In flight

I still couldn,t understand 

After a long flight Stella accompanied by her friends reached at her grandpa,s house,she was completely shattered, heartbroken and was filled with remorse as she wanted to be with his grandfather in his very last moments.The regret she is having might stay in her forever.

Stella,s pov

I can,t believe all this is happening or am i still in a bad dream.I should have not listened to mom ,i should have been here with grandpa how can i not be here when he needed me the most ,he was always there for me , every single time i was lonely or confused he was there to guide me through every ups and downs.Oh god ,how much pain he was in ,why was i not here ,whyy??? This pain this remorse my heart is torn apart how will i ever forgive myself how?? My tears can,t stop and maybe they will stop after sometime but this remorse will not end.

My body is shivering as i am also getting numb ,i can,t feel my face or how my body is reacting in this situation.

Mom was looking at me ,her eyes filled with tears as she knows how much bad i am feeling ,how much pain i am in and how hard it is going to be for me.I went straight to her she hugged me tightly to comfort me ,i can feel how much suffering we both are in right now,I never knew the feeling of real heartbreak until now as one of my closest person left me.

James:-"You all should come inside,its raining you all will fall sick".

I looked at my dad ,he was in sorrow but he was trying his best to make it look as if he is fine ,whereas he is deeply hurt even though his face expression are hiding everything at its best but his eyes says it all.I went to hug him to comfort him because he lost a parent one of the biggest fear and pain for a child.Even though he is good at hiding but I can feel how much hurt he is ,his heart and body is also not responding well as if he is numb to all the emotions except the sorrow of his loss.

In the cemetery

It was dark as the clouds hindered every single ray of sun from reaching the surface of the earth.Everyone wearing black,feeling black and now the nature is also black enhancing our sorrow in more depth.

Since I reached here grandma has not said a word she is in dilemma a deep grief which can be easily see through. I went to her, hugged her tightly but she didn,t responded to me at all as if nothing happened, just a drop of tear came out of her eye as I looked in her eye.

I went close to grandpa ,saw him for the very last time,touched him for very last time and hugged him for the very last time.I am shaking ,his hand are cold and solidified.I held his hanand hugged him that essence took me back in time I remember the time when I used to be so disturbed by my school bullying and he was the only one whom I trusted with everything ,he was the first one I opened up about the things that were happening in school and how is hugs used to comfort me when I had no other place to feel peaceful ,it was the only place felt like home.

After few minutes..

Evelyn:"How was your convocation ,Hazel? "She said While passing plate of boiled potatoes.

Hazel:" It was good aunty."

Stella:"Mom we are leaving tomorrow".I said .

Evelyn:"This soon?"

Stella:"Yes mom".

Evelyn:"Ok sweetheart , if that,s what you have decided I won,t deny it then but don,t take too much stress".she said with low voice.

Stella:"okay mom".

Evelyn:"Why don,t you all go for a trip or something ,you just had your convocation ,also it will be a breakthrough for you from what just happened, your grandpa would have been so happy to see you today now as you are grown up woman.

Daisy:"That,s a nice idea ".

Emily:" Lets ask stella first daisy" she said in an angry note.

Stella:"Ok mom we will go".

Evelyn:"So any ideas where you,d like to go?"

Hazel:"How about grand canyon ,it has a nice view ,last year my parents went there ,it is really a nice hike".

Daisy:"John muir trail is also good".

Emily:"Are you guys even bothered to ask stella?"

Stella:"We will decide this later ".I stood up and went to my room as I didn,t wanted to be a part of that conversation,I know that they want me to move on from what just happened but its not that easy for me.I went to grandpa,s room to feel him more closer to me.I opened his room,s door ,the smell is exactly the same as it was back then ,I sat on his soft bed ,bedsheets tucked on the ends of the bed ,blue and white curtains and the same old portrait of a black rose hanging on his wall,but this time there was something not normal in his room the freezing air and the dimness in his room which is not seen commonly as if something got dead in this room,I looked around as if someone is already present  and there presence is haunting the essence of room.I took a moment and then went straight to his wardrobe ,his clothes stacked above each other in nice and clean way.I took hi scarf held closed to my chest and a tear slipped off my eye ,I sniffed it a little and my eyes were again with tears.I opened a drawer just below the stack of clothes it was locked,why would grandpa lock it ,my head got flooded with all the thoughts.I checked every single place of his room but was not able to find the key.But the rose portrait took my attention while searching for the key ,as I went close to it ,I took it off the wall and there was a small key hanging to the hook on the wall.I took the key and fortunately it opened the drawers lock.I opened the drawer and there was a small box with a photo of grandpa.In the photo he was standing in front of a mountain wearing heavy jacket and a cap maybe he was trekking there behind the photo it was written okazaki mountain.A mountain maybe I have heard about it but could not remember when as I held the box in my hand grandma entered.I hid the box and the photo behind me and left the room after saying good night to her.Thank god she did not suspect me of anything for now.

As I went in my room ,I took a sigh of relief as I was almost going to get caught up.I locked my room and sat on my table ,the box was in front of me ,I opened it but there was nothing but a black rose in it ,it got me confused and curious to know what is this black rose mystery is maybe it is related to this trek where grandpa went to.I got an idea why don,t I solve this mystery by going there for the trek.I went out of my room everyone was on the balcony watching the night sky.

Stella:"Mom".

Evelyn:"Yes sweetheart ".

Stella:" I think you were right about going for a trek ,I want to go for a trek".

Evelyn:" I knew you would like my idea ,so have u decided where?"

Stella:"Yes mom".

Evelyn:"Where?"

Stella:"Okazaki mountains".

Grandma:"No you are not going there stella".

I was shook as I heard her for the first time since I reached here.

Evelyn:"Why not?"

Grandma:"I said no means no".she said in an angry note.

Stella:"Grandma is there anything u want to say about those mountains".

Grandma:"Stella don,t go there"she said with a sad voice.

After hearing her in such serious voice I said I won,t go there but somewhere in my heart this incident made me more curious to go there.