Undying Vengeance (7 page)

A
rmani sped away
from the funeral home, relieved that he wouldn’t have to go back to that place of heartbreak and sadness. He was visiting Simone’s grave for the first time since arriving home from the hospital. He didn’t want to think of it as saying goodbye, but in reality this is what it was. He had allowed a flame of hope to flicker within his soul; a hope that maybe the doctors were wrong and any day Simone would show up at their home, alive and well. That somehow she escaped the monsters that did this but his heart told him the truth and he needed the closure once and for all.

The ride to the cemetery was a blur. He saw the sign a block ahead and turned right turn into Blakesly Cemetery, keeping the Navigator at a slow speed so he wouldn’t disturb the resting souls. A chill ran down his spine. He turned the heat up a few degrees.

The cemetery was beautiful and well maintained. Tombstones of all sizes and designs rose above the snow marking the final resting place of people’s loved ones. Tall trees stood erect, their branches reaching to the Heaven’s like they were asking God to resurrect the dead. A white building with two large pillars stood in the center of the cemetery. A sign hanging on the door read, ‘Office,’ so Armani steered the Navigator in that direction.

He glanced at the passenger seat and saw the two letters he had brought. One of them was from Donovan and the other was a love letter he had written to Simone. Armani managed to talk himself into going to a floral shop earlier, mangled face and all, to pick up a dozen roses for Simone’s grave; ten red, one black and one yellow. Being an artist, he picked out the colors with a symbolic meaning. A tear escaped, his ski mask absorbed the moisture. He willed himself to be strong and hold back the tears until he had talked with the management.

“Get a grip on your emotions,” Armani instructed himself. He gripped the steering wheel with enough force to break it in two. Turning the Lincolns wheel hard, he pulled into a parking space and shoved the Navigator into park. Armani took off his ski mask and threw it in the backseat, stepped out of the SUV and walked to the front door careful not to slip on the icy patches.

He opened the door and bells jingled. A pleasant looking man with small eyes sat behind the reception desk. He looked at Armani and smiled. “Hello, sir.”

Armani noticed the man gawking at his face. He chose to ignore the urge to act violently towards this man. The thought of punching this man in the face was exhilarating. Armani smiled. “Hello. Don’t mind my face. Sometimes when I’m bored it’s fun to burn myself.” He said sarcastically.

The man blushed and stuttered. “I-I-I’m sorry, sir. I hope you can forgive my rudeness.” He stood and extended his hand.

Armani took his hand and gripped it hard. “Not a problem. Maybe you assumed I was a dead man come to life,” he sneered. “I am here to see my fiancée, Simone Richard’s burial site. I’ve ordered a tombstone for her that will be delivered here in a couple days.”

The man sat again facing the computer. The click of the keypad echoed in the silence. “Alright, I found her name. Simone was buried in the far right of the cemetery. We have her burial site marked with a small ground level stone.” He looked up at Armani. “Let me print the map out for you.” The printer spit out a single sheet of paper. “Here you go.” He handed it to Armani.

Armani took the map. “Thank you very much. But, I do have some questions that I’m hoping you can answer.” Armani’s eyes bore into the small man.

The small man appeared nervous. “I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.” He lowered his eyes from Armani’s piercing gaze.

Armani cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ve heard the news of the attack on her and I.” He waited for the man to nod his head. “Unfortunately, I’m alive and she’s dead. I never got to say goodbye.” Armani tried hard not to cry. His heart broke in two like a wound that gets reopened without a chance to heal. “Were there people who attended her funeral and burial ceremony?” He asked his voice cracking.

Sadness clouded the small mans face. “I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but, no. Not one person attended, except me. Well, a priest from the hospital came and preached a small sermon and said a prayer.” The small man wandered into the back room and came back holding a box. “I am deeply sorry for your loss.” He held the box out to Armani.

No condolences would mend his broken heart. Armani had to accept the fact that he would live forever a broken man, a crippled bird with no hope of ever flying again. Armani squinted at the box and took it. “What is this?” He asked.

The box was addressed to his home with a ‘return to sender’ stamped on the front. Armani saw it was dated a few months ago.

“The funeral directors tried to send it to your home, but were unsuccessful. They knew you would eventually come here.” The man said. “That is, if you survived what had happened to you. They left it with me until you arrived to visit Simone.”

“Well, I thank you for holding onto this for me.” Armani said, staring at the small box. “I’m going to go now, and I thank you for your time.” A lump formed in his throat.

“You’re welcome, sir. Have a good day.”

He stepped outside and the dam broke and Armani’s tears flowed. He got in his vehicle and slammed the door. His heart and soul ached, longing for Simone. He didn’t want to accept the finality of death. Life had no meaning and he would give his life to be able to touch and hold Simone again. Thoughts of suicide raced through his mind. If he ended his life, he would be with his angel. She would be at the Gates of Heaven waiting for him. Oh, how her face would light up when she saw him. Armani envisioned both of them running towards each other, arms wide open with nothing but billowy white clouds of cotton surrounding them. He would have eternal life with Simone in a perfect place with no pain, sorrow or regret. But, suicide was not an option until he avenged Simone’s death. Armani laid his arms on the steering wheel, placed his head on his arms and wept bitterly.

Startled, Armani jumped. A pleasant looking couple knocked on the window. He wiped the tears, tried to smile and rolled down the window.

“Sir, are you OK?” The woman asked. “I couldn’t help but notice your pain.” She said and looked away from his face.

Before Armani had a chance to answer the man spoke up. “Hey, I know you. You’re Armani, the lead singer of ‘Faded Cross.’”

Armani was baffled. Who the hell cared? My God, they were at a cemetery and obviously he was here to mourn the loss of his only loved one. If this man was a fan, he knew the whole story. It was all over the news and in the tabloids. Play by play, everyone knew of that fateful night and the end results.

“Yes, I am, and to answer your question, madam, no, I am not OK.” Armani said, wishing he could share his pain with these people. But, it wasn’t any of their business and he knew he had to be careful what he said to anyone. Everyone was out to make a buck, and these two could relay what he said to the papers. Privacy was something he held dear to his heart and that would never change as long as he had breath in his lungs.

“I am so sorry about all that happened to you,” the woman said. She was a pretty petite brunette with big blue eyes. “No one should ever have to bare the burden you have.”

The man she was with wasn’t as respectful as she was about the situation. He was a tall muscular man with sandy blonde hair and probably the high school’s prom king.

“Could I get a picture with you? I’ve been a fan of ‘Faded Cross’ for as long as you guys have been around.” He said with no remorse for Armani’s loss.

The woman glared at him. “How dare you!” She exclaimed. “This man is mourning the loss of his lover. Jesus, why else would he be here and you have the nerve to ask for a photo with him.” She punched his arm.

Armani gave her a grateful look. “Excuse me I have business to attend to.” Averting his gaze to the man, he glared. “Why in God’s name would I want you to take a picture of you and I?” Armani said, covering the left side of his face. “Have you no heart? No conscience?” His temper flared. “Goodbye, and have a great day.” He fumed and rolled up the window. Armani put the Lincoln in reverse without a second look at the couple, and sped off to Simone’s gravesite.

Armani remembered the package the graveyard manager gave him. He picked it up off the passenger seat and set it on his lap as he drove through the loops and turns of the cemetery. He glanced at the map, but he didn’t need it to know he was headed in the right direction. The aching in his heart told him he was almost to Simone’s grave.

There it was the place where Simone lay six feet under the soil. He stopped the vehicle, stepped out and slowly walked to the grave. He frowned at the small stone that marked her grave. The only thing engraved on it was her name. No flowers, no verse, no mantra.

“This disgusts me!” Armani exclaimed to the Heavens. Armani looked around at the graveyard. Simone’s grave was a distance away from the others. A large oak tree stood near and a few large pine trees. Snow covered the ground, but Armani could tell there wasn’t much in the way of landscaping in this graveyard. Flowers were few and far between. Rose bushes lined the outer skirts of the graveyard. Surely the rose bushes were beautiful in the spring and summer, but in winter they reminded Armani of lonely lifeless branches weeping the loss of the rose so glorious and bright, just as he wept over the loss of his beautiful flower, Simone. Unlike the rose bushes, the flower in his life would never bloom again. She was gone forever and not for a season. Tears filled Armani’s eyes. He wiped them away and walked to his vehicle.

He picked up the box with shaky hands and slowly opened it. Inside was Simone’s three-karat diamond engagement ring he had given her and the gold necklace she had always worn. He clutched the ring and gold chain in his hands, held them to his chest and cried. “I love you and miss you so much Simone.” He said opened the gold chain’s clasp and slipped the ring onto it. He fastened the chain around his neck and let his fingers slide down the gold chain to the ring. Armani tightened his grip around the ring holding it for a moment. He tucked the necklace into his shirt where Simone would be forever close to his heart. He walked back to her grave, leaving the vehicles door open.

Armani kneeled at Simone’s grave and sang a love song to her with so much passion it shocked him. He didn’t remember singing like this at any time in his musical career. When Armani finished, he held the roses to his nose and inhaled savoring the sweet smell.

“Simone, I am so sorry this happened to you, to us.” He said, choking on his tears. “I love you so much. I miss you. Is there a way you can come back to me? I am not complete without you.” Armani paused and pulled the poem out of his pocket. “I wrote you a letter, my beautiful soul mate.”

Armani unfolded the paper and cleared his throat.

My
dearest
Simone,

I
cannot
begin
to
convey
how
much
I
miss
you.
Everyday
my
heart
aches
for
you,
longs
for
you.
I
am
only
half
a
man
without
you
by
my
side.
I
know
I
will
never
be
whole
again.
You
were
the
sunshine
in
my
heart.
The
blood
that
flowed
through
my
veins,
the
air
I
breathed.
I’m
suffocating
without
you.
I
love
you
so
much
and
I
always
will.
There
will
never
be
another
woman
for
me,
but
you.
I
can’t
go
on
without
you.
I
want
nothing
more
than
to
get
revenge
on
the
men
that
did
this
to
you,
to
us.
Please
forgive
me
as
I
already
plan
on
taking
matters
into
my
own
hands.
They
will
pay
for
what
they
have
done.
Please
understand
what
I
must
do.
I
want
to
join
you
in
eternity,
and
soon
I
will
for
I
can’t
bare
this
world
alone.
You
are
always
on
my
mind
and
in
my
heart.
I
love
you,
my
angel.