A Love Lost

Chapter 18

Haru stood before the grave, a great stone slab set upon a plinth, on top of which was a large statue of an angel, kneeling with a jug in her hands and pouring water upon stone flowers around her.

Haru smiled weakly at the grave, eyes gentle as he stared at the plaque, upon which was written his mother's name.

It was a gentle day; the breeze was cool and the air warm.

The fresh flowers at the front of the grave were arranged in a circle, and there were many beautiful colours.

Haru let out a sigh.

*

'Haru! Come over here.'

Haru turned to his mother, giggling happily and rushing up to her.

She bent down to pick him up, lifting him high into the air before holding him to her, hugging him and holding him close. Haru giggled and squirmed in his mother's arms as she kissed him on the cheek.

'I love you so much my precious baby boy.'

'I love you too mama' Haru gurgled, leaning into her and wrapping his arms around her neck.

*

'All the memories I ever had of you were good ones' Haru spoke quietly then. 'You were always so kind to. You loved me so much. I loved you so much too.'

Aubrey stepped closer, standing beside Haru now.

'So, this is where she's buried.'

'Yes' Haru spoke quietly. 'My mother. Her name was Gloria.'

Aubrey looked back at the grave silently.

'She passed away due to illness' Haru said, 'that was a few years ago. When I was born...' he trailed off then, 'she passed her weak condition onto me. I was often sick like she was.... when she was alive.'

Aubrey turned his eyes onto Haru, watching his silently.

'My mother was going through a difficult time.... before she died. Many have said that it was stress that...well...she just got weaker and um.... for a long time before... things were not good.'

Haru swallowed, pursing his lips, before continuing.

'My entire family at the time was going through a difficult time, but she was bearing the brunt of it. It was horrible.... for all of us.'

Haru paused for a moment, eyes flickering down to his feet before looking back up at the grave.

'Her own mother....my grandmother...died a violent death. She was murdered. It was horrible for all of us. I was very close to her. None of it seemed real. Even now when I think about it...' Haru shook his head. 'I don't like thinking about it.'

Aubrey continued to watch Haru quietly.

'Shortly after that, my grandfather died. The doctors called in broken heart syndrome. I was devastated. My mother was devastated. And then my mother's sisters began to fight over the inheritance. My mother said she didn't want any of it, and that she cared more about her sisters than she did about money...but that was not enough. Its never enough for some people.'

Haru let out a forlorn sigh.

'My mother always was too soft many people said. She gave her share of the inheritance to her younger sister, who was pregnant at the time. But she suffered a miscarriage. That was the final straw for my mother. The loss of.... another....it was too much for her. She became very sick after that, and....passed away shortly after.'