"You ok lad?"
☆
The kitchen is very sombre as Molly makes her usual porridge, but with the funeral looming, no one was up to eating much. Jasper is already dressed in what black he possessed, consisting of a black smart shirt and the same black skinny jeans he has worn on the fishing trip, which has since been washed by Molly.
He tries his best to eat, but it feels like there is a ball constantly lodged in his throat.
Jim now enters the kitchen, wearing a smart black suit with a white shirt. Molly approaches him and without words wraps her arms around him. Jasper looks away, feeling like he's intruding on this personal moment. He can hear the quiet sobs coming from his uncle and knows that today is going to be one of the hardest days of his life.
He hears his uncle blow his nose and looks up to see him now sat opposite him at the table. "You ok lad?" Jim tries his best to smile as if he hadn't just been emotional a few moments before. All Jasper can do is nod back.
Suddenly there is an unexpected knock at the door. Molly walks over to open it to see Thomas dressed all in black. "Tom! I didn't know you'd be coming, I mean I didn't think you'd want to, you know after gran..."
Thomas cuts his sister off. "I promised Jasper I would." And looks past his sister to see Jasper who already looked like he was about to burst into tears. This was going to be a tough day for all.
***
The ceremony was emotional beyond belief. Jasper is glad of the air outside, now hitting his face.
"Thanks." Jasper gives Thomas a weak smile as he sits on the steps leading up to the place of rest. "You were right as usual."
Thomas returns the smile, adding a sigh. "I'm glad you decided to say a proper goodbye. Your grandma's picture was nice, she looked like a kind lady."
"Yeah she was." Jasper agrees. "And the only one who knew about you...you know, how I feel about you." Jasper looks at Thomas a little shy of his words, causing Thomas to blush, just a little.
"So...are you gonna stay with your mum now or are you coming back to the farm?" Thomas wonders. He didn't want Jasper to leave him just yet but knew this was selfish of him, especially as Jasper's mother would be by herself.
"I don't know. I don't want to go home just yet but I guess I'll see what mum has to say. She's by herself now." Jasper looks to the floor. It had been the three of them in their small family since his dad had left, with his mother dedicating her life to his grandma. Now she and Jasper just had each other.
"There you are!" Molly calls out, walking down the steps out of the building. "Jim and your mother are looking for you Jasper."
Thomas and Jasper turn to see Molly and slowly get up to walk inside. Jim and Jasper's mother stood with a lady who Jasper didn't recognise, though she did look a little like his grandma. "Jasper, this is my cousin Suran."
Jasper looks at the lady now smiling at him. He nods and smiles back. "Suran has a beach house on the coast. She has invited us to go next week, to meet some of grandma's extended family."
Jasper looks at Thomas, then back at his mother. "Yeah...sounds nice."
His mother frowns a little at his reaction. "Well I thought you'd be pleased you would be getting off the farm. Your uncle says you have done well."
"Yeah I guess so." But inside Jasper didn't want to leave the man standing by his side. Not just yet. "Mum, when are we going?"
"Sunday." She smiles.
Sunday...Jasper forces a smile back before again looking back at Thomas, whose expression was hard to read. They had just one more day together.