“With the oncoming…” I talked about mom and I, attending the funeral of my grandmother Felicity. I watched my mom and the way the liquor oozes off the glass’ edges. She offered it to me.
“Bareffoot pink moscato.” She said ignoring my remarks.
I laughed it off. Because there’s no way I can insist on talking myself out just to convince her and her behaviors. “You know if you’ll be that all carefree into being that outspoken.”
“A lot of people will be pissed. I know that, honey.” She finished my sentence before taking a sip. She eyed the glass I held. “You need to drink that. It’s a sore for my eyes seeing the untouched liquid in your hands, Azaiah.
I took a sip and juicy cherries seemed to be floating on the roof of my tongue. Tart raspberries and sweet pomegranate eroded my palate as I let myself continue to drink it down my throat. Glancing at my mom with her expression looking satisfied. She must’ve liked it too.
“The aroma is traditional moscato with layers of red fruit. Sweet… And this is surprisingly refreshing and light.” The liquor somewhat solved her predicament as she was drinking it.
“You are right, Mom. This is good.” I swirled the glass with my fingers, liking how the motion of the liquid followed its movement.
“You should join me, darling. Especially during my night outs when I go over wine bars in here. I can take you when I will be doing some wine testing. It’s fun.” She paused for a bit. “Besides that, we can bond over this thing. Leisure for the both of us…”
I smiled and proffered my glass forward. The clang of both glasses clashing with unscathed parts made me smile. “Cheers, for the wine bar destinations that will be going into…” I said.
“Cheers, my child…” My mom responded delighted. “I’ll tell you a trivia. You can tell the flavors when you smell it through your nose. It works effectively during wine testing. You’ll be able to have an inner-knowing on how it tastes like.”
I smile at her. “Because the nose is connected at the back of our mouths. Am I right, Mom?”
“Yes you are, my darling child… You’re very brilliant.”
Azaiah's POV
Mom and i went to the funeral. When we arrived, i began to think about what she said.
Mom was right the air is just not right.
Visiting the funeral immoblize my ability to think clearly. I was standing, looking around. And then when to seat to the nearest chair that was available for us. I stared at mom. She seems to like being in here. While I wanted to go home.
Someone was mourning. Crying from a near distance. Most of the people took a glance towards the entrance. I did too. I saw my father with his wife. Her wife is crying, right in front of the entrance. I looked towards Mom who was sitting beside me. She was staring too intently at them, observing their act. I know she caught the facade that has been on display.
Mom stood from her seat.
It was unexpected. I stared at where she went, shock that she went directly to the casket. She did the most surprising thing I couldn't even expect that she will do; my mother started to weep. She did not shy away from attracting the eyes of the people. She was holding it. But her eyes did nof even look at my grandmother.
I am rooted in my seat, barely even budge. I exhaled quitely. This is too much of the scene. Because my father's new wife continue to cry too. The crying is way too loud. Which sounds worse. I stared at them. My father went to walk towards me and gave me a pat in the shoulder.
“I'll go right back to you later, Azaiah. I need to stay with her for a while.” He said.
The words be averted only made me nod. And that is the final thing. Because time this is so real. My father choose her over us. My tore my eyes on them. My eyes stinging because the weeping. I went to Mom. I feel the people leaning and whispering towards each other. And i cannot pretend any longer that I did not find the situation stressful because it is. I gently rubbed my Mom's back that mads her cries a bit soft. I am sure that the subject of the next hot gossip is our family. But I do not care anymore. I see no solution for this. I cannot even force myself to try and do the same thing that these two ladies are doing. I felt my mother's finger wrapped around my arm. I scanned my eyes and met his.
Sore. I can feelthe soreness of my eyeballs upon meeting his eyes. Now, I can finally feel like crying.
I am starting to panic. And I wanted to get out as quickly as possible but I could'nt. I turned my eyes away from him, away from him and his parents. And when I tried to roam my eyes to look for something that can distract me I indeed found something that is distracting. I see a relative wearing a yellow dress. Amidst the people who were all wearing white inside the chapel, someone in the mix was wearing a color so bright. I felt astounded as to what I just witnessed.
My mom was urging me to go back. She was whispering too low that I can barely managed to catch her words.
“Are you sure you want to stay here in front and guard this casket?” I asked.
She was trying to hide her smile. But she was still composed to continue the pretense.
“Oh I am fine my duaghter. As long as I am here in front she won't come here.”
I can see the joy that flickered in her eyes when she said it.
“But are you sure you wanted to stay here and stand, Mom?”
She finally smiled. Then immediately hold my hand.
“I can.” Her eyes went towards my father's new wife. “That woman, she will get tires eventually. No one can kept crying hard for too long, especially when it is all pretend.”
Her eyes stared at me. “Now go bacm to your seat.” She went to kiss my cheek.
I hesitated. But I still followed what my mother told me.