The Virgin Bride

Part 11 - Coping With The Loss...

Grace and Johnson found solace in the arms of Avanti and Ridaa, while Edward and Hannah cried their hearts out in each others' embrace. Hannah was in shock at her daughter's life and lifestyle. She cursed herself for being a bad mother. She said to Edward that she could still not understand what had gone wrong in her parenting. Edward was also deeply hurt. He could not fathom that his daughter was in wrong company and carrying out wrong actions right under his nose, and he was so blind and ignorant. Both of them believed they had failed as parents. 

Grace was unable to forgive herself because she believed she could have saved her sister, had she been a little proactive. Johnson felt miserable because he had lost a companion, as well as angry because he was still unable to digest the fact that his sister, his twin sister was in such wrong hands. 

After a while, all of them, including Avanti and Ridaa, gathered in the hall. Edward said, "Thank you kids, for being around in these tough times. Please do understand, we are going through a really really trying hour, and would appreciate all the support. Please refrain from taking anything out from here. My daughter is already gone. After her going, I don't want people to curse her. Neither do I want to let that affect the future of my other two kids. Please girls, you are just like Grace to me. I hope you understand what I am saying!"He was almost pleading. 

Ridaa walked to Edward, put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Uncle, please be assured, Julie was like a sis to us. What happens here, or has happened here, stays here. We promise. So far too, we have never uttered even a word outside, and we promise it will stay that way, forever!" She looked at Avanti, who nodded. Edward joined both his hands, to bow, when both Avanti and Ridaa held his hands. "Uncle, please!" They all shed some more tears. 

Just then, Edward's phone rang. It was from the hospital. "Autopsy done. We are dispatching the body to Dr. Fred's clinic. Collect the body as well as certificate from him." The person who had called was a very straightforward person, much to the discomfort of any bereaving member. Not only was the tone very very callous, but even the detached impersonal and desensitized words like body, dispatch, and so on pricked deeper than the death itself. Edward hung up, and calmly stated, "Julie's body... Dr. Fred's clinic. I am going there." Johnson said, "Dad, you please sit beside me. I'll drive, you are in no frame of mind to drive!" Hannah asked Grace to stay with Avanti and Ridaa, she did not want Grace to be there. She wanted to protect her from hearing anything that will disturb her innocent mind. The three of them left for the clinic, while the three girls stayed home. 

As soon as Edward reached the clinic, with his son and wife, he could see the doctor's expression and say something was not right. He calmly asked, "What is it, doctor? Worse than what you already told us?"

The doctor said nothing. He handed over the piece of paper, called 'Death certificate'. On it was mentioned, CAUSE OF DEATH : INTOXICATION, ASPHYXIATION, HEART SEIZURE. 

Even after reading it  multiple times, the exact reason why Julie died was not quite clear to the family. Hannah said, "Doctor... why did the heart fail? Why was Julie suffocated? And intoxicated? You mean, alcohol?" There was a lot more going on in Hannah's head. The doctor could see clearly, there were more questions than Hannah could communicate. Johnson said, "Uncle, please, please tell us... Did Julie's smoking... I mean... could that have killed?"

After remaining calm for a few more moments, he calmly said, "Unfortunately, there is more to this than what I thought." He looked at all of them once, before starting again. He said, "Juliet was such a charming girl. She knew the Church and sang the carols and hymns. She met me every once in a while, and always smiled at me. What exactly went wrong with her then?" After another pause, he added, "Eddie, Julie has died because of an overdose of some drug! They're suspecting cocaine!" He let that sink, while he saw the mouths of all three members wide open. Hannah gasped... "No, no. Not true! Can't be. Julie... my Julie..my daughter could not have... No way!" She was vigorously shaking her head. The doctor continued, "Worst case even for me. Not only was she high on the drug, but she has also been smoking, and I guess, drinking. Her last twelve hours were under the influence of both the drug, as well as the drink. Perhaps beer!"He stared blankly for a long moment, and then said, "Not just that.. She has, as I said earlier, fornicated! That the autopsy says. What it does not say is how much she has done all this, how many times, and when!"