It's been a month since the funeral of Mr Jonah Darlington. Kenneth had not returned to school since that time as the weight of planning the affairs of the funeral had fallen on his shoulders.
It was high time he moved on, as life must surely move on, although it's easier said than done
*Leaving already?*
Kenneth could see his brother Leaving against the entrance of his room with a sarcastic smirk glued to his face, his elder brother never understood that there was a time and place for everything, and now was definitely not the time.
*Leaving already?*
Ike repeated the same statement he had said previously as Kenneth had decided to ignore him this time around in order not to ignite his already rising frustration.
Kenneth took the bait this time around as he was ready to exchange words with him but was cut short
*You're doing what you do best, run*
*that's the only thing you've ever been good for, running, but this isn't a track race Ken, those skills wont be needed here*
His brother mocked him cruelly
"I have to leave eventually don't I? I can't stay here forever, it's driving me insane!" Kenneth responded
*Why are you yelling?* Ike had now gone from Leaning on the door of the room to sitting on his bed
*it's not like yelling had ever changed anything, you know this*
Kenneth, becoming overwhelmed has sat back down on the bed, right besides his brother.
*you yelled when those guys showed up at the funeral, but what difference did it make?*
Ike put his hand on his shoulder
You need to remember Kenneth.
******************************
May 24th
The funeral of Mr Jonah Darlington.
The church was filled to the brim with family, friends, family friends, and well wishers who had come to say goodbye to the late Mr Jonah Darlington
//that's not the only person they buried though was it?//
//think harder//
There was .... there was a second casket....a smaller casket.
Kenneth could remember walking over to the smaller casket, he opened it but it wad empty.
//are you sure you can't remember or you can't accept the realty?//
He could see the casket , he remembered perfectly that the bigger casket had his father inside , but thethad decided to do a closed casket for him due to his charred "body" being so disfigured as a result of the accident, that it was unbearable to gaze at.
It was a miracle that he could be recognised at all.
However there was a second casket, why was this casket here? What is this casket doing here?? Isn't this a funeral for.....
Before Kenneth could completely gather his thoughts, the scenery had shifted to when the church had begun the funeral.
He found himself on the front pew, with him and his brother, Kenneth had worn an all black suit to the funeral, his mother had on a black gown with a white handkerchief on her hand which was already wet from mucus and tears she had been producing since the day started.
Ike had on a black and white tuxedo, beatty ironed, he also had tissue paper in his nose, it was probably due to him having a runny nose.
Ladies and gentlemen,
*We gather here today with heavy hearts to honor the life of a man who meant so much to so many—Jonah Darlington. It is difficult to find the right words in a moment like this, but if there is one thing we all know, it's that Jonah's presence in our lives was undeniable.*
*Jonah was a man of many layers. To some, he was a friend, a brother, a son. To Gloria, he was a husband, a partner in love and life. And to his children, Ike and Kenneth, he was a father—one who loved them fiercely and wanted nothing but the best for them.*
His mother begun to wail uncontrollably as the minister gestured toward their direction, Kenneth wasn't crying but he was trying to calm his mother down. Ike just sat there, frozen, looking straight ahead.
The minister continued
*Today, we say goodbye not just to a man, but to a story that was still being written. Though Jonah's time was cut short, his legacy will live on through his family, his friends, and the memories we share. Let us not only mourn his loss but also celebrate the good he brought into our lives.*
The minister went on and on about how Mr Jonah had been a beacon of hope, and so on and so forth, but Kenneth had no recollection of the entire speech as he wasn't totally listening.
The scenery shifted again, but this time Kenneth was watching from a third person perspective, alongside his brother.
He watched as many people came to say goodbye to the lifeless body of his father, albeit a closed one
He saw a group of people dressed in an all black suit, draped with a darker overall, with red ties and red shirt
With a hat on their head, and a red skull at the centre front of the hat
They had walked into the church l, and without saying a word to anyone, walked to the front of the church, where the casket....
Kenneth began to scream
He started to run buy he had no idea why
He ran but it felt like his shoes were stuck in quick sand, he screamed at the top of his lungs but it was as if he was muffled with a napkin, his eyes raced around the room, nobody was paying them any fees,
How couldn't they see what was going on???
They.... they.....THEY.....
*We have come to take back what is ours*
A voice spoke up.