Diana Templeton

         Maybe today is that day? 

Maybe this is the day they were supposed to have a proper burial. Someone couldn't just keep their hands off them and went ahead to reap them apart and take the only thing they have. L.I.F.E!

Yeah, that's the free thing everyone gets. Both you and me but for some, they see that as nothing. 

You take it forcefully from someone and then what? 

What's the profit of all that? 

You know for these past days, I have put my God under observation and lots of questioning. I have wanted to know why this happened to my family, why we were not given a chance to grow together to be the people they wanted to be but instead, their life was cut short and their dreams all perished?

I don't even know what they wanted in life?

What were their dreams?

What was my mother's occupation? 

These are some of the questions I got to ask my God every day when I think of my parents. 

How about my little brother? 

I am made to believe that, he was not a full-body, and was growing up with a syndrome. 

They say disability is not inability, I know he would have wanted to be something in his life. 

Jake said that maybe, my father was good at business the way I am, maybe my mother was hot-tempered the way sometimes I am and maybe my blond hair and my body is the main reflection of my mother. 

I want to believe him but I miss the real picture. I pray one day I get to know the whole truth, though I am not sure because it's like these guys never existed in this part of the earth. Nothing states that they were once here. 

I guess if not for my DNA, then we will be looking all over for nothing. I am grateful that Jake went ahead to look for his mother and came up with this. 

It's not like he opened up the wounds, I feel like it's a step towards my healing wound. Maybe I was never concerned about how The Kings used to treat me, but I am happy that I know why I was exceptionally different from them. Though they convinced me in those twenty-three years, I doubt if they were ever willing to say anything after or if they were planning to let me die.

I looked at the four caskets in front of the church. 

Jake had done his best, designed coffins. Expensive gold handles and expensive mahogany trees to make sure that they were given the special send-off. 

Jake's mother had a picture of him on the top, showing how pretty she used to be, for my father, mother and brother, had nothing to show that they once existed, not even a sign not even an old picture from their album. It was nothing.

Vague you may say, but deep in my heart, I know they are dancing and smiling together that finally someone gets to give them the respect that they wanted.

The whole church had only five people, adding the priest who was in charge of the ceremony then we were six. All we wanted was some privacy. To mourn the people we loved in silence without a third party.

Dressed in a black dress, with my sneakers on, Jake too had his black suit with him, and so were Dominic and Claire. Pete is always Pete, sitting at the corner, making sure no one comes to disrupt us. 

We were not going to say anything about them, we knew they fought a good fight, and all we were praying was for their spirits to be at peace. 

Done with the service, the priest left us to decide on what to do. We were not going to bury them, but we headed back to the crematorium. Where we were both waiting to watch the bodies burn and pack them back into the nice container before we decide to discard them.

"Are you sure you wanted them to be cremated today?" Asked Jake.

I couldn't do anything, I don't want them to stay here longer, maybe I can stay with their ashes for a week or two before he finalizes the arrangement of the vacation.

"Yeah, I want to be there and see everything."

Jake nodded and kissed my forehead. 

Looking back at Claire, she had her head pressed on Dominic's shoulder, her eyes were red, I understood her. The pain of all this is never-ending. 

She held my hands and kissed them before giving them back. I smiled at her, with tears still pouring down my face. It was tears of joy, finally winning that battle that you never thought you could win.

Pete was signalled to call in the men who helped place the bodies back into the hearse and they were taken to the crematorium. 

Since security and privacy were on the high notch, We booked the most expensive crematorium and met the most humble and generous person who agreed to give us chance to do it how we want it.

"So, Dee, if you want we can start with you, you will be the one to light the fire and we will watch as they burn," said Claire.

I didn't know if I wanted to be the first to do my part. I knew I wanted to be free, but a part of me still wanted them with me.

"Claire, Jake, why don't you guys do the honours, mine will be done last, " I said to them.

I respected them, and I owe them everything I can. They are the ones who made this possible, they should do it first.

Jake and Claire delicately placed the bones inside the crematorium, and when they were satisfied with their arrangement, they pushed the tray with the coffin inside. Claire placed her hands first on the fire button and Jake followed, they both pressed on the fire part and it was blazing. 

Claire stood near the glass watching how it was burning. Jake moved closer, holding her shoulder and I could see a lone tear going down his cheeks. 

I think this is the first time in a while I have seen Jake this broken, the entire instant of discovering about her sister's existence and now when he is saying his last goodbye to the person he once loved. Maybe the other time I also saw him broken is when I broke down and was not myself,  someone can say that was childish, but it was a pain to me. 

He is a good man and seeing him break down, I can't stop my tears from flowing freely, I just hope this is the last time I bury someone like this, I don't want this to ever happen ever again. 

We waited for one and half hours until everything was burnt and let it cool down. Satisfied with the results, Jake and Claire both collected the ashes and placed them in a golden bag before placing them inside a customized container.

The next was my turn. I looked at the three caskets in front of me, I asked them to put my dad first, satisfied with the way his body was inside the coffin, I pushed the tray inside and decided to press the part of power, I couldn't control myself as I watched it burn. Checking on my tears, Jake stood beside me helping me calm down. I don't know how I will feel when I will be discarding their bodies and let them go.

After he was done, they gave me all the time, to collect the ashes and I placed them inside an expensive gold bag before placing them in the container.

Next was my mother, I don't know why I felt like I had a deep connection with her that I didn't want her to go. It's like I just wanted her by my side, with me but that was not going to happen, I had to let her go.

Jake placed the coffins by himself on the tray and helped me to push them further in. 

When it came to light the fire, he placed his finger on top of mine, "I am with you here don't feel burdened up."

Maybe I needed that, and he just did it.

"Thank you," I said to him giving him a low smile.

His hands never left mine, covered in ashes, he made sure he helped in everything. 

"I felt more deeply connected to her than I was connected to dad, I don't know why, I am not taking this as a bad omen, it's just an idea," I said to him.

"Maybe there are some things that you guys share and that make you special, maybe you guys did a lot of things together when you were a year old but you do not remember a thing, that might be the reason, so don't let it bother you," he said to me.

He never stops reminding me of how everything should be taken in a good faith.

Done with her part, we did the previous process and lastly, it was my brother, the young boy who never even stepped a foot in this world but was taken forcefully inside his womb. Maybe in the future, we might meet or in the new world, I hope so.

This time around, both Claire and Dominic placed their fingers and made sure that we did this together.

"Thank you all, I couldn't have done this without you guys and I am happy that I won't be dying of curiosity to know who my parents were. Maybe I don't know their faces, but what I know, they are going to be somewhere safe, away from this world and all the drama inside, thank you."

"Siz, come on, we are a big family, you don't need to feel sad that you didn't see their faces, from now on, take us as your big family, we are the brothers and sisters you will ever want. Dominic is our big brother, I am your big sister and Jake, is the second last born and you are our last born."

What was Claire saying? 

"Eww, I am not your brother, brothers and sisters are not allowed to know how sweet it tastes so I am not your brother," said Dominic.

Claire opened her purse and got out some envelopes and showed all of us, "ooh, where is this handsome jerk?"

"Pete, you are in trouble here!" Said Dominic. 

We were already outside the Crematorium and the ashes were locked in a safe box.

"Yeah," came Pete running.

One thing about Pete, he is that one person you will never know anything about, maybe that he is a cute handsome face but he is just a boy who was left in front of an orphanage and together with Dominic they made it out.

"You know why we love fighting?" Asked Claire.

Seriously, she was not trying this on Pete. They look like siblings who are following each other.

"Because you are bossy and an asshole," said Pete folding his hands in front of her.

Before he could stand comfortably, a hand crossed his face and a slap resounded all over his face.

"Here," said Claire as he handed him an envelope.

Pete took it and he opened it. Looking at it he looked at Claire again. Then at Jake lastly at Dominic.

"Are you fucking serious?" He asked Claire.

"Ooh, God, I love you, no wonder you love fighting with me, Jake man I am grateful, for everything, I just love this and I am grateful for this." 

 I looked at Jake, whatever he was talking about, I didn't know anything about it.

"Dee, I know this is probably the lame-ass gift I could give to you to say sorry for all that has happened in your life, but please accept this small gift."

Jake handed me an envelope, and looking at it, I was not sure what the envelope contained. I picked it up and opened it.

"What? Are you serious?" I shouted as soon as I saw the document.

It was a fucking birth certificate and new id.

     Name: Diana Templeton

"Wait who is Templeton again?" I asked as I saw the name.

Jake looked at Claire then at me.

"All of us decided to use our mother's last name or we can say the family name, 'Templeton,' we want to be remembered by that, not some Cummings that smells yuck!" Said Jake.

"Yeah, that's why we took Pete and gave him the same, Pete is the fourth born while you are the last child and we want to treat you as one baby girl, so don't mind being the last born, you can cry all you want, be the baby you want to be, no one is going to beat you and you will get what you want," said Claire.

I wish I could tell you that in the future this almost cost us when our twin babies asked us why did we marry yet we are sister and brother. 

"So everyone here is a Templeton officially?" I asked.

"Yeah, except for Dominic. Though he is also a Templeton, he is acting like he doesn't want to marry a sister." Said Claire.

"Yeah, I also don't want to marry my brother, that's incest," I said.

"Wait, are those the same things you said before you wetted yourself in the court? I guess it will be a big story, don't worry about it,"

Jake suddenly picked me out of their presence while glaring at Claire as Dominic stood giving her a serious look.

"Hey, I am grateful for this hun, I mean it. I had this in mind but I didn't know what to tell you about it."

Jake looked at me and smiled, I don't know what was making him all smiley but u hope he was not being sarcastic before he uses that against me.

"I want to make sure you stay in the family and you are never going anywhere, I have you wrapped up like this, on my little finger," he said.

"Fuck! I am going to kill you."

I walked and sat in the limo silently not looking at the smirk on his face.

Dominic and Claire, were busy slurping on their wines as the looked at both of us.

Jake sipped a glass of wine and smacked his tongue. 

Claire raise his brows as she watched his actions. Looking at me with an evil grin while pretending to be enjoying the wine or was it a glass of champagne.

"Siz, do you want a glass?" Asked Claire while lifting his glass.

"For Christ's sake she is young for alcohol," said Jake as he looked at me.

"I am fucking twenty-three Jake," I retorted at him widening my eyes.

"Are you sure, the last time you almost climbed my whole body at night?" he said before downing the whole content in his glass.

"There is a first time for everything, that was a first time," I said back to him.

"And I have said you are not drinking, here is your club soda," he handed the soda with sarcasm written all over his face. 

Did he use this thing to control the hell out of me? Am I going to die because of one glass? 

Maybe he is correct, the last time I tried acting like a civilised high-class girl I almost did bad things that would have been regrettable. Maybe I should just stick to soda.

🥀Author's Note🌹

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