Cainan stopped his car at Neriah, his late wife’s graveyard and he got down after picking the rose flowers he bought on his way over. He saw Segun, the new graveyard watchman sitting under the oak tree, reading the newspaper in his hand
“Good evening, Segun.”
There was a smile on his wrinkled face as he stared at Cainan, “Good evening, Mr Inferno, welcome.”
“Thank you,” he said and headed off. That was their usual greeting and some days they would take it up a bit and ask about each other’s family, but that wasn’t today.
He made his way over to Neriah’s graveyard and took a seat beside it, dropping the flower he brought along on its head.
It was three years and five weeks since he had lost her and it still felt like yesterday. His heart still wrenched the same way it did when the doctors declared her dead and his eyes still grew glassy at their last moment and every fibre of his body longed to turn back the hand of time if it meant he would get to be with her.
He didn’t visit her graveyard as often as he used to before, usually, it was every day and then it later because once a week last year and now, it was no longer consistent. The feelings however were still the same, unwavering and ever strong. So he came as often as he could because this was the place he could pour out his heart without fear of being judged or pitied or criticized. That might be because Neriah was dead, but he liked to believe she was listening without judgement.
“It’s been two weeks since my last visit, work has gotten tougher with Riá-no and the Inferno group, growing every single day.”
After he went back to work, he dedicated himself to work and did his best to get back the year he had lost at work and the company bounced back and grew bigger and stronger and the success was unexplainable and sources linked the success to satanism and said he had used Neriah as the sacrifice for his latter success but he ignored them. He believed Neriah was the root cause of his unexplainable success, but he believed she was smiling down at him and maybe even making intercessions for him.
“I also wanted you to know that I met someone,” he added and paused for a moment before adding. “I met her over four weeks ago and I thought that I will never see her again, but as fate would have it, we met again and though you two are the complete opposite, she still managed to remind me of you. She’s stubborn, witty and always says what’s on her mind.”
“But she’s also a thief, in fact, that’s was how we met. I helped her escape the police and in return, she stole from me.” he chuckled and shook his head, “you can imagine what a nightmare she is and I know it’s only sane to stay away from such a person but we both know sane isn’t what I do.”
“Mom keeps nagging me, she wants me in a relationship with a woman and I think Jasmin would suffice until the right person comes along or until I move on from you—if that’s ever going to happen. I don’t know what you would tell me if you were here, but Jasmin made me feel for the first time in three years of your absence, Neriah. No woman has done that and I know it’s not likeness or even love, but I’m fond of her and I’d like to hold on to her and not lose this happiness yet.”
He ran his hand over her gravestone, marking out each letter of her name with his finger. “I miss you every day and mom is a nightmare. I thought that once she was married she would take herself out of my life, but she worked her schedule so that she can remain there. I told her I was going to move on before but we both knew that was a lie, perhaps my new plan will be more believable.”
“You will probably not like it, but I just need her to stop worrying about me and face her new family. I guess what I’m trying to say is that still miss you.”
After spending about thirty minutes in the bathroom, he finally stepped out with a towel around his waist. He hoped to change into his pyjamas and get ready for bed after a long and tiresome day at work. He put on his pyjamas and prepared himself for bed when a knock came on his bed.
“Who’s there?” he wondered who it was, then realising that Ada had called and told him she was coming over earlier. “open the door.” he called out and the door opened and Ada stepped into the room. “good evening, mom,” he said and entered further into the bed and tucked himself in.
“How was work?” she asked as she approached his bed.
“As always, hectic but good, how are you? I heard Onü did a great job at Rià-no, on his first day as COO.” he spoke up.
He had promised Neriah that he was going to look after her family and watch her younger brother and see him through with the running of their company and just as he had promised, he made the young man the supervisor after he turned eighteen, a position that helped him observe and learn about how things were done while he focused on his study.
He would be done with his degree in a few months and Rià-no finally decided to go public after three years which prompted him to get a new location that would be bigger and would aid their expansion.
He was at the building, getting accustomed to the office when Jasmin ran into his office over a month ago.
Cainan gave Ada the position of supervision so she could watch Onü and report back to him on how he was coping and in the last few months, according to Ada, he was exceptional and so Cainan didn’t think twice before finally making him the COO regardless of his age or the fact that he had a few more months before gaining his degree. The twenty-one-year-old took responsibility more seriously than most of his age mates.
“Yes the young man has the same zeal as his sister.” she smiled and walked to sit at the edge of the bed.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Cainan answered but knew that there was something else on his mother’s mind. “what did I do this time?” he asked after she remained silent.
“Do you still miss her?”
Cainan sighed, didn’t know how he was going to reply to the question. With Ada, such questions were traps and he wasn’t ready to get into it, besides he already had someone to prove that he no longer was.
“I always will, mom, I loved her.”
“I didn’t really know her while she lived but I can only imagine, but I am your mother and I want what’s best for you. I hope you know that.”
He nodded and stretched his hand out to her, she took hold of it, “I know you want me happy with a woman by my side and you also want grandkids just like most women your age do and a lot of other things and I know you’re scared, but things will work itself out in time. I will find a woman to love, she will take the place of Neriah, I believe she’s out there.”
“And this girl you’ve been seen hanging out with this last few weeks, is she the one?”
Cainan almost replied with a “No, she will never replace Neriah” because the way he felt about Jasmin had nothing on how he felt about Neriah even after more than three years. Jasmin had her perks and they brought him happiness and anger in the last weeks but most of what he felt were on the surface. However, he realised that saying that would be using his hands to set his own house fire.
His plan all along was to make her believe that he was willing to move on and if he played his cards well, she would be convicted.
“Hopefully she will be.”
