Filed to story: A Girl Nobody Wanted Book by SansaR
“Take a seat.” Mr. Patterson offered.
This was the very first time I visited a mansion. No need to tell everything felt so different and I didn’t feel comfortable at all. Even those chairs were so elegant, I even felt bad to sit on them. “Peter, bring those.” Mr. Patterson called someone from the phone fix to the wall.
Then suddenly, Luke’s phone rang. So, he went out to answer it, leaving me alone with Mr. Patterson.
“So… The friend you said is Luke.” Mr. Patterson said, sitting next to me.
“Yes… I gave him the news. So, he offered to drive me.” I said.
“You gave him the news at that time? I didn’t know you were that close to him.” He asked, suspiciously.
“Well… He is like my best friend.” I said without thinking much.
“Really… Didn’t you tell me that you don’t have any best friends? But it seems you two are pretty close to each other. Otherwise, he won’t offer to drive you all the way here.” He said, looking at my eyes. What’s wrong with him? I came here to support him at this difficult time. But what the hell is he trying to do now? He has no right to question me like this. Thank God! Luke is not here otherwise; he will be pissed off. “Where is your dad, Mr. Patterson?” I asked, trying my best to keep calm. I just wanted to change the subject.
“He is busy with arranging the things for the funeral…” he replied.
“Did you inform, your brother as well?” he asked then.
“What?” I was panicked with his question.
“Your brother… Shane… Did you tell him?” he asked.
Yeah… He knows that Shane is my brother. There is no point in hiding anything.
Actually, I didn’t even remember to tell him. I told dad that I am going to a funeral and got his permission. But I completely forgot Shane.
“No… I couldn’t…” I said.
“You couldn’t tell your own brother in the same house as you, but you remembered to call Luke! How interesting!” he said.
Okay, now you are really reaching the limits of my patience, Mr. Patterson. Please stop being a jerk. I felt really sorry for you. Don’t let that sadness turn to a wave of anger, and make me tell you something that I would regret… Fortunately, someone knocked on the door.
“Yes…” he said bit annoyingly.
“Sir, should I bring them in?” a male voice raised behind the door.
“Okay, Peter,” he said, giving me a complicated look.
This guy is really a jerk. Luke was right. I was so damn stupid to come here.
A person came to the room with a trolley full of snacks and tea/coffee. He then arranged them on the coffee table in front of us. At the same time, Luke entered the room after his call.
“Please treat yourselves. I have a few calls to be made.” Mr. Patterson said, and then he left me alone with Luke.
“What did he ask?” Luke asked after Mr. Patterson left.
“Nothing special…”I replied casually. If I tell him the truth, he will drag me out of this house and go home in a blink of an eye.
He didn’t say anything. We drank coffee silently.
After a few minutes, Mr. Patterson came to the room.
“Everyone drives me crazy. I don’t know why people bother me this much even in a situation like this,” he said miserably. He looked even more exhausted.
“Why? What has happened, Mr. Patterson?” I asked worriedly. Everything he said to me earlier just disappeared after seeing his face.
“My mom is a simple woman, Sarah. I am sure that she doesn’t care about how many people attend her funeral or how much are we going to spend on her funeral ceremony. She is a religious woman; she just needs her last rituals to be done in front of God without any disturbance.” He said, closing his eyes and resting his head on the chair.
I looked at Luke. He was just staring at Mr. Patterson without any expressions in his face.
“But my dad wants more. For him, even this is an opportunity to show his status. He wants to do the funeral ceremony grandly when I want it to be simple. We even had a conflict because of that. Finally, I decided to let him do whatever he wants because I had no energy to worry about it anymore. But now, all these people don’t let me sit aside and just mourn for my mom. They want me to talk with the funeral directors. They want me to talk to the people who come here. Since the moment my mom passed away, it was like this.”
“I am not even in a state to thinking clearly. I feel like my head is going to explode. I just need to clear off my mind, Sarah… I can’t involve in all these responsibilities at this moment.”
He was still closing his eyes and relaxing his head. His voice sounds broken.
What he was telling is true. What the purpose of having a grand funeral ceremony after someone passed away. There is nothing that a person can get from it. Especially as he told, he just needs to clear off his mind. He just lost the most precious person he had in his life.
This time when I look at Luke, his face was also filled with sympathy.
“Sarah…” Mr. Patterson said, raising his head from the chair.
“Yes, Mr. Patterson…” I said quickly.
“Can you please come with me for a walk in the garden. I need to stay away from all of these for some time,” he asked.
Without even knowing, I looked at Luke before replying.
“Let’s go for a walk. I also can join with you.” Luke said immediately.
“No, Luke. I need a bigger help from you actually.” Mr. Patterson then said.
Luke looked at him curiously. I could clearly tell that he was not happy with whatever the help Mr. Patterson is going to ask.
“Some people from the funeral directors would come now. I want you to go through this list with them and identify what is yet to be done.” Mr. Patterson said, offering Luke a file.
“But I don’t know anything about the funeral plan or anything. I don’t think I will be any use to it.” Luke said immediately without even taking the file Mr. Patterson offered. “Charles will be there. He knows everything. I just want someone responsible to be there with him because we can’t keep complete trust in servants.” Mr. Patterson said. “But can’t we ask one of your relatives to look into that.” Luke asked. I think he wants to come with us. He doesn’t need to let me stay alone with Mr. Patterson.
“I don’t really want to talk to any of them right now, Luke. Please… This is a big favor you can do me right now. If I stay further and talk with those people, my head will definitely explode. Please, let me take a few minutes off from all of these.” Mr. Patterson said in a pleading voice. Finally, Luke agreed to take the file from Mr. Patterson. Mr. Patterson introduced Luke to the person called Charles, who was the person welcome us at the entrance.
Before I leave with Mr. Patterson, Luke gave me a look which carried all the words he couldn’t speak in front of Mr. Patterson.
*******
There was a huge, beautifully maintained garden beside Mr. Patterson’s house. They surely spend more than all four of us spend in a month, for this garden. There were some plants that I have never seen, and I didn’t even believe they grow well in our country. They have put a great effort into this garden.
However, it is truly refreshing and relaxing to take a walk in such a beautiful place.
We were just walking silently. I wanted to tell something to comfort him, but I didn’t know what to say.