Chapter 106: They Are Not Worthy
Asher Keating held Leah Sinclair tightly, supporting her, but Leah was oblivious to everything else. Her eyes were fixed on the still form of Grandma Sinclair lying on the bed.
Her cries were so anguished that even people outside the room could feel her pain. A few glanced in, only to let out a soft sigh. The partings of life and death were always the hardest.
"I don’t have a grandma anymore... Asher, I don’t have a grandma anymore."
Leah Sinclair clutched Asher Keating’s clothes as her knees gave way, sinking to the floor. She knelt there before Grandma Sinclair’s bed, repeating over and over that she had lost her grandma.
"Leah, you still have me."
Asher Keating knelt and pulled her into his embrace. He didn’t know how to comfort her, so he just held her tightly, letting her lean on him for support.
After some effort, he managed to pull Leah Sinclair up from the floor and seat her nearby. But Leah seemed to have lost her soul. Her eyes were vacant as she stared blankly at Grandma Sinclair.
An unknown amount of time passed before the door to the room was suddenly thrown open. A wail pierced the silence. "Mom! Mom!"
Two figures burst in—it was First Uncle Sinclair and his wife. They threw themselves over Grandma Sinclair’s body, crying and wailing.
It took a long moment for Leah Sinclair to react. She rushed forward, grabbed First Uncle Sinclair’s arm, and demanded, "What in the world happened? Why is Grandma’s head wrapped in bandages? What happened!"
"Your grandma... she got up to use the bathroom last night. It had snowed a little, and she slipped and fell. We only found her this morning when we woke up. It’s all my fault! All my fault! Why on earth did I turn off that light yesterday!" First Uncle Sinclair wailed, beating his fists and stamping his feet.
"Oh, Mom! My dear mother-in-law! We’ve failed you!"
Leah Sinclair stood frozen, the words not sinking in for a long moment. ’So that was the reason.’ A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but it was indescribably bleak.
"Every month, I give you over half my salary for Grandma’s living expenses. Didn’t I tell you that she gets up during the night? That her eyesight is poor? That the light in the courtyard had to be left on for her! Were you really so cheap you couldn’t spare the money for the electricity bill?"
"We didn’t expect this to happen! You think we wanted this? You’re off hiding in Riverfall while we’re the ones looking after the old woman! And now you have the nerve to blame us? You..."
The First Aunt looked up, still shouting, but her words died in her throat. She had just realized there was another person in the room. Following her gaze, the First Uncle noticed Asher Keating as well.
Forgetting to cry, First Uncle Sinclair stared at Asher Keating in confusion. "And you are...?"
Asher Keating stood up and glanced at the couple. If they weren’t Leah Sinclair’s aunt and uncle, he wouldn’t have deigned to even greet them. "I’m..."
"He’s my boss. I was discussing work with him when your call came in, so he drove me back."
Leah Sinclair had cut Asher Keating off. He glanced at her, tightened his fist, then forced it open again.
"Oh, I see. Thank you for your trouble," the uncle said. "I have to... contact our other relatives and friends. Leah, you go handle the hospital paperwork for your grandmother. Your aunt and I need to hurry home and set up the memorial altar."
As First Uncle Sinclair spoke, he shot his wife a meaningful look. She immediately understood and stopped arguing with Leah. ’Right, they had to leave quickly. Otherwise, they’d be the ones stuck with the bill.’
The couple scurried out of the room. Leah Sinclair walked over to Grandma Sinclair and gently straightened her clothes, which they had disheveled in their frantic display.
Once she was done, she turned and said slowly to Asher Keating, "Asher, don’t tell them you’re my boyfriend. If you do, they’ll just ask you for money. They’re not worthy."
Asher Keating watched her quietly, then finally let out a soft sigh and pulled her into his arms. "I’ll go with you to take care of the paperwork."
Leah Sinclair closed her eyes in his arms, pressing back the sting of tears, and slowly hugged him back. "Okay."
By the time Leah Sinclair had finished the paperwork and called for a vehicle to transport Grandma Sinclair’s body, Sean Yates had arrived. It was nearly midnight.
Asher Keating left his car at the hospital and tried to lead Leah Sinclair to the one Sean Yates had brought. But Leah stopped him. "Asher, you and Sean go to a hotel first. I’m going to take Grandma home."
Asher Keating tightened his grip on her hand. It was ice-cold. He couldn’t leave her alone. "I’m coming with you."
"You don’t have to. It’s late, and my home... it’s too small."
"I’m coming with you."
Leah Sinclair looked up at him. "How about tomorrow? Asher, I’ll send you the address. You can... come tomorrow."
Asher Keating gazed at her intently. Leah met his look quietly, her expression full of stubborn resolve. Finally, he pulled her into a hug. "Alright. I’ll come find you in the morning."
"Okay."
Leah Sinclair hugged him back for a moment before turning and getting into the hearse. The vehicle started up and slowly pulled away from the hospital.
Sean Yates stood behind Asher Keating and called out softly, "Sir."
"Follow it."
Sean Yates hesitated for a second before simply saying, "Yes, sir." He started the car and followed the hearse from a distance.
When they reached the village, First Uncle Sinclair and the others were already waiting at the entrance. Sean Yates parked the car a good distance away. Asher Keating rolled down the window, lit a cigarette, and watched from afar as a silent Leah Sinclair followed her relatives, bringing Grandma Sinclair’s body back into the village.
Inside the house, the memorial altar was already set up, and professional mourners had been hired. The moment Grandma Sinclair’s body was brought inside, the house erupted with cries and wails. Leah Sinclair stood off to one side, watching as her aunt and the others changed Grandma Sinclair into her burial clothes and placed her body in a refrigerated casket.
She knelt before Grandma Sinclair’s memorial, silently burning joss paper. Jason Sinclair and Jack Sinclair had only just returned, and Jack Sinclair reeked of alcohol. The men put on a show of kneeling and wailing before the memorial, but Leah couldn’t even bring herself to look at them.
As dawn broke, Asher Keating woke up in the car. He hadn’t gone back the previous night. ’Leah didn’t want him showing up at her house so late, and she didn’t want the Sinclair Family to find out about their relationship and cause him trouble.’ He understood.
But he couldn’t rest easy leaving her alone with the Sinclair Family. After trying to persuade him a few times, Sean Yates had given up. So, the two of them had ended up spending the night cramped in the car.
When Asher Keating woke up, his whole body ached. The car was spacious, but spending an entire night sleeping in it was still uncomfortable.
He got out of the car to stretch his limbs, then slowly lit a cigarette and gazed at the village in the distance. ’So this is where Leah lived for over twenty years.’
The village didn’t look very big. From his vantage point, he could only see a few scattered houses that looked somewhat new; most of the buildings were rather old and worn.
After Asher Keating finished his cigarette, Sean Yates handed him a bottle of mouthwash and some gum. He quickly freshened up, straightened his clothes, and said, "Let’s go. Time to pay our respects to Grandma Sinclair."