and her husband had come to her several times to get close but she snubbed them. She just has to put up with the act.
The more distant they are to her, the easier it is for her to conceal the secret. They could keep mourning in deception, she’ll be happy that her daughter is still alive and has become a great woman.
Soon, there was a knock on her door. It was getting late already, who could have come to her at this time and her maids have closed for the day.
She adjusted herself and pretended to look sad as she went to the door. As she opened it, at the door stood Adrian Lester with a large collection of groceries and goodly items and gifts. He came with a big bunch of flowers too.
“Good day Mrs Leon” Adrian greeted, bowing his head low. Two of his men carried the presents and he only held the flowers. He was dressed in his black clothes.
Clara Leon just stared at him. If truly Ava died, what would these gifts do to appease her? She pleaded with him and his mother back then, along with her sick husband and they refused to listen to their pleas.
“What do you want, Adrian Lester?” Clara demanded in hostility. She needs to put up an act. Ava doesn’t want them to know about her existence anymore. According to her, they are dead to her.
“I came to check on you again and see how you’re…” Adrian was saying when Clara interrupted him sharply.
“When did I become a baby that needs a high class son of Anna Lester to be checked on? Are you trying to bribe me for what you did to my family? To Sam and to Ava?
You think you can atone for your sins in this life? My daughter was murdered by you and you go about with flowers? When have flowers taken over the place of Ava in my heart and my family? When?” Clara blurted, her fury taking over her emotions.
“Please Mrs Clara, I beg you that you forgive me…”? He said, opening his arms and going down on his knees.
When he raised his head to glance at Clara, the latter saw his face, it’s puffy and red: