Chapter 295 - 296

"Michael, sir. Mr. Wong is here. The good sir has come," As the doors opened, Henry saw a cleaner drop his mop and run off in his excitement to tell the aforementioned butler.

Henry looked at the discarded cleaning supplies with a strange feeling of emptiness as the fight slowed in him. He reached down and replaced the mop in the bucket before following the cleaner to where the butler sat nursing a cup of what Henry did not doubt was exceptionally strong tea. 

Michael placed his tea cup town and gave a small bow of his head as he saw his boss walk in. "Sir, how excellent it is to see that you have arrived. You're not a moment too late as we were just about to revert to emergency measures."

His mouth opened before Henry closed it, thinking better of the retort. He opened it again. "I'd like to know where she is."

"In the bathroom, sir. Your personal one which is our safety room in case the world would end in a pandemic or a war. What did you do such that she would lock herself in there?"

"I don't know. I hope I haven't been ignoring some big problem of hers. I try to be as attentive as possible in the delicate condition that she is in. I must have missed something. I have every craving written as well as all the things that make her uncomfortable. I've been reading all into the medicine that the nurses have been giving me orders into."

Henry squeezed Michael's shoulder as the older gentlemen started to collapse against the wall. Henry turned to the waiting staff who seemed too terrified to do anything. He sighed. "Michael why don't you take the day off today? I don't think you've taken a break in this whole while and it's a difficult time for all of us. It's been a difficult couple of months. One day won't hurt anyone. She'll still be here when you get back. Just today is a rest. You could take a whole week off and it doesn't bother me in the least. You need to take care of yourself too or who else will make sure this house is run as well as it usually is."

"Sir?" Michael's hand reached out to touch Henry as he was taken away by the other servants. After the room was emptied, Henry closed the door to his room. Outside there was a mop with a bucket of sopping water. He had a feeling he was going to need it very soon.

There was a soft musical sound as the lock was engaged. He pulled the bucket behind some clothing in his closet and he put his ear against the bathroom door. He could Ellie still sniffing. Henry leaned his head against the door while he tried to think of the something that would soothe her. But in that absence of words came a deep sadness which he had just been holding on while everyone else had been gathered around him. 

His own sobs soon joined hers and the door opened. Henry's eyes were shut so he couldn't see, but the truth of what had happened started to seep into his clothes. Ellie's hands were covered in it. She was covering him in her misery which was their shared burden that a life was no longer with them.

The horrible thing was -- this happened all the time. Other people had their strange attachments to that live that had never been and here Henry too was sharing in that. All the sleepless night where he had attempted to keep the life that he had made. It was all just for nothing.

Even in his misery, Henry did understand that he could not sit here wallowing in pain. He stood and carefully carried his sobbing wife into the bathtub. Her pain was not something that Henry could understand so instead of trying to console her with the ideas of repetition and renewal, he just listened. Her anger, her sadness, her full range of the hope that was gone was washed away as Henry soaked it away with suds. It was not long before such ministrations lulled her into a final exhausted sleep. 

Henry was careful not to wake her as he wrapped her in a large bathrobe and tucked her into his bed. His clothing was ruined so it was in the refuse. While she sat clean and comforted in his bed, Henry turned to the mess in the bathroom and dragged the cleaning cart behind him. Men were always left with the disturbing tasks.

=//=

Henry walked out of his bedroom. In his hands was a small earthenware vessel, his hands were clutched tightly around it. Ellie was asleep in the room behind him so he was careful not to make too much noise now. A uniformed person came up to him and bowed deeply.

"My deepest condolences sir."

His face was unmovable as the servant reached for the clay urn to take it out of Henry's hands. "Those are the remains. Are you sure that you want to touch them."

The servant's hands snapped back as he quickly again tried to spit out apologies. Henry rolled his eyes as such talk was the last thing he was in the mood to hear about right now. He just wanted things to return to normal as quickly as possible.

"I hire you to complete tasks. As, Michael is not here, are you up to the challenge of completing a few small tasks for me." Henry's tone was almost cold, so he paused and tried again. "I'm very tired right now and not in the mood to really deal with people."

"I understand, Mr. Wong."

"Can you call Michael and have him make some arrangements so these remains can be cremated. I'd like to have a small memorial tablet to be made for my wife from high quality materials. Lacquer wood with an engraving. You know it was a girl. Ellie's favorite flowers are alstroemerias, for a name that should be beautiful."