Part 5

MAY'S POINT OF VIEW

"What? May, I just want to forget everything that happened. Give me a break." Gradually, her eyes watered. "Why did he leave me? Why did God take him away from me? Damn! We have not been together for a long time."

I placed the bottle of wine on the table. I moved to a seat to her right to caress her back. Hopefully, somehow, I can comfort her. "Shane, that is enough."

"It has been a few years, I still cannot move on. Is it because he hit me so hard?"

Zy and I fell silent. We just let her speak until she could release everything she was feeling.

"Why do I love him so much? I cannot move on. Always. My memories with him torment me. When I think about those things, it is like my heart is being crushed over and over again. He should have brought me along with him— "

"Do not say that. God has a reason why you stay alive," Zy told her.

"That is also what Charles says in my dream," she said.

There seemed to be electricity waking up in my mind when I heard that. "What do you mean?" I asked in a rush.

She smiled at me as she wiped her wet cheeks. "I always dream of Charles. He tells me to move on but I cannot do it. He says, if I cannot move on for myself, I will do it for him. He even said that I should be happy even without him—"

"Do you mind if I join you?" We immediately turned to the man speaking, all smiling.

"Sure, but is it okay for you to talk with a drunk lady?" Zy asked him, referring to Shane.

"It is fine. I am here to listen and help." He sat in Ben's previous chair earlier.

Shane stared at him with her forehead creased. She studied who was in front of him. After a while, she asked, "Who are you?"

"Come on, Shane. He is the birthday celebrant," Ben replied instead. How thick-skinned to return here.

"Oh, she is Shane, huh?" Andrei said somewhat amused. Yeah, he is Andrei Williams.

"Ah . . . you are the one who invited me?" was the next question of my drunken friend.

"Yes, I am."

"Why did you invite me? What is your purpose? Oh, sorry. It is just that it is unusual for a celebrant to send an invite to someone he does not know personally."

"That is to meet you." Shane, rounding her eyes, did not escape my sight. "Yes. So, may you continue what you were telling them earlier?"

Shane sighed. "Alright. He told me, I should be happy even without him. Even if I try to be happy, there is no progress . . . there is nothing. Since he died, I have lost a big part of my being."

There was silence among the five of us.

Zy poured wine into Shane's glass and handed it to her. However, to my surprise, she did not take it and drink it.