Chapter 0198
+25 BONUS
Mary saw a woman’s hand extended toward her. The sun behind her was so bright that Mary had to lift a hand to shield her eyes and make out the woman’s face.
“Thank you! My legs went numb, and I couldn’t get up,” Mary said with genuine gratitude.
“You really shouldn’t sit like that anymore. How far along are you?” the woman asked, glancing at her belly.
“I’m…” Mary hesitated, placing her hand on her stomach before replying, “I’m four months.”
“Ah, you’ve still got some time to go. But you need to be more careful. Sitting like that could cause you to fall and hurt the baby. Be more cautious.”
“Thank you, I will,” Mary nodded, trying to smile.
“I noticed you’ve been sitting here for a long time,” the woman said, gesturing toward the mausoleum. Mary had been visiting.
“Yes, it belongs to my mother and grandmother… It’s been a long time since I’ve visited them,” Mary replied, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
“When I can, I clear the weeds in front and leave some flowers.”
“Did you know my family?” Mary asked, surprised.
”
“No, but it’s sad to see how forgotten some people here have become. My daughter likes this mausoleum, though. We didn’t know who it belonged to, but whoever designed it clearly put a lot of love and care into it. You can see it in the details, even from the outside.”
“It was my grandfather. He had it made especially for my mother and grandmother. He wanted them to have a beautiful place and did the best he could.”
“Your grandfather must have loved your grandmother very much. It really is beautiful. Such a shame it hasn’t been maintained.”
“Well, now I’m here. I’ll try to visit as often as I can to take care of it,” Mary said, sounding determined.
“No, my dear! You shouldn’t come too often–not in your condition. You’ll pick up bad energy. Not everything here is good. The baby you’re carrying is still small and pure. You mustn’t let those energies affect them.”
Mary didn’t fully understand what the woman meant but after everything she had been through, she wasn’t willing to take any risks. She didn’t want her child to inherit a life full of misfortune, like hers.
“Thank you for the advice. I should probably leave now. I’ve been here long enough,” Mary said, growing uneasy at the woman’s words.
“Don’t be so scared! Just take precautions.” The woman took off a rosary bracelet and handed it to her.” Here, take this. You need it more than I do. By the way my name is Camille. What’s yours?”
“My name is Ma… Valerie. My name is Valerie,” she said quickly, correcting herself.
1.2
Chapter 0198
+25 BONUS
“Nice to meet you, Valerie. I live not far from here. If you’d like, I can bring flowers to your family’s grave for you. I can give you my address, and you can drop them off. That way, you don’t have to come here yourself, at least for now.”
“Hmm… Yes, just a moment,” Mary said, taking out her phone. “Tell me the address.”
Η
Camille gave her the address, which was indeed close to the cemetery, in a central part of the city. “Well, my dear, you’d better get going. It’s getting late, and it’s not safe for you to be out alone in your condition. Go home,” Camille said, her tone warm and motherly.
The woman’s kindness made Mary’s stomach clench, as if a knot had formed. She felt a wave of emotion rise from her chest to her throat. Her eyes filled with tears, but she quickly tried to hide them. All she managed to say was:
“You’re right. I’m a little tired already.”
and it hit her Hearing someone speak to her with such familiarity reminded Mary of her grandparents, hard. She had no one left to care for her or speak to her in such a way, and the realization stung deeply.
but
As she left the cemetery, she finally let her tears fall. She walked back toward the subway station, paused for a moment, realizing she hadn’t decided whether to return to the same hotel or find a cheaper one. She needed to save money–at this rate, her funds would vanish like water slipping through her fingers.
