𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙚 [discontinued]

Chapter Thirteen

The military van pulled in outside the house.

Friday morning dawned cold and misty. Dew clung to the leaves and glistened on the grass. The air was crisp; the smell of fresh earth after rain drifted around.

Our family was an utter mess. None of us slept the previous night, distraught and broken by the sudden news.

Mom had tried to make us presentable. She had dressed us in black gowns, while she spent as little time as possible on herself. Beneath her sun glasses, her eyes were bloodshot, the happy light that once lit them gone, maybe forever.

We got into the van in silence. The driver, clad in the army uniform, did not say anything as we sat down. He drove us to the national military cemetery, where all war heroes were buried. Where my father's ashes would now be laid to rest.

The cemetery was full of people: officers in their camouflage suits, guards who had come to pay respect to the deceased, and families. Families who had not expected to loose one of thier own in this way.

Some people came up to us. They were people I had never seen before, but Mom seemed to know them. Some were officers, who I guessed must be Dad's fellow comrades, others were women.

The offered their condolences, "So sorry for your loss- a wonderful person, ever so brave- stay strong-" and sometimes even shed a tear. Mom listenedto them in silence, nodding her head politely. I wondered how much she listened and understood.

Carriages pulled up at the entrance, all drawn by two beautiful white mares. Six soliders, the guard of honour took places beside these carriages. At the same time, they unloaded five wooden coffins, wrapped in the country's national flag.

My heart plunged to my stomach. One of these was Dad's.

They carried these coffins to the grave site. The senior most officer came up to the dias.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today ro pay our respects to these brave sons of our country, who have laid down their noble lives so we can breath today. Our country has indeed been rid of the burden of civil war, but this victory, I regeret to say, came with a huge price."

I heard sniffing from the people seated aroumd me. My own eyes were filled with tears, so much that my vision was blurred.

The officer continued, "As many of you are aware, a tragic accident met our soliders after the peace treaty was signed yesterday.  These fallen men you see before you were all there, overlooking the situation. As the defence minister prepared to leave the venue, a fire was mysteriously started at the location of his stay.

"Our brave soliders succeeded in escorting the minister out safely, however a few of the guard was still trapped inside the ever spreading fire. From the boys, who managed to escape, told me about the heroic conduct of Captain Eric Mason. They said that he came back to collect them, leading them to the door, before going back in. Unfortunately, Captian Mason was not able to get out in this, as the fire caused an explosion with Captain Mason and four of his comrades still inside."

I could not hold it any longer. Tears flooded down my cheeks, as I broke into silent sobs. Somebody put an arm around me and pulled me close. I didn't look up to see who it was.

"My deepest condolences go out to the families of the soldiers who fell victim to this disaster. Ladies ansmd gentlemen, let the sacrifices of these noble men live as examples to us. They may be gone from this world, but will forever remain in our hearts."

Someone played the Taps on the trumpet, the tone was soothing and mesmerising. This was followed by a seven gun salute. The bullets flew inro the sky, the defeaning soumd of gunshots fading into the distance.

The honour guard unwrapped the national flag from the coffins and folded it in a ceremonial manner. They marched over and handed it to the deceased's families.

One solider knelt down in front of us and offered Mom the flag, which she took with trembling hands.

"Your husband was a natural leader and he always looked to fight until the end," the solider said. "His courageous deed will be immortal in history. I hope that he finds eternal peace."

The solider raised his arm in the signature salute.

We got up and went over to Dad's coffin. I wondered what would be inside the wooden casset, but I did not want to know.

The guards lowered the coffin into the grave. Mom knelt down and scooped a handful of small dirt, black as coal. She dropped it into the hole dug into the ground. It dropped on the coffin, dark against its cold surface. Carren and I did the same.

We watched as earth filled the hole, enveloping the coffin, burying whatever remaimed of my father. A marble headstone with Dad's name, his designation  and a final prayer etched onto it was sunk into the mud. It would stay there for centuries, while my father's memory slowly dissolved to dust.

A long time after the cermomy ended, and only mourning wives, sisters and mothers remained, Carren, Mom and I stayed there at Dad's grave.

I thought of all the things I had shared with my father; the uncherised moments, the unsaid words, the unasked questions. The activities I had envisioned when Dad arrived home. All of these were now just memories, a burden on my soul that will never be released.

I wished I had realized the blessing of my father's love before it had been taken from me.

Somwhere in the trees, the birds began their usual melodious chorus, oblivious to our pain, our misery.

Dad had left again. Only this time, I knew he would not be returning.