The Past begins in the Future (ohmnanon)

31. Funeral

Ohm felt numb as he stared at the smiling photo of the two people before him. One was his beloved cousin and the other was one of his childhood best friends.

It had been a whole week since they passed away, but he had yet to digest the news of their deaths. It was as if someone was playing a sick prank on him.

How could anybody come to terms with something like this so quickly? It happened suddenly when no one was expecting that to happen. 

He so wished all this was just a prank and both Perth and Chimon would come up to him and laugh at him for being depressed. But he knew that none of this was a prank.

After getting to know that Chimon was rushed to the hospital he hurried to the hospital that day, informing his cousin to reach there as well.

Perth, who went into a panic frenzy after learning that his fiancé was fighting for his life inside the operation theatre, ran the red and was hit by the incoming traffic from the side. His car was toppled over after the crash. 

The malfunctioning of the airbags in his car caused his skull to bang against the steering wheel. The resultant cerebral hemorrhage was the cause of his death.

Though the rescue team reached the sight on time, he died midst the process of transferring him from the toppled car to the stretcher.

Oddly Chimon, who had shown positive signs of being saved, breathed his last two minutes after Perth did.

The couple's death had been a huge blow to everyone on both sides of the family. Everything was a mess. The guest who came to attend the wedding ended up attending a funeral.

"Ohm," Ohm felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw that it was his brother-in-law.

He waied at the elder.

"Ohm, come and eat something na," Tay said softly. He could totally understand the sense of loss Ohm was currently feeling. He had been there, a decade ago, when both Nanon and Ohm had fallen off the rooftop. It was nothing less than an absolute miracle that the duo was saved and was living a normal life.

"I am not hungry, phi," Ohm rejected the gesture. 

"Please don't be like this, Ohm. You have barely eaten anything over the past few days. At this rate, you will collapse." Tay coaxed Ohm into agreeing to eat something.

Out of politeness, Ohm had to give in to Tay and do as the latter requested.

Tay placed the packed food in front of Ohm, along with the necessary culinary.

Ohm looked at the warm food and then at Tay. "Phi, did Non eat?" He hasn't seen Nanon as the latter was by Chimon's parents' side. Though not blood-related, Chimon and Nanon had a bond similar to siblings. They were a family by heart. It was heart-wrenching for the latter to hear the news of the former's death.

"He has," Tay offered a thin smile. "He had to. Both Navin and Orn threw a tantrum saying that they wouldn't eat unless he did. You guys raised them well na."

Ohm remained silent. He didn't mean to neglect Nanon and the two children, but he was in no condition to take care of someone else. He stuffed the food into his mouth, spoonful after spoonful, even though it felt completely blunt.

Tay patiently waited for Ohm to finish his meal. 

"I can do it myself, phi," Ohm stopped Tay who was picking up the dishes after he was done with the meal.

Tay nodded and let Ohm do as he wanted. He stayed by the side and watched Ohm clean up everything.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, phi?" Ohm had sensed Tay's gaze on him all this while.

"Not really. But, I do have something to tell you now." Tay stepped forward and patted Ohm just the way he usually pats Nanon. "I want to tell you that I am very proud of you. You are stronger than I expected you to be."

Ohm hung his head low with unshed tears in his eyes. After receiving the news of the couple's death, his aunt collapsed. His grandparents were in no better situation. All of them had to be hospitalized. 

In between all the chaos, it was Ohm who managed everything for his family and organized the funeral for his cousin and cousin-in-law. It was easier said than done.

Keeping his composure during such a time had been the toughest job. He couldn't fall weak like the rest of his family. He had to stay strong for the sake of his family. It was tough but he did it somehow.

"How about we take a walk?" Tay suggested. He wanted Ohm to loosen up a bit.

"Khrab," Ohm followed Tay to the nearby garden. Walking down the concreted pathway midst the garden, they reached a huge lawn.

They sat down on the luscious green grass staring at the starless sky. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts.

"You, back then when you and Non got into the fight, Chimon was really affected." Tay broke the silence. "You two were like his two arms. He couldn't bear to see you two fight. He used to come to my place and cry his eyes out." He let out a sad chuckle. "Especially when Non was transferred to another school. He threw a fit asking me to stop Mom and Dad from doing so. He felt that as long as you two talked things out, everything would be fine. Back then, being Non's Phi Chaai, I was really pissed at you that I didn't listen to him at all."

Ohm silently listened. He knew that from an outsider's perspective, he was always the culprit and Nanon was the victim in their fight. Tay's and Nanon's parents' reaction was pretty reasonable given the situation then.

"He was the happiest person when you two reconciled and announced that you were in a relationship. It was almost as if the wish he made to the shoot star had come true." Tay added.

The expression on Ohm's face froze all of a sudden. Something clicked inside his head. "W- What did you say, phi?"

"Erm, Chimon was really happy that you two got together?" He was unsure of what exactly made Ohm go pale like that.

"Not that, Phi. After that." 

"You two being together was like his wish had come true?"

"Not that, Phi. The part about the shooting star."

"Oh, the shooting star. He wished that you two would stop fighting and will love each other forever."

Ohm's eyes lit up and he grabbed Tay by his biceps "When did he make that wish?"

"On the day you two fell off the roof. Don't you remember? You two were at the party by View's parents and you two got into a huge fight? There was a meteor shower that day. Chimon wished for you two to be in love just as he saw the shooting star. It's quite silly to say that there is a connection but after the accident when you two woke up in the hospital, both of you rushed to find each other. I still remember the way you two hugged each other and cried."

"I got to go, phi," Ohm bolted up.

"Where are you going?" Tay asked in confusion.

"To find Non. Swadee, Phi." Ohm ran off at full speed.