The evening cloud shed liquid crystals, each drop catching the dying sun. Mira stood beneath the big oak tree in the farmhouse staring at the gravestone just before her. The world around her was blurry from the long tears she had shed. She let the rain fall on her face all in a bid to mask the tears that wouldn't stop.
"He didn't have to leave this way", she said as she turned to face Ethan, who was standing beside her all along, staring at the gravestone with her.
Ethan sniffed hard. "Yeah, he didn't".
He had the same look as Mira. He was soaked in his dirty jeans and almost faded shirt, which clung to his body now due to the rain. He shoved his hands in his pocket trying to hold himself from crying. He needed to be strong for his friend's sister.
He stared into the distance, watching as the dying sun reflected over the rain. It made it look like falling crystals. It was beautiful, but yet he wished his friend Jacob was alive to witness it with him. Jacob had loved nature and he was sure he would have loved the sight before him.
"Come on, we have to get inside before you catch a cold," he said to Mira.
"I'm fine here" Mira countered immediately.
Ethan moved closer, his voice low. "No, you're not, Mira. Do you think Jacob will be okay seeing you this way?" he replied, grabbing Mira by the shoulder gently to get her inside. But she shook him off.
"You don't tell me how to mourn my brother" she blurted out harshly. She didn't want to but somehow the words escaped from her mouth before she could stop it. She paused, took a deep breath, and apologised. "I'm sorry, Ethan, it's just that ..." her voice failed again as she started sobbing.
Ethan turned her around to face him and hugged her tight "It's fine." He consoled her.
"I miss him" she cried freely this time. The rain increased falling heavily around the. It felt like the sky was weeping with her too.
"I miss him too" Ethan replied, this time he couldn't hold it as he wept with her. "I'm just angry I didn't see the signs. I shouldn't have let him drive off that evening" Ethan said.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye", Mira added, still in Ethan's warm embrace.
Gradually, the sky began to clear as the rain stopped, but the pains in their hearts were still heavy like clouds. They stood there in each other's arms, staring at the gravestone, weeping.
Their quiet time was interrupted by a voice from behind
"Ethan, Mira!. What are you guys doing standing in the rain and staring at Dad's gravestone?"
"Shhh, we're mourning the death of our brother and friend," Ethan turned and replied to the young man with bags of groceries in his hands standing on the porch that led into the house.
"What do you mean you're mourning a friend? What friend? Who died?" The man asked.
"Jacob. He died in a car accident last night" this time it was Mira who replied. There were tear stains in her eyes.
The man stood on the porch, confused. He stepped out of the porch and walked towards them on the oak tree.
"What do you mean Jacob is dead? I'm Jacob and I'm very much alive. We were just having fun a few minutes ago when I decided to step out and get more drinks and pizza, and all of a sudden, I'm dead?"
Ethan and Mira looked at each other, and like people who were just released from a spell, they said together.
"He's alive!" They yelled happily hugging each other in excitement.
"Of course I'm alive! I'm very much alive!" Jacob yelled back in anger, still trying to understand what was going on.
"What a miracle!" Mira continued as she tried to hug his brother who shoved her off.
Jacob paced up and down, he was trying to piece together why his sister and brother had to be crying over a gravestone mourning his death while he was still alive "This has got to be some prank. You guys must be pr...." he paused, walked over to them and looked into their pupils. Their eyes were unusually dilated
"Wait a minute, did you guys eat from the cake I left in the fridge?"
Ethan nodded happily. Swaying his head around. Mira giggled.
Jacobs's jaw dropped. "My God. That cake was made with the medicinal drug prescribed by my doctor for the pain of the shrapnel lodged in my leg from the wounds I got fighting the war. Why did you eat ..." He stopped and took a deep breath.
There were looks of realization on Mira and Ethan's faces. Mira tried to talk but nothing was forthcoming.
Jacob rubbed his head. "I should have labelled it. I just didn't think anyone would eat it". He shook his head, at least he was relieved that they weren't mourning his death but were under the influence of a prescribed pain relief cake.
At that point, he knew that laying blame wouldn't help a thing. He needed to get them inside before they caught a cold. Besides he was to be blamed for leaving such a thing lying around carelessly without informing them.
With that, he carefully held them by their hands and gently led them inside the house. Made sure they were fully relaxed, settled on the couch, and hydrated. Soon they were drifting off to sleep with their tears drying up on their faces. He gently covered them up with blankets.
He walked to the window and looked outside; the rain had stopped.
Then he smiled; he couldn't wait to tease them the next morning about how they were messing up in the rain. But still blamed himself for being careless with the cake.
