Hurt

FOR THE FIRST TIME

Normally Bette always felt nervous when dealing with man, except man that she knews all her life but to stranger man she couldn't even produce one word! Her heart would pounded so fast, her palms sweat, she perspired heavily more than she usually did, and she would feel her knees melted away that she would cut the conversation short and ran for her life. She always thought maybe that was why she never once had a boyfriend and that was probably why she is not married at 40.

However, this man was different. He looked so vulnerable that Bette couldn't ignored him anymore. The strange thing was that Bette didn't feel nervous to got closer to him and sat next to him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

The man rose his face, his eyes swollen, his face wet with tears and perhaps sweat, and he looked disheveled. "No, I'm not alright," He said.

"I see, I'm sorry that's a stupid question. Do you know Ben?"

"He saved my life."

"Ben always did that, saving lives," Bette sat straight, eyes to the coffin. "He was the nicest person I have ever known all my life. He saved me too,"

Now the man turned his head to look at Bette, "Yes, I owed him much, you know," For the first time since he started crying, he let out a tiny smile. Reminiscing smile. "I'm George."

"I'm Bette," They shook hands and exchange smiles.

"I have no idea why he passed away, I don't even know if he was sick!"

"Stomach cancer." Bette continued, "He had been suffered for view years,"

Bette looked at the man sitting next to her, "You didn't know?"

"I have been away for some time, I haven't come back here since the day I left."

"I see," Bette touched his shoulder in a friendly way and smile reassuringly. "I'm sure Ben is happy now that you're here and I believe that he is now free from suffering. That should be enough for us to let him go, knowing that he is suffered no more. "

"Thank you, Bette." Said George, he held her hand and they both smiled.

"George?" a surprised exclamation coming from the front door.

It was a gorgeous looking old woman, slim and tall in her black tight dress with ruffles on the bottom, so elegant. She was wearing black veil covering half her face. Her hair were all white. It was Veronica Sinclair. A rich widow of Albert Sinclair and a close friend of the Allenby. Veronica has a dominant personality and a sharp tongue to matched it. But she was also a compassionate and thoughtful person to those whom she was fond of, although it were only a small number of people.

"Oh, George!" she exclaimed again and rushed to embrace her little brother.

"Veronica," said George. "You didn't tell me anything about Ben!" there was a hint of suppress anger in his voice.

"Hello, Bette dear!" Veronica hugged Bette. "I see you have met my brother, George."

"Yes, I have. You never told me that you have a brother."

"Oh, he went away for years! You can hardly remember ever having a brother if that brother hardly visit you all these years! How long has it been, George? Oh, I know, twenty long years!"

"Veronica! Just stop it, okay? I'm honestly not in the mood for a fight with you," George sighed desperately. "Why didn't you tell me about Ben being sick? You could've called or maybe write a line to me about Ben. You wrote all those useless letter filled with gossips I don't care about but you left out one thing that matters most to me!"

"Oh, baby brother, I just..." Veronica looked down, seemed remorse, "I just didn't want to upset you."

"But don't you think I need to know something as important as this?" he stretched his arm, gesturing this whole funeral home as the most important news and it was a mistake to ever kept him in the dark. "Do you plan to never tell me anything? Ever?"

"George," Veronica sighed, "How did you found out?"

"Nora called me, Veronica!" he raised his voice.

Bette felt quite surprised to know that George was actually Veronica's little brother. She never knew that Veronica has a long lost little brother. And now, clearly they needed time for themself, so Bette walked out of the room, leaving the sibling to talked.

It was midday when Elda asked Bette to take her back home, she felt tired and wanted to get some rest. Bette wheeled her aunt to the funeral home driveway, awaiting their car. After view minutes, a black Rolls Royce stopped in front of the church and John, the chauffer opened the door and helped Bette transported Elda from the wheel chair to the car.

"Bette!" George walked fast towards her. "Mrs. Allenby!" he exclaimed and embrace the old lady in the wheel chair.

"Oh, Georgie! Oh my lord! Look at you!" she caressed George's face, tears rolled down in her eyes. "You're getting old!"

"I miss you, Mrs. Allenby." He said and kissed the old lady in the temple.

"I miss you too, George. It's been a very long time, you never visit or call or write to me," Elda took Bette hand, "Bette darling, this is George, he and Benjamin have always been so close. He's like a son to Benjamin."

"We met, aunt Elda," Said George smiling at Bette. He sighed, "I'm so sorry about Benjamin. If I had known that he was sick I would've come sooner."

"Oh, that's okay, darling. Veronica didn't tell you anything, did she?"

"As per usual. She wrote mostly about father estate and forcing me back to take over, always that and she failed to tell me anything about Ben," George shook his head.

"That's Veronica all right." Elda continued, "Listen, George, I need to leave now, I'm so tired but you come by the house anytime. I would love to catch up." John lifted her up from the wheel chair and sat her inside the car.

"Yes, mrs. Allenby. Have a pleasant rest," He turned to look at Bette and they walked a little farther from the car. "Thank you, Bette. I felt so much better talking to you in there."

"You're welcome, George." She smiled, revealing her white, pearl teeth. "I too felt so much better talking to you. I think we all just need somebody to talk to."

"So, you're living with mrs. Allenby?"

"Yes, it's a long story."

"I love to hear it sometime," Said George. "Maybe we could go out some other time and catch up on the long story?"

"I would love that," Bette looked at the car and realized she had to hurry. "I have to go. You get some needed rest, George, you need it badly."

In the front door of the funeral house, Carrie and Veronica were standing side by side, waiting for their car to picked them up when Carrie caught sight of Bette and George talking so close, she poked Veronica.

"Well, would you look at that?" said Carrie directing Veronica to looked at the sight she was seeing.

"Oh my!"

"Yup, no nervous, no melted knee, no shaky hands," Carrie smiled proud looking at how for the first time Bette looked so comfortable talking to a man.

"Even from his grave, Benjamin always do wonder," Veronica smiled too, she loved what was seemed to be brewing on the other side. It was most definitely the beginning of love and she was sure of it.