The Collected Short Stories of Gopal Baratham by Gopal Baratham

Author:Gopal Baratham
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789814634816
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish International

The congregation stood up for the last hymn. The coffin was sealed and carried to an inner room from which it would be noiselessly rolled into the gas furnace.

… be with us all evermore. Amen.

The flowers in the crematorium garden bloomed with indecent ferocity. Nevertheless, the aura of death clung to damp patches on the brickwork, hung about a discarded lady’s shoe, its buckle still fastened. It was bandied about on little puffs of wind which sprang from nowhere and moved with the changing shadows.

It seemed proper that the three people who had been closest to him should stand around and talk about the dead man, for a while at least. Yin thought Stella was still very attractive for a woman in her forties. Stella was doing her best not to reveal her revulsion for Fernandez. Fernandez, looking up at Yin, wondered what Stella had seen in Thevar.

“It was a heart attack,” he said in answer to Yin’s question. “He had some pains for a few weeks and was advised to check into hospital for a full medical but he didn’t. You know how he is.”

“Yes, I know what he was like.”

“Lazy,” said Fernandez. Then, noticing Yin’s expression, added quickly, “About looking after himself.”

“Perhaps he didn’t want to know,” said Stella. “Couldn’t face up to the truth.” She paused, then added, “Who can?”

“Oh, I know what he was like,” said Yin. “Just sailing merrily along. Always wonderfully fresh, never thinking of tomorrow.”

“He never changed,” said Fernandez.

They stood unmoving, an awkward group, unsure as to what it was that held them together. A wisp of smoke emerged from the chimney and hovered for a while over the garden before drifting upward towards the clouds.

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