97Epilogue
It was too late. I was too late. By the time I had got to Dior, my world crashed down upon me.
I had begged Gen and Andre to tell me why Dior was acting so strange. It was then did I realize she had married Stephen to save me. Immediately I rushed to her. Yet when I arrived at the mansion, I saw windows broken from outside and the door unlocked. Cautiously I went inside, everything seemed all right from the beginning. The kitchen was untouched as I passed it.
As I passed the living room, I saw a glass coffee table shattered and pool of blood all over the glass. At that moment, I felt my heart stop, the only thing I could think of was Dior. I followed the trail of blood. It went all the way down the hallway and into what I would think as Stephen's room. On the doorframe, I saw more blood, then, glancing at the door side, I saw the blood. Someone has used the door to injure the other by closing it. My heart pumped faster than ever, as I slowly carefully walked into the dark room.
The sight I saw was the most frightful ever. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can still see it and tears would always follow. Stephen was on his bed dead, his eyes were open and the bed under him sucked up most of the blood he shed. Turning away from the unbearable sight, I saw Dior on the ground, a knife plunged through her chest, her shoulder cut through, her legs butchered and a puddle of thick rouge blood all under her. Everywhere, I saw bruises and cuts. Her eyes were open, staring back at me with terror. I put my hand gently over her eyelids, and closed them. Then I saw her finger a few inches in front of the rest of her body where she had fallen. There were words, written in blood, by Dior. Those words were the reason to the shattering of my world.
GOODBYE
I can see the pain living in your eyes
And I know how hard you try
You deserve to have so much more
I can feel your heart and I sympathize
And I'll never criticize all you've ever meant to my life
I don't want to let you down
I don't want to lead you on
I don't want to hold you back
From where you might belong
You would never ask me why
My heart is so disguised
I just can't live a lie anymore
I would rather hurt myself
Than to ever make you cry
There's nothing left to say but good-bye
You deserve the chance at the kind of love
I'm not sure I'm worthy of
Losing you is painful to me
You would never ask me why
My heart is so disguised
I just can't live a lie anymore
I would rather hurt myself
Than to ever make you cry
There's nothing left to try
Though it's gonna hurt us both
There's no other way than to say good-bye
That was the one last song she wrote me. It resulted in my world breaking down. She made such a big sacrifice for me and all I did was make it harder for her. I felt tears of anger, sorrow, helplessness and stupidity flow free from my eyes as I carried her in my arms out of the house. I carried her all the way to the church and wept.
"Devante! Bro!" Andre called to me on the other side of my backyard.
"Yea?" I asked.
"I can't find any diggers.
"We don't need no diggers." I told him.
"Then how's Dior gonna be buried?" He asked.
"I'm gonna dig the hole myself."
"Really…."
"Never mind that, did you get the seeds for a willow tree?"
"Yep, they're right here." He showed me a packet of seeds.
"Thanks man!" I took it from him.
"No problem."
"Hey, don't forget to tell the cheerers not to shed a single tear and remind them to smile!" I added before going.
"Got it." Andre replied.
Dior's funeral was going well. I was going to have it in my very backyard. I'm gonna bury her and grow a willow tree over her, just like she had wanted. Her case was a wooden box painted pink and was covered with roses, daisies, lilies, daffodils, every flower you can imagine. My garden had been implanted with millions of flowers. She had been fixed up to look good for the funeral with the most cheerful colours.
"This song is to the Dior with forever loving memories." I announced. They cheered.
"To see you when I wake up is a gift. I didn't think could be real. To know that. You feel the same as I do. Is a three fold utopian dream. You do something to me that I can't explain. So would I be out of line if I said. I miss you." I sang into the microphone in front of all the guests. I was glad that they were all smiling. That was at least one thing I could do for Dior.
"I see your picture. I smell your skin on the empty pillow next to mine. You have only been gone 5 days, but already I'm wasting away. We know we won't see you again. Forget you we won't. But I need you to know that I care and I miss you." I finished. There was a wild break of applause.
I left the stage and went to start digging. Breaking into the earth, I scooped up the soil and placed it aside.
"Let me lend a hand." I heard someone say. I looked up to find Andre with a shovel, pitching in to help.
"Don't forget me." Gen added reaching for a shovel.
I smiled.
"You can't forget about her mother." Dior's mother said, unearthing the soil.
Everyone came to help, showing all their sincerity.
Before closing the lid and placing the case that Dior was put into, I leaned over and kissed Dior on the lips gently. Then I saw a blue, almost transparent figure rise out from her body. Dior looked like herself again, the strong-willed, determined girl I had first seen on the trail. Except now, she had wings, before flying off, she winked at me. I stood their awed.
"Devante! Com'on! Snap out of your daydream." Andre shouted at me.
"Coming." I said. No one else had seen it, I was sure. I felt as if a huge burden weighing me down had suddenly loosened.
I went over to Andre and all the other helping and lowered the case into the hole. Putting the soil back into the remaining spaces, everyone placed a flower on top of the half visible pink surface.
Lastly, I dropped a single seed into the dirt.
By the time this tree had fully grown, I would be too. Yet I knew, my memory of Dior wouldn't fade. For she was a part of my everyday life. Just last week, I had gone to the beach and saw the sunset by myself. I had heard the tunes of One Slowdance and saw Dior and me dancing the night away. Sometimes late at night, I would go out into my yard and just sit on the swing I had built and glaze at the stars. And if I was lucky and looked hard enough, I would see a starlit maiden wink at me. Dior will forever be a part of me; the most important part.