Retired S-rank father becomes a teacher

The car ride was quiet as he drove with one hand on the wheel. The collar on his neck was tight. He tried to loosen it but no matter how much he tugged at it, the feeling persisted.

Elizabeth was holding his other hand on her lap, caressing his hand with her thumb.

Kathy and Victoria sat in the back, dressed in formal black. No one spoke as the radio played the songs that came on. He took a turn and the engine roared as he accelerated a bit. The tires screeched slightly.

He eased off the gas pedal as the wheat fields passed by.

Then they arrived. The funeral home parking lot was empty except for a few cars. The rural town was an hour away from his home. His family didn’t ask why they had to drive to the funeral. They simply got in.

Putting the car into park, he took out his keys and adjusted the rearview mirror, so that he could see the back seat. His daughters’ faces were blank. Kathy’s eyes were a little red. Victoria’s face gave away no information.

Silas got out of the car and they followed. He held the glass door for them to enter first before entering himself. The air inside the funeral home smelled like wood and it was cold. On his left side were the two coffin rooms and on his right was the reception.

There were no people waiting. The only one at the reception was the woman who he had called yesterday. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail.

“Mr. Vane. I’m sorry for your loss. Follow me please,” the funeral director said.

She led them to the second room in the hall. The wooden door closed behind them, leaving them in an empty room with a casket in the middle. The casket was open. Silas had spatial magic. Yet he couldn’t look inside of it, he was rooted to the ground.

His girls did not move either. Only the funeral director walked up to the casket. She gestured to it and her voice was soft.

“Berlin was dressed according to your wishes...please feel free to approach the casket and say goodbye.” She bowed her head. “Please ring the bell at the reception if you need me. My condolences.”

Then she was gone. The door closed.

It took all the strength in his body to move forward, the carpet soft under his feet, absorbing every sound. The smell of roses was getting stronger. With hist last step, he reached the open casket.

There he was.

Lying peacefully in his favorite suit, the cigarette in his mouth still, and his hands crossed on his chest.

Silas stood there.

A dry chuckle escaped him.

A hand was on his back. Elizabeth stood next to him, her hand holding onto him tightly, her head leaning on his shoulder.

She whispered, “I’m sorry my love.”

The tears threatened to come out again but he didn’t let them. He turned to his daughters, who were rooted in their spots. Kathy was looking everywhere except where she needed to look. Victoria had her gaze fixed on him. On his reaction.

He extended his hand to them. They were a bit reluctant to come, especially Kathy. But eventually they stood infront of their mother and father.

“Go ahead girls, say goodbye to Uncle Berlin,” Elizabeth said gently, kissing their cheeks.

Victoria went first. She didn’t shed any tears, just leaned over the casket and put her hand on the man’s hand.

“Goodbye Uncle Berlin,” she said simply.

Victoria pulled her hand away and joined her mom, standing next to her.

Then came Kathy. She sniffled hard and bit her lips to stop her tears. Her hand went on Berlin’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly before letting go.

“Goodbye Uncle B. You were... you were...”

The first tear fell and then the rest followed. She sobbed silently.

Silas felt his throat constrict and swallowed. He hugged his daughter tightly as she buried her face in his chest.

When Katherine was done, she moved away and took deep breaths.

After a minute he called for the funeral director. The woman appeared and turned on the wall TV in the room as the family sat down on the chairs. A picture of a younger Berlin showed on the screen. He was riding his motorcycle. Then another picture and another, all of him with his cigarette in his mouth and a cowboy hat on his head.

It was Elizabeth’s choice. A memory slideshow.

The air felt dry.

His hands were shaking slightly but he held his daughters’ hands.

The last picture was of Berlin holding two babies.

Katherine on his left. Victoria on his right.

No one spoke.

Then Kathy’s breath hitched. Tears were running down her cheeks freely now. Elizabeth wiped them away and pulled Kathy to her chest.

The TV screen turned to black as it turned off.

A knock sounded on the door. The funeral director stood there, her gaze sympathetic and her posture professional.

“If the family is ready, we can move the casket to the crematorium,” she said, her hands folded together.

Silas nodded, his head a bit heavy and his mouth dry. His girls stood up as the funeral director approached the casket to close it. The click of the lid echoed in the room.

Another moment and they followed her as she pushed the casket down the hallway, through the white door and into the crematorium. A giant furnace was there, waiting.

Silas helped the woman push the casket onto the platform that would feed into the furnace.

Katherine covered her mouth.

The air was hotter as the furnace roared with heat. Orange flames could be seen through the small glass.

Pushing through the stabbing feeling in his stomach, he went to Victoria and kissed her forehead. His stoic princess. He crouched down to be at her eye level. His voice was gentle.

“Princess, it’s okay to cry for someone you loved,” he spoke.

A deep breath, her shoulders trembled and her violet eyes looked like they were full of glass, the tears threatening to fall. She bit her tongue. Then she shook her head.

“I’m alright papa.” Her voice was weak and it tore his heart.

He hugged her tightly and the dam broke. His princess broke down into sobs. He was rubbing circles on her back to soothe her as her tears made his shirt wet. He gestured for Elizabeth and Kathy to come closer and they did. The family embrace as their tears fell, mourning their family member.

The funeral director waited patiently.

Silas wiped his daughters’ tears away from their violet eyes.

Then he turned to the casket.

A small smile formed on his lips.

“Good bye old man, until we meet again.”

Elizabeth took out the lighter and handed it to him. She went to stand by the lever that would feed the casket into the furnace.

The cigarette that was in Berlin’s mouth was cuban, imported. Slowly bringing the lighter to it, the click echoing in the quiet room, he brought it to the end of the cigarette and lit it. Smoke slowly rose from the tip.

His throat burned and the smell of tobacco filled his nostrils as he pulled away.

Then he stood with his girls, holding their hands as they watched his wife pull the lever. The casket moved slowly into the flames, a loud roar from the furnace followed and the smoke was getting thicker.

The orange glow was brighter and then the door of the furnace was closed.

Silence.

The funeral director gave her condolences once again before leading them outside to a nice garden area behind the building. A place for them to process the event.

Caressing Victoria’s hair, he kissed the top of it and sat on a bench, his daughters on his lap. They rested their head on his chest and he stared at his wife.

A gentle smile was on his wife’s face and she took out her phone. It showed the picture of the family under the apple tree in his home. They all looked happy.

His wife’s gaze wandered to Evelyn who approached the garden. The white haired figure of Lucifer was standing far behind her, watching the garden from the gate.

“Evelyn,” Elizabeth greeted her.

The blonde woman stopped, her face was not as sorrowful as theirs but she was grieving. She nodded and sat next to the family on the bench. Then her eyes went to Silas.

She didn't say anything. Neither did he.

The funeral director brought apples and some snacks. They ate in the warm sun and the quietness of the garden, until it was time to return to their lives.

The Vane family left, Evelyn left with them and Lucifer was still at the gate, looking at the funeral director clean up the apples. She took out a cigarette and lit it up. When it burned into ashes, she turned around and left.