Chapter 31: Chapter 29

POND'S POV

"Slowly." I whispered to Phuwin as I helped him out of the car. My movements were quick, knowing that Phuwin wasn’t himself since he woke up this morning. He hadn’t stopped crying and almost couldn’t bring himself to leave his father’s coffin. Today was his father’s burial.

"Park the car somewhere and follow us," I instructed our driver, tossing him my car keys while I held onto Phuwin, who looked ready to rush toward the pallbearers carrying his father’s casket.

Many people attended the funeral. Some were genuinely mourning with the siblings, while others were there out of curiosity due to the commotion that happened last night. Their mother was off to the side with the police, restricted by a restraining order from coming near her children. The order had come through earlier, and we were all shocked that Gem had filed it on the day their father passed.

Once the casket was arranged in the chapel at the cemetery, the service for Phuwin’s father began. Everyone stayed quiet, listening to the priest’s sermon, while Phuwin continued to cry uncontrollably. After the mass, there was a eulogy that had been planned to take place the night before but due to the commotion done by their mother, my dad decided to do it today.

A video prepared by Gem played on the projector. Several people gave their condolences—coworkers, friends, and even their father’s last partner shared a message. This was Gem’s idea, though I didn’t know why. I could only imagine it would give the neighbors something to talk about after the funeral.

"Gem, can I sing for Dad?" Phuwin asked his sibling after the last speaker finished.

"Go ahead, Phu. Dad would love to hear you sing for him."

I helped Phuwin stand, and Joong set up a chair next to their father’s coffin where I seated Phuwin. Dunk handed him the guitar he’d been holding every night recently, a graduation gift from his father. I sat on the step beside him.

Phuwin wiped his tears, took a deep breath, and smiled sadly.

“Dad, if there’s a next life and God asks me who I want as a father, I would choose you. And in every life I have after, I would choose you to be my dad. I love you, always.”

Song title: Daddy's Hands

Singer: Holly Dunn

I remember daddy's hands folded silently in prayer

And reachin' out to hold me, when I had a nightmare

You could read quite a story in the callous' and lines

Years of work and worry had left their mark behind

I remember daddy's hands how they held my mama tight

And patted my back for something done right

There are things that I'd forgotten that I loved about the man

But I'll always remember the love in daddy's hands

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'

Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong

Daddy's hands weren't always gentle but I've come to understand

There was always love in daddy's hands

I remember daddy's hands workin' 'til they bled

Sacrificed unselfishly just to keep us all fed

If I could do things over, I'd live my life again

And never take for granted the love in daddy's hands

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'

Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong

Daddy's hands weren't always gentle but I've come to understand

There was always love in daddy's hands

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'

Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong

Daddy's hands weren't always gentle but I've come to understand

There was always love in daddy's hands

Phuwin immediately let go of the guitar after finishing his song and embraced his father’s coffin. His heart-wrenching cries echoed throughout the chapel, causing others to cry as well.

The scenes that followed broke not only my heart but the hearts of everyone present. Phuwin’s cries were filled with pain, while Gem’s were a mixture of pain and anger. Phuwin didn’t want the coffin closed or lowered, resisting as Joong and I tried to hold him back so the casket could finally be laid to rest. Meanwhile, Gem, too, resisted, held back by Dad and Dunk’s father since Fourth couldn’t manage to restrain him. He also refused to let his father’s coffin be lowered into the grave.

We stayed at the cemetery for an hour, waiting for them to calm down enough to be persuaded to go home. We took them to our house first to keep a close watch on them. They were still in a fragile state, and we were worried they might do something drastic. Also, it was to prevent any disturbance from their mother.

Their mom had no respect for the restraining order and didn’t care about the law. As soon as the people who attended the funeral left, she approached the twins. Instead of comforting her children, the worst thing she did was ask them about the money, pension, and other benefits their father left them. She insisted that, as the legal wife, she was entitled to everything.

Gem’s anger flared toward their mother, but Dad quickly restrained him, and my mom hugged him and guided him back to sit down. Dunk’s father then stepped in to speak to their mother, informing her that she wouldn’t get a single cent since everything was already in the twins’ names. Their mother threatened Dunk’s father, saying she would sue him. Unfazed, Dunk’s father simply replied, “See you in court,” and then instructed Dad’s men to escort her away. However, before she was taken away, Phuwin called out to her.

“This will be the last time I call you 'Mama.' This will be the last time I recognize you as my mother. The next time we meet, you are no longer our mother, and we are no longer your children.”

“No matter what you do, Phuwin, I am still your mother, and that will never change.”

“How I wish I could change that fact right now, ma. If I could make three wishes, one of them would be to have a different mother. I wish you weren’t our mother. Maybe then we wouldn’t be going through this. If only you weren’t our mother, maybe we’d be happy now with papa.”