Koruna

Together

Chapter 57
Together

The burial was simple and elegant, it was unlike most parties with the Elites. The Ballans called only family and friends, the family held hands together and watched as she was buried. The Ballans had their private cemetery, Betsy was buried alongside Charles. No one had said a word when she was sealed, they watched the fireworks on the bench.

Koruna took a long look at the cemetery, she was astonished at the simple yet complicated design on each stone allocated to a member of the family. The stones had flowers blooming around them which meant that it was preserved properly and with a strict attention to detail.

“This is not a bad resting place.” Koruna said out loud.

“No, it isn’t. Do you want to be buried here?” R’ao asked.

“I would like to be cremated and maybe as ashes, I would like to be buried with you.” She winked.

“So romantic.” Flank said without life in his voice, he did not know the woman but the entire event was depressing and this was why he avoided anything that had to do with death, one would think that at this point, he would be used to it.

“Do you think there’s life after death?” Margaret asked in a small voice.

There was an awkward silence afterwards before Koruna answered, “Yes, I don’t believe that there is life after death. I know that there is one, death is not the end in totality.”

“Why are you so sure?” Annie raised her head from Margaret’s shoulders.

“Do you think death is the end?” She asked in return.

“I… I don’t know but I want it to be more than dust to dust.” She replied.

“I thought the Ballans were Christians.” Oni commented indifferently.

“We are but it is more of religion than spirituality. I don’t even understand my mortality as well, if the good people go to heaven and the bad go to hell, then what qualifies as good?” Bernie mused.

“It’s believing in Jesus that makes the difference I think.” Mariam added.

“Are you saying that if you are good and you don’t believe in Jesus, you go to hell? Do you also mean that if you believe in God but you are bad, you’ll still go to heaven?” Kelvin scoffed.

“Oh dear…” Flora muttered.

Lola chuckled, “It is more than that, and you cannot put God in a box. I don’t know much but I do know that there is a peace I feel even in the storm when I pray. My understanding is that he is an embodiment of love but he is not a pushover, I can’t say for certain what happens to people’s souls when they die but I know that no bad deed goes unpunished. For every light, there is darkness, good and bad, black and white, rich and poor, and so for everything you do, it will come back to you either here or over there.”

“There is the conscience that can act as a judge, you know what is right and what is not. My hands might be stained with blood but it doesn’t mean I’ll end in hell. I have to believe that I am a good person, I only hurt those who have hurt me and I do the best with what I am given. It has to make a meaning if not all of this is just breeze and we have no meaning in life and in death.” Telih’s deep voice rang from where he was standing.

“Emotions, dreams, imagination, creativity and many more attributes are the things that make us who we are, I believe death is not the end because I believe in myself. If you listen well, there is an echo to the world. Mysteries untold and each time humans tend to explain what they cannot understand as coincidence. There was a time I nearly died, not this time or the last three times. I was younger and still filled with hope, I was running after a cat who had ate my lunch when I fell into a deep hole. I cried and shouted until I lost my voice, I was cold, hungry and distraught. I could feel my life slipping away when it was like someone carried me and I felt warmth. When I opened my eyes, it was old man Circus he gave me the sweetest smile. He was the one who always gave me lunch anytime he had leftovers from his restaurant.” Koruna smiled with tears in her eyes.