Chapter 6. Reunion

I locked the gates and stepped out. It was still bone chilling cold causing me to snuggle more into my hoodie. I walked through the garden and finally exited the main gate. There was no one around me. I walked through silence and my broken memories.

I saw the spot, two lanes aside, where king ivory stood and waited as the scenes of my death unfolded in front of my eyes. Warm tears swelled in my eyes, never falling, but laying in there, providing a burning sensation. I shrugged it off and walked my way as I headed down the street.

I walked through turns and lanes, through alleys and crowded markets, through houses decorated for Christmas and through footwalks adorned with snowman. I walked and walked until I reached the silent lane which led to church with graveyard attached.

I silently walked through the church gate and looped around the building, skipping the church and directly entering the graveyard. I silently stood in front of the three graves lying parallel to each other. To the left was my mom's grave, to the right was my father's and in the middle was mine. Even after death, it seemed like they were hugging me from both sides.

I kneeled down there on the snow for some time. The sweet reminiscence provoking my eyes to brim again. I remember how my dad swung me in his arms and mom tickled me. How my dad brought me all my favourite things and helped me with it. How my mom baked with me and when it turned disaster, we fed it to dad. How dad used to dance to make me laugh when I fell and hurt myself. How he picked me in arms and ran that day when I slipped, how he held me in arms when they cried, when I was dead.

I let out a huge sigh and a puff ball of air heaved through my mouth. I left the place giving them a last glance. I began exiting the church main gate when I saw a figure lighting a candle in there. She was around my age and her back was facing me. Her shoulder length brown curls reminding me of her.

I shrugged it off and turned my steps towards my home. Going through the same scenes and landscapes, I reached my home back. I went to the sofa and started tv. I surfed through channels of various categories only to get bored and drowsy. I was about to sleep when the doorbell went off.

I groaned and lazily left my couch. Not caring about my messy hair, I went to opened the door. I tried to look through the peek hole but there was fog on it. So, with no other option left, I grumpily opened the door.

But all my grumpy expression turned to an enlightened one when I saw her. Jennifer. Dressed in all black attire. She was wearing a black turtle neck with black jeans beneath. Over her shoulders, she threw a long black overcoat and a black hat. Her frizzy brown hair curled up to her shoulders and she was a little covered in snow. She shivered a little. She very much resembled the girl from church.

"Umm...Can I come in?" She asked through her frozen mouth as her dried lips quivered.

"Ohh! I am sorry. Please come inside." I was too engrossed in devouring her presence that I forgot to invite her inside.

"Thanks" she replied as she walked inside. She hung her coat on the hanger and looked around the house in awe. She roamed around the corridor a little and went to the main hall. She gently sat on the couch as she made herself comfortable near the fireplace. Not that I mind, but still, she ruined my sleep!!

I went and sat on the adjacent sofa equidistant to both fireplace and the sofa she was seated on.

"Umm...hi?" I tried to start a conversation.

"Hii". She replied.

Okay! That's awkward.

"So..why are you here? I mean purpose. No rude thing..wait that came out wrong.." I stuttered unable to frame a proper statement. She giggled.

"Ohh! My bad, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Jennifer Mondale. I live nearby but I stopped here since this house has some memories and first time in decades, it has been occupied." She looked sad.

" Ohh, umm yeah...it was my cousin's house. Hello, I am lilac Steve. My cousin Lucas Steve used to live here with uncle and aunt. But unfortunately, they are no more." I framed a lie. I hope she buys it.

" I know. Things happened right before my eyes. But I didn't see you in their funerals?" She asked

" I had my college entrance test that day. So we couldn't fly in time." I replied. She hummed in satisfaction.

" So...reason..here?" I tried to put the earlier question again on the table.

" Oh right...actually, Lucas was our best buddy. This house was abandoned and our all memories with him revolves around these four walls and we weren't able to move on. In the end, we decided to take this villa as our hideout so that we will always be five. But now it's occupied, I was just curious to know who is it." She explained herself as this time I nodded in response.

" But the house was so dirty, how could you even set foot in here!?" I interrogated.

" Well, we kind of don't like..cleaning? So we just spread some newspaper and sat on it, talked and caught up on each other and left. We did it on every festival and birthdays." She replied with a smile. The memories cascaded in her eyes.

" You loved your friend right?" I knew the answer but still I wanted to hear it from her.

" Yes, I did. We all did." She said looking down. Her fingers fiddled with each other.

" Why are you saying 'we'?..are there more?" I asked.

"Oh yes. We were five. Me and Lucas you know now, besides there's Jake, Mark and Vivian. We have always been five."She bubbled up.

" Would you mind adding up a new friend?" I asked hesitantly. She peeked her eyebrows so I continued explanation.

"I have recently shifted from Toronto. I don't have a company or anyone to call friend in this strange state. I need some help with rules and this way you can hangout in this villa too. And not to forget, without newspapers on dirty floor!" I tried to reason. I wanted to convince her slyly. As much as desperate it sound, but I have came back from death for her.

" Let the others come and then we decide? But you can call me up as friend. I wouldn't mind having one." She winked.

She is trying so hard to mask her silent and broken self. She acts so well that if I didn't observe her from Orcas every night, I might have been blinded by her light too. But she doesn't know, I have observed her darkest sides. When she curl up in bed and write her thoughts away. When she looks up at the sky in hope she find that particular face. When she refuses to open her heart to anyone if it's not Lucas, if it's not me. I am so lucky that I got a loyal lady.

"Thanks! Jennifer." I looked sincerely in her eyes as I took in her  face again. Her cheeks were puffed and her fair skin glowed with winter. Her lips dried pink as she flicked her tongue over it habitually. Her big brown eyes holding light. Unlike me, which roamed in past. Her little hair portions hanged from beneath her hat and tiny button nose invited me to boop over it again and again. I struggled to control my excitement though.

My fingers were about to touch her nose as our eyes maintained their contact when suddenly the doorbell went off signalling a new arrival. I mentally cursed at the person as we both retracted from the close proximity we accidentally framed.

I excused and looked aside. She blushed as she ran towards the door to open it. God! It was embarrassing.

I heard a click sound followed by three new voices. They headed towards the hall where I was in as I heard their murmurs about cleanliness of their surroundings.

I waved as soon as a new face entered the room. He stood nearby the door with strict demeanor as others also made in. It was awkward silence before Jennifer decided to explain everything.

She explained them everything as they stealth glances of me in between. I was sitting on sofa, anticipated for their decision. Their conversion were merely in a whisper but I could hear it clearly.

After what felt like ten minutes, they were done with their conference as they all faced me. I was nervous. Of course I will be. I have came here for her, for them. If they didn't accept me, then I'll be useless. Besides lopez and Lilith, only they are whom I knew as friends. But it is a fresh start now.

"Hey budd, I am Jake, your new friend." Said the shorty. He was few centimetres shorter that Jen with a pale colour and chubby cheeks. His hair were dyed in a copper colour. His eyes small and plump lips. His features once made me jealous when we were kids, but I am suprised it still have same effect on me.

"Hii...I am Lilac Steve. Nice to meet you Jake." I waved a hello in the air awkwardly. Everything about today was awkward somehow.

"Hi blonde! I am Mark. Welcome to the group." This time it was a well built up tall guy. His raven coloured hair were tied in a man bun and what I think I got a glimpse of tattoo from under the sleeve of his oversized coat. His face was adored with sharp features and his lips pierced giving him a stoic look but when he smiled, it was the brightest smile I have ever seen on any man.

"Thanks Mark..hello to you too." I chirped feeling a little confident.

"Hii! I am Vivian Vascola. You can call me ViVi. Hope we can be good friends." She has a bright bubly personality. Since childhood, she was like this. She barely cries or feel angry. I remember she and Mark used to have crush on each other.

"Hey vivi. Nice to meet you too. Are you perhaps his girlfriend?" I asked a bit unsure. They should be together by now.

"Hey!how did you guess that!?" She beamed.

"Well...it's evident." I tried to convince. She smiled as she linked her arms with that of Mark's. He smiled again. However tough of a guy he looks, he's soft for her. Love changes you for good.

"Sorry to hide but didn't wanted you to cringe on our first impression." Mark chuckled and said.

"Ahh no no...it's doesn't cringe me at all. Love ain't cringey, people are. And I am one of those cringey out there." I walked towards them from my spot on sofa.

" Then welcome to the group of crackhead. I am sure we'll get along well." Jake darted towards me and embraced me in hug. Soon two more pair of hands threw over us. At last, Mark joined too and it turned into a group hug. Just the way we used to do in our childhood. I smiled. I am accepted. This is the feeling I have missed the most while being in Orcas.

These guys are my life.