SWNOVELS Chapter 158
- Forever Gone
As Emily was still sobbing, Louis was pouting. Even though the mourners had left, both of them were reluctant to go home.
“Little Angel, can you stop crying? Great Grandpa must be sad looking at you from up there. You want him to rest in peace, right?” Kara rubbed Emily’s cheek then stroked Louis’ shoulder. Their eyes were already swollen.
However, instead of subsiding, Emily’s cries only got louder. Even
Louis started to whine.
“Why did he die so soon, Mommy? He just changed. He should be having fun with us, not buried like this. Now, how can we cross out the point in the guidebook? Great Grandpa is gone. He can no longer accompany me and Emily everywhere.”
Louis faltered. His shoulders shook violently. However, he still wanted to go on. “In fact, I already planned to add more points to the list. I want to introduce Great Grandpa to my friends at school. I also want to take him on a plane. I can go on holiday out of town while learning business from him. Now what? He’s gone.”
While Louis sobbed, Emily’s voice quavered in pain. “I also plan to a some points to the list. Great Grandpa has never read us stories. H has never played, had a walk, or taken photos with us. He never…
he….”
As Emily was choked, Kara pulled her into a hug and also Louis. The trembling from their little bodies spread fast to her heart. She could not help but let the tears rolling down her face.
Sighing heavily, Susan rubbed the twins’ shoulders. Even though her touch didn’t help, at least she tried, unlike Frank who had difficulties dealing with his own pain. He was kneeling down at the side of the
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“Grandpa….” Frank closed his eyes. Two drops of tears fell to the ground. His hands were clenched so tightly. He wasn’t sure what he was holding. Sadness? Regret? Disappointment? Whatever it was, it felt really suffocating.
With a gloomy face, Jeremy rubbed his brother’s shoulder. He knew very well how much Frank loved Rowan.
Even though Frank often harbored annoyance to his grandfather, Rowan was the one who accompanied Frank from time to time. Those two people were like two poles in one magnet. They never met but always together.
“Frank,” Jeremy whispered, giving him a light, encouraging pat.
However, Frank shook his head, refusing any consolation. “It’s my fault, Jeremy. If only I’d forced him to come eat with us….” He swallowed like it was a rough gravel.
“If only I had insisted on solving all the problems yesterday afternoon, the accident wouldn’t have happened. Grandpa would still be with us.”
of
With his hand still on Frank’s shoulder, Jeremy blinked at the clouds. The sky seemed to understand the situation of their hearts the light.
“It’s not your fault, Frank. It’s fate.” Jeremy tried to calm his brother again.
However, Frank still sobbed. “Grandpa still has many things to d hasn’t had time to apologize to Kara, to the children. He hasn’t time to make amends for his mistakes. He….”
Frank choked again. His eyes were getting redder. “I haven’t had a chance to hug him. All I did last time was just holding his arm. All said last time was an invitation to dinner.”
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After heavy sigh, Frank’s sobs was getting louder. “I should have
One
said that it’s okay that he taught me the wrong way. I understand he did that because he wanted the best for me. I was just annoyed because he tried to separate me from Kara and Kids. But….”
Frank gripped Jeremy’s arm like it was his only support. “He’s changed. He regretted. So, I’m not annoyed with him anymore. I’m actually happy, proud that he’s finally changed. But… but….
Π
Frank glanced at the grave and then looked down helplessly. His head shook in resignation. “He’s gone and I was late.”
“Frank,” Kara touched his back. It turned out the twins had been
handed over to Susan.
“Kara….” Biting his lip, Frank tried to hold his tears. He hugged Kara, resting his chin on her shoulder. He felt tired-very tired. His feelings were too heavy. “I shouldn’t have let him go, Kara. I should have
forced him to eat with us.”
Kara didn’t deny it. She took a deep breath and whispered softly, “It’s okay, Frank. It’s okay even if you feel guilty. It means you love your grandfather. He will understand.”
As Kara rubbed his back, Frank tightened his embrace. His heart felt so empty. He hoped that Kara’s warmth would be enough to fill it.
“This is my fault.” Frank was still trapped in regret.
Giving him light pats, Kara let Frank express his sadness. From her position, she could see Jeremy, Wela, and the remaining guests lowering their heads. They occasionally wiped their eyes with a handkerchief. Frank’s wailing must have turned their hearts blue.
Frank’s crying only stopped when two tiny hands reached for his legs. As he looked down, the faces of his children magically soothed his
heart.
3-5
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“Daddy, please don’t cry. Louis and I have already stopped crying. You should have stopped too,” Emily said though her pursed lips. Traces of tears were still clear on her cheeks.
“Grandma said that Great Grandpa is on his way to heaven. If his
family cries, his journey could be hard. Emily and I don’t want to make things difficult for Great Grandpa.”
Frank’s chin trembled again. Biting his lip, he tried to hold it. “Yes, Kids. Daddy will stop crying.”
He lowered his knees and stretched his arms. Emily and Louis immediately came in and patted him on the back.
“Be strong, Daddy,” Louis whispered, following Susan’s instructions.
“We all have to be strong,” Emily said in a little voice.
When the rain came, they left with heavy steps. Rowan’s grave became increasingly pitiful and quiet. However, his figure remained alive in everyone’s memories-both, the good and the bad.
“Mommy, it was raining at the cemetery. Was that because Great Grandpa was crying?” Emily asked as she pulled Yemon to the collar of her pajamas.
“I do think so. Great Grandpa must be crying because he can’t see us anymore. He must be sad,” Louis replied.
Stroking the twins’ heads, Kara smiled faintly. “It could be. But
according to Mommy, Great Grandpa wasn’t crying because he was sad.”
“Then what?”
Kara pursed her lips. “May be, he was touched. He just saw that his grandson and great-grandchildren really love him.”
“Great Grandpa can see us?” Louis widened his eyes.
Kara nodded. Her finger was raised. “Yeah, from above.”
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Louis’ face immediately changed in amazement. Beside him, Emily furrowed her eyebrows.
“But Mommy, does he really go to heaven? When he was alive, Great Grandpa was often mean to people. He wanted to poison Mommy. He also dropped our birthday cake. That was a big sin.”
“Dropping your birthday cake is a big sin?” Kara laughed a little. It was the first thing that made her heart tingle since Rowan’s death.
“Yes,” Louis seized Emily’s chance to answer. “That’s not an ordinary. cake, Mommy. We put a lot of love into it. But, Great Grandpa just threw it away. It was the same as him rejecting our sincerity. My heart hurt so much that I cried. Because of that, I agreed. That’s a big
sin.”
Emily nodded in agreement. Her serious face made Kara silent for a
moment.
“So, you’re afraid that Great Grandpa won’t go to heaven?”
Louis and Emily nodded in unison.