:: Short Story: The Black Parade ::

The Black Parade.

            They marched to the funeral site. Everyone in the house was crying for their loss.  A still figure was sleeping deeply in the house waiting to be buried. The funeral was unexpected. The weather was doing the same way. I recalled everything about him. This person was my boy cousin from my mother’s side.

           

I don’t really know much about him. I knew him as a decent boy. He was his mother’s first son. He could drive and he had his own car. From what I’ve heard, he was dead because of car accident nearby the road to the campus.

***

I was there at the hall along with my companions of Alpha Team. I was sitting when Ms. Diana said that a relative of mine has come for a visit for ‘Malam Akrab’. In my head, I was thinking, ‘Who could that person be? Maybe it’s just someone I barely known.’ I was convinced by my mind.

            However, it was not as I expected. Ms. Lina told me that my cousin was here to visit. I kept thinking about the one they were talking about. As I passed at the cafeteria, I met him sitting along with his two friends. ‘Hi there, Mimi,’ he smiled as I was shocked to see him. I questioned myself. 

‘Well, hello there, Raz. It’s been a while since I have seen you at home.’

           

I was recalled with an incident at home during my 3-month holiday at home before I departed for the second group of 2010 National Service. Along with a cousin of his, we filled the e-Forms online for universities, SPA8, and teacher training institutions.

I left the memories aside. I looked at him and his friends. They must be participating in the first group of 2010 National Service. ‘So, how are you, Mimi?’ He asked me. I smiled. ‘It’s alright. National Service is about to end for me.’

He nodded. ‘Oh yes, guys, I want to introduce to you my cousin, Mimi.’ They were smiling to meet me. He grinned and asked whether there are any beautiful ladies from my group. ‘Yes, there are. But, not all of them are available.’ I replied. Then, I was being excused and go for a pudding. In my heart, I was feeling happy and thankful for him to come there.

***

2 days later…

‘Mimi, Iris, wake up you two. Get your bath. We’re going somewhere.’ Mom urged us to wake up and get dressed. My youngest brother was interrogating Dad and he was not happy. In fact, he was irritated with his second son’s questions. I could hear him screaming. As we get dressed, I looked up to the sky. It was bright, but the clouds already started their melancholic march.

We got into our car and it moved towards the big city. I was thinking of the possibilities. Has something bad happened? My brother asked Mom about it. She, then, told us the truth.

‘Your cousin Raz, has passed away yesterday.’

           

Mom’s words brought us to total denial. My first brother was denying the fact that he was gone from the world. My sister kept quiet about it. My second brother, as usual, asked for more information. I was stunned. I couldn’t express how much sympathy I had to his family especially his mother.

           

Finally, we arrived at the general hospital. Dad parked his car across the road. I saw some parts of the building were renovated. We got lost when we tried to find the Mortuary Room. Fortunately, a staff of the hospital gave us the direction and finally arrived there.

I saw unfamiliar faces beside his father. They were in despair. So did his father. He was crying outside. The other relatives were very sad too. I couldn't help myself to be sympathetic for them. We waited at the other side of the building. Mom looked at me.

‘Do you want to see him for last time?’

           

I nodded. My sister followed us to the room. As I entered, my attention was for his mother. She was even worse than his father. She couldn’t stop crying and began storytelling about his beloved son. Again, Mom asked me the same question. I hesitated, but I was determined to see him for one last time.

           

Along with my sister and mother, we entered to a room. My aunt, who happened to be a nurse there, looked at us. ‘Are you ready?’ She asked. We went inside. There he was, sleeping calmly on the bed. I looked at his condition. His body doesn’t show any bruises or scratches but my attention was onto his head. It must have been bleeding hard before he ended his life.

           

His left side was not as bad as how his right side had been. It didn't hit me until I glanced upon the jacket that he wore. I recalled the moments during ‘Malam Akrab’. He wore the same jacket. Without realizing, drops of jewels were falling down from my eyes to the ground. I went outside and at the end of the pathway, I cried my heart out.

           

I never cried like this for my cousin’s death but what he did for me surely brought good memories with him. I’m not his special someone, but he was a brother to me. Even when I was outside, Dad gave his calming gazes and asked, ‘Are you alright, my child?’ I intentionally smiled so that Dad wouldn’t have to calm me down. ‘Sure, I do.’ I pretended to giggle. In the end, I couldn't pretend and last thing I knew was that I was in father’s embrace and again, I cried my heart out. I couldn’t believe that he was already gone.

***

The black parade began as the cars moved to his house. At the same time, it was raining cats and dogs. The tears from the sky resembled our tears. The cold breeze blowing towards us was as cold as my heart. I was crying inside as I looked at his stuffs. As I listened to his mother’s story about him, it made me in despair.

           

The black parade will always be remembered. Here I am, a girl who remembered his one-year death. Even whenever I passed by on the crime scene, I would remember the day my dear cousin had his black parade.

THE END