Mourning

The cloudy sky shadowed the entire cemetery chapel. An addition to it's already gloomy state. Not much mortals came by to attend her funeral. She didn't have much friends or family. Not even her so called son and daughter-in-law showed up. Adrienne found about them as she heard the women talking to each other in front of her. "Those bustards always gave her a hard time. Her son never even once stopped his violent wife from hitting his poor mother. She had been bearing it all her life. Poor Hannah." The old lady in front spoke.

"Even though she was the one who took care of all their needs by working day and night her whole life. They could have at least showed some gratitude by coming but no. Such an ungrateful rascals." The one beside her complained. Adrienne felt more tears streaming down her cheek as she heard them talk.

Hannah's sudden death had already broken her completely and hearing about how Hannah's life had been until now was not helping it. She had no idea that Miss Hannah had been going through so much in her life. She can only remember the smiling face and loving eyes of Miss Hannah.

__'When Adrienne made it to the kitchen it was already late. She saw miss Hannah's lifeless body on the floor, unmoving. She stood by the door shocked by the scene in front of her. It was the same as the time when her grandma had died. She had been the one to witness it first, laying on her bed lifeless as she went to wake her up for breakfast in the morning.

Adrienne didn't go near Hannah's body. She went straight up calling the ambulance. She informed her in-laws and her husband about it after reaching the hospital. She explained the situation in panic but soon after, Eric started to yell at her. "Have you got no brain! She has a heart problem Adrienne. How can you let a heart patient go with you to that stupid ride. She's almost 60. Fucking 60! She isn't as young as you are! How much more selfish can you be!" Eric barked. He was going nuts. Hannah had been with him from the day he was born. She had been with him all the time he needed someone the most. Especially at the time of his mother's death. She was there comforting him and Annabel all day, without leaving their side for even a single minute. He was well aware about her miserable life. Since Miss Hannah had requested him to not interfere, he could do nothing but obey because it was her life.

"Eric! Stop it. She might not have known. It isn't her fault. Do you see her state!". Annabel scolded.

He saw her trembling figure standing at the corner of the room facing down. But he couldn't help it. "I'm sure she did that on pur-"

"Eric Johnson!" Mr Sebastian yelled, shutting him up.

Adrienne couldn't think anything else but the view she had scene few minutes ago. She hadn't uttered a word for a while now. She kept on blaming herself for Miss Hannah's death as Eric's words got into her already broken mind. Seeing this, Annabel rushed towards her, she tried to comfort Adrienne after noticing her messed up state. "Don't cry Adrienne. She'll be fine. It's not your fault for not knowing. Please stop blaming yourself." She quietly spoke while hugging her in an act to calm her down, but it wasn't helping.

After an hour, the doctor came out of the emergency room. Everyone turned to him with a worried look. "Sorry.. we tried hard but couldn't save her. Her heart had been suffering a lot and it wasn't her first attack. And her age made it more hard to save her. Her heart rate increased all of sudden with irregular heart rhythms which triggered her heart, a cardiac death.. I'm really sorry." Hearing the doctor's words, Adrienne's body stopped. The doctor's voice was fading. She started to get dizzy and all of a sudden she blacked out as she heard her name being called out several times.'__

"Adrienne!"

She came out of her thoughts as she heard Annabel calling her. "Come, Adrienne. It's your turn now." She stood up and started walking to the podium, ready to deliver the eulogy she prepared for Miss Hannah. Eric was reluctant at first but gave up as she had been begging him to at least let her deliver her last message in honor of Miss Hannah. He felt a bit pity towards her. But he just couldn't stop thinking about not blaming her for it.

'It's her fault, her alone, that Hannah is no longer with us. Just because of her recklessness. Selfish women!'

"Good afternoon everyone. For the ones who don't know me, my name's Adrienne". Her voice cracked a bit but she still continued. "Adrienne Johnson. If you ask me what kind of relationship do I have with the late Miss Hannah then we have no kind of, any blood relation but she was an outstanding person to me. She always reminded me of my deceased grandma, Margaret Elizabeth. Grandma had been my everything. She was the only person I could talk my mind to. So when I got a person like her again in my life, I was more than happy. She always took good care of me. Comforted me every time I was sad. Shared my happiness with her whenever I had some. She treated me like how a mother would treat their daughter-" She couldn't control it anymore and let her emotions show.

Eric's heart kept on clutching seeing Adrienne in such a state. He felt guilty for blaming her for everything. It wasn't her fault after all.

She continued after keeping her emotions at bay. "I have always been losing the ones I love or the ones who show some affection, throughout my life. Miss Hannah's death was the most shocking and unexpected among all. I hope she rest in peace as she is with god watching over us. Miss Hannah, you have been a wonderful soul, an amazing part in my life. But I'm just sad and disappointed about one thing, I have never heard you say anything about yourself, I'm sad that you had not told me anything about your life or you. M-maybe you might have still been there with us if you had.. " She paused for sometime and continued again. "You'll always be remembered Miss Hannah, thank you for everything you have done for me. Your comforts, your scoldings." She chuckled remembering the times she got scolded. "I'll really miss all of them. Thank you very much." She got down crying after bowing to the people and ran towards the far end. She couldn't be there any longer. She was suffocating.

She couldn't believe Miss Hannah was actually gone. The one who smiled at her, laughed with her in her happy times and comforted her in her sad moments-was gone forever. It's her fault. If she have known. If she had been careful. If she hadn't forced her to go with her. Everything would have been just fine. She would have been alive if it wasn't for her. Suddenly her cheerful face came into view looking at Adrienne with smiling eyes filled with love for her. Adrienne broke down weeping onto the ground as she screamed her lungs out calling for her. Begging her to come back, to not leave her alone. She cried along with the heavy rain as it lashed down at her, soaking her wet.

Her voice was no more. She had lost all her strength and began to feel weak. She was left with no tears to cry. She tried to stand up but failed miserably. Finally she made it, with the help of a tree nearby but did not last long as she felt her body falling again but before she lost her consciousness, she felt warm hands wrapped around her body.