My Best Friend's Funeral

Chapter 26

“WHAT??!?” uncle Matthew exclaimed with his eyes as big as watermelons. “Those were her exact words” I said remembering how hurt I felt when she said it. “Go on” uncle Mathew said rubbing his palms together. Wow! He really didn’t see that coming.  I continued “I'm not controlling him”. “Cheryl, it came out the wrong way” she said rubbing her forehead. “There is no other way it could possible come out Mrs. Wellings” “look, he has a girlfriend now who he is deeply in love with” “I know. But what does that have to do with him and me being best friends?” “at some point he will have to choose and I don’t want him to reach that point” “it’s not like I'm in love with him. I just love him as my friend. There is a difference” “I understand, but the difference can….you know…be ignored” “you are not making any sense” I said angrily. “Cheryl, that’s not the way you speak to guests” mom said wrapping an arm around Grace’s shoulder. “Mom you” I began but Grace cut me off saying “don’t worry. She’s just trying to be an 18 yr old rebel” Grace said and laughed. “Already?” mom asked, shocked. “No!” I replied immediately. “Cheryl it’s time to cut the cake” mom said with a smile. “Anything more that  you have to say to her Grace?”  “No, no.  I think I've made myself clear, haven’t I?” mom looked at me utterly confused. “Yes. Indeed you have. Now please excuse me” I said and curtsey. “Your daughter is so trust worthy” I could hear Grace saying. I wanted to whirl around and demand why she asked me to stay away from her son if she thought I was trust worthy? Liar! Liar! Pants on fire! I kept humming till I reached the centre of the rooftop. There was a table, with golden stain cloth on it and pink ribbons. Definitely done by mom. A silver knife was on one end with a pink ribbon again. “Cheryl!” I turned around and found Jake pushing through the people in front of him. What was I supposed to do now? Talk? Not talk? Ignore? Start a short conversation? Not start any conversation? Go to the other side of the table? Pretend like I'm feeling sick and run back out? Too late, I could smell his after shave which meant he was right behind me. “Happy Birthday” everybody started singing and clapping while mom brought in my huge birthday cake with white icing.

*Back to the moment*
 “That’s it” I said wrapping up my story. “Phew! Darling, that’s quite a story. Not a feast for my ears” “mine neither” I looked towards my left. Of course, it was Jake. He was sitting right next to me. “Go on Sherlock. Play ‘who’s gonna be a millionaire’ but what’s the price? Hmmm…let me think. Ah! NOTHING!” he said in anger. “There is a prize” I said calmly. “You sure that’s water hon?” uncle Matthew asked me pointing at my glass of water. “Yes. Yes, Now back to your story” “what story?” “about Jake being sick?” “oh right. That is all” he said and stood up. “Wait! What? That cannot be all uncle” “but it is” he said and tilted his head. “Are you kidding me? I mean seriously! Come on tell me” “not now Cheryl” he said through clenched teeth and tilted his head again. “What?” I yelled turning around. I swear I could just take off my high heels and run for my life if I wasn’t trying to solve a murder or whatever mystery this was, because right there in front of me stood Grace. This woman needs to stop appearing from nowhere. Has she ever watched a horror movie? Appearances like these are termed ‘scary’. “Please take the trouble to join us inside. We are all going to say a prayer for my boy” “right behind you” I said and stood up. I waited until Grace was out of ear shot and then turned to uncle Mathew “we still have a lot to talk about, right?” “really?” he asked widening his eyes. “Uncle! You never told me how he died!” I said and punched him. “Correction: not died. Murdered and sweetie, you think if I knew I wouldn’t be declaring it by now? I'm a frickin’ news machine!” he said and laughed loudly. “Mathew” Grace said sternly turning around. He clasped his mouth shut and started walking towards the house.

I fell back in the chair. I was so tired of asking questions and not getting any answers in return. I was fed up.  So many questions, so many suspects, so many possibilities but no help from anyone. I missed Paul. Our fight was useless. But of course he must've found Brittany much more fun and less irritating compared to me. I only he doesn’t get too used to her. I would feel really bad if I she turned out to be the culprit. I jumping to conclusions! I have the suspects but no lead. The murder is right here but I don’t have a spot to begin with. “Where are you?” I looked up at the blue sky and said. “Right here” without turning an inch I could tell who it was. “Paul!” I cried jumping up and hugging him tightly. “ouch!” he said hugging me back. “You hear that?” he asked me after a minute. “what?” “my bones cracking” “oops! Sorry P. I'm just so glad to have you here. So much is going on, I wanna know who killed Jake and why but I don’t know where to begin. “Well, I have an idea” “wait, before you suggest the idea and we get busy with that, I wanna apologize  for being a very “ “bad, mean, immature, childish” Paul suggested. “all of those. I didn’t mean to accuse you or anything. I just acted on instinct” “I get Cheryl. Believe me, I do. I was hanging out for a bit and I gave a lot of thought to our fight. It was useless” “exactly!” I said, relieved that Paul understood how meaningless our argument was. “So what'd you do while I was gone?”  he asked sitting next to me.

I quickly filled him in on everything that happened. I also told him about my 18th birthday bash drama done by Grace Wellings. “Well, uncle Mathew at least cleared your doubt and now you are sure that someone was out to get Jake. All we have to find out is why and who” “I know. That’s what’s worrying me. We have so little time left” “time left for what?” a third person asked. Paul and I looked up and found ourselves staring at Jenny, the neighbor. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt” she said worriedly. “No no. that’s fine…” I said “Jenny. Please call me Jenny” she said and shook hands with us. “we've met but I like introducing myself” that wasn’t really required to be said aloud. “I just came to tell you that we are about to start a prayer for Jake. Please join us?” “yes, of course” Paul and I said in unison. We followed Jenny inside the house where all the mourners were gathered as well. The sober, drunk, deeply affected by the demise, barely affected by the demise, sad, fake, half-asleep, hardly slept mourners were in every corner of the room. Grace, William, Brittany and uncle Matthew stood close to the coffin. Grace and Brittany dabbed their eyes every now and then. A priest stood before the closed coffin and opened his prayer book.