My uncle uttered,

“Your father is dead. He died a long time ago.”

I was silent for a moment considering the possibility that I heard him wrong.

“You heard me?” he asked.

“Actually I didn’t,” I answered. “Can you please repeat?”

“Your father has been dead all these years. He was never in Mexico. In fact, he never had to go there. He died and he told me that you must never know.”

“What?”

“He sent that as a message before dying.”

“Look Uncle Raymond,” I moved back a bit as I was really losing my temper now, “You are my father’s brother. You are quite old. I respect you, and I have to. But please don’t test my patience.”

“I’m telling you the truth.”

“How did he die?”

“I can’t tell you that. I simply can’t. Your father was a person who lived in denial. He did not face the realities of life. Likewise, he wanted it for you. He wanted you to believe in some make believe story. So, I did it. I did it for him.”

“Make believe story?”

“Yes, that he had to rush to Mexico and all that labour stuff.”

“That was all a lie?” I asked getting shocked.

“I’m afraid that it was. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t. Please don’t,” I started weeping, “please tell me this is all a lie. What you just told me.”

“I wish I could. But I want you to believe in reality. I will not suggest you to live in a world where you can turn your eyes away from the truth. Your father lived in that world.”

I was weeping but I was doing my best to control my emotions. So, I asked him,

“How did he die?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll have to keep my lips shut regarding this.”

I left the room feeling heartbroken.

Outside in the hallway, I was crying out really bad. I couldn’t stop thinking about my father. His face was appearing right in front of me. I was remembering all the hardships he took when I was just a child. These things were tearing me apart. I was like waiting for an earthquake or this building to collapse.

Most important of all, I couldn’t really believe in what I just learnt. I couldn’t. I was thinking that maybe I was just dreaming and would soon wake up. Everything would be fine then.

But no, this was the real world and this life is not a piece of cake.

The nurse saw that I was crying too much, she consoled me,

“Have patience, everyone has to go.”

I realised that she was thinking that I was upset about my uncle. I wanted to tell her that I was upset about my father’s demise but I didn’t and simply walked away. I am not usually this rude, but that day my emotions had overcome me.

Next hour, I was sitting inside the public bus. I was headed to my home but I was deeply heartbroken and I had lost all the hope I had for life. Those moments were the ones where I was praying deep inside my heart for an accident or some kind of an instant death.

I shut my eyes and remembered the moments

I had spent with my father.

My father came to my room and asked me,

“You have finally graduated. Like every other father I want to offer you a grand gift for this achievement.”

So, I asked him,

“How much can I ask for?”

That moment he lied to me,

“Don’t worry, we have plenty. You can ask for anything and literally anything you want.”

I said,

“I always wanted a motor bike.”

I opened my eyes and felt even more heartbroken.

Several minutes later, as I entered inside my house, Martha came towards me and asked,

“So, what happened? How is your uncle now?”

I could not respond since I was in a state of shock. I could hardly comprehend what she was saying to me.

Anyways, I walked towards our room and sat on our large bed.

“What happened Brad?” she asked as she came by the door of the room.

Two minutes later, I was crying out loudly on her shoulders. She was rubbing my tears and she was speaking,

“Your uncle hid this from you,

I had no idea. You always loved your father, I knew this before our marriage.”

“He was so close to me.

I just can’t believe that he’s gone.”

My son came crawling into the room. I accidentally looked at him and I said,

“My son, I would never want him to go through what I am going through right now.”

“No Brad. Everything will be alright,” Martha said to me.

I kept on crying thinking about my father.

While I was crying,

I remembered another childhood moment of mine with my father.

I was nine years old when I fell really bad while riding a bicycle. My knee was injured.

My father rushed towards me as he was more than just panicked seeing all this.

“I’m okay Dad, let me stand-up.”

“You’re bleeding,

let me see it.”

“Please, I’m fine. I need to

stand up.”

Instead of helping me stand up, he picked me up with his two arms and rushed towards the rest room close by.

I said to him,

“I am fine Dad, put me down.”

“No, I have to take you.”

“I’m not a kid Dad, put me down.”

“Keep quiet!”

*****************

The next ten days of my life were probably like living in oblivion. I was inside my own room for ten straight consecutive days. I had no sense of the world around me. The only thing I knew was that my father had passed away and I would never meet him again.

My faithful wife was looking after me all this time. She was providing me with food and water. She was looking after our children and she was also looking after me. I did not realise back then but I know now that very fortunate and blessed people like me get wives like Martha. She was a blessing I could not ignore.

On the ninth day,

I remembered an important conversation of mine with

my father.

My father said to me,

“My son here’s the thing. In life you might see a lot of hardships. I pray and hope that you don’t, but no one can challenge God’s will.”

“Okay,” I replied.

“What I’m trying to say here is that life might show you really difficult times, but you have to remember something. Your soul, the honesty and purity of your soul is the most important thing at the end of the day.”

“I know.”

“No Brad, you don’t know.

I mean you think you know it but as you’ll grow through life, you’ll then understand what I’m really trying to say. All I’m saying is that there are times when we need help from others. There can be financial crisis or other crisis in life but you need to keep in mind that one must not sacrifice his integrity,

no matter what.”

“Integrity? Can you define it?”

“Look, let me put it in easy words. Every person makes rules in life. You keep them by yourself. But the more important thing is that how long you can sustain them. You make a rule, you promise yourself that you wouldn’t break it.”

“What if it’s about life and death?”

He answered that quite seriously,

“Life and death are not as important as your integrity is. Trust me.”

I was quite surprised on his words.

This conversation of mine with my father gave me a reason to continue living my life again, but according to the lessons taught by my father.

*****************

Days later, as I had recovered emotionally and had finally stepped out of room, I was standing outside at the garden during night.

I was looking up at the stars when my wife came from behind and said,

“How are you feeling now?”

I looked at her and said,

“I’m fine now. I’m feeling better.”

She came a bit forward.

I continued,

“I know, I owe you a big one.”

“You don’t owe me anything, please.”

“Look, I know I’ve been a very problematic person. I really have, but I won’t ruin the peace of our family. Not anymore.”

“Brad, no one is thinking like that. I am just worried about your father. You don’t even know about his grave.”

“I am not concerned about his grave. I am concerned about how… How he died?”

“Your uncle was not sharing that with you?”

“He had his own reasons, I am not going to ask him again. All I have to do now is to find it out myself.”

“Sure…I’ll there with you.”

I felt a bit embarrassed and said,

“No Martha, please. I mean thank you, you have been very kind during all of this. But right now I need to do this on my own, without jeopardising my family life.”

“What about your job?”

“They know about me. I’ll go there tomorrow, I’ll make up for what I can.”

“I see!”

“But more importantly, I am on a mission to find out how my father passed away.”

“Can Carl tag along with you?”

“Yes, he will. I’ll ask him myself.” “Good. But I want you to stay safe. I don’t want you to risk your life while looking out for this truth.”

I walked ahead and said,

“Don’t worry, I won’t…”

“I hope so.”

“Although…If anything happens to me, tell my kids…”

“…What do you mean if anything happens?” she asked angrily.

“I’m just saying that if I die by an accident or something, then don’t let my kids know about me, not ever.”

“You are a bad thinker. You need to learn optimism.”

“Optimism,” I chuckled. “Alright, fine.”

I tried to cool her down. She was a bit furious with me but I resolved it.

*****************

Two days later, while Carl and I were seated inside some restaurant, he asked me,

“So, you want me to find out how your father passed away?”

“It would be of a great favour to me.”

“That’s not a problem; I would be more than happy to do this for you. But I’m just asking what can that change? I mean your father would still be dead. No offense.”

“I know, but I want to know the truth behind. Maybe, there are other facts that have been kept as a secret form me.”

“Well…Alright, I’ll do it.”

“You’re a man of resources, only you can do it. I know it.”

“I will. Just give me three days’ time, maximum. You will have the information, I’m sure.”

“Thank you.”

Later that day, while I was all alone at the beach, I was thinking about my life while watching the sunset. I was thinking where my life was headed now and how it got to be like this.

All these years, I’ve been so happy with Martha and my kids. I had no idea that such a tragedy was lying behind me.

I was walking across the beach all the while kicking sand around. Life seemed so upsetting and I was hoping for a quick painless death. But this thought kept on reminding me about my two kids. I never wanted them to live without my father the way I was now.

I was also weeping silently while I was thinking about my father. I also wondered,

My uncle might pass away as well. I think I should meet him one last time.

*****************

Three days later, I received Carl’s call while I was at my office. As I answered the call, he said,

“Your father’s death cause has been discovered.”

“What? Really?”

“He was shot to death.”

I was badly shocked and shaken as I heard this. He continued,

“Come over to this address that I’m about to share with you. I’ll show you the entire newspaper.”

That evening, I was sitting in the computer room of some government organisation with Carl. He said to me,

“What I’m about to tell you now is something that will ruin your life forever.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“Your mother in law Rita murdered your father.”

to be continued...