2. One Family's Grave

I walked out of the cemetery area with a limp because my legs still felt too weak to move. In my mind... I was thinking... if that was my grave and my name was Azalea. My body started to feel cold, these raindrops hit the surface of my skin, and it was really painful.

The white dress I was wearing was dirty and washed by heavy rainwater. I looked up to see the black cloudy sky getting darker, indicating that the rain was reluctant to stop.

I walked while hugging my body with both hands, it felt cold and piercing. My eyes looked here and there between the big and wide trees, I didn't know where the straight road I was going would end. I hoped to find someone's hut or house nearby for shelter. I was shivering with cold because I couldn't walk anymore, my legs were too weak to walk and I fell on the road, unable to hold on any longer, until my eyes felt hard to open.

***

The chirping of birds sounded sweet in my ears, a sweet and warm aroma greeted my sense of smell, and a warm and soft feeling was felt from under my back, comfortable. Slowly my eyes opened and a ray of sunlight penetrated my eyes. I blinked and saw that my body was covered with a blanket and my clothes had also been changed. "Good morning, are you awake?" My head turned towards the source of the sound, a middle-aged woman was walking with a tray of food towards me and I tried to get up and sit down slowly.

"Be careful, wait... I will help you."

The woman stopped me, she immediately placed a tray that probably contained food on the table in front of the window. Approached me in a hurry and helped me to sit down.

"Thank you."

She nodded and said, "My husband found you this morning lying on the road alone, what happened to you?"

She immediately asked and I was confused about how I could explain to her that I had risen from the grave. She must have been scared and thought I was a ghost or witch who could come back to life or even be reincarnated.

"Sorry, what year is it, um... I mean what day is it?" The woman smiled while stroking my head, "You're still very young but your memory isn't good, today is—"

Beyond human reasoning, I was suddenly shocked but didn't show it. 25 years, is it true that I died for 25 years? Where is my family, is this where I live, then what about my father and mother are they still alive, I can't remember anything. What do they look like and where is my house?

"I don't know why I don't remember." I patted my head repeatedly, the more I tried to remember, the more my head throbbed until it felt big and wanted to explode. This woman held my hand and stopped me. "That's it! Don't hurt yourself, it's okay if you don't remember. I won't force you, eat first so your energy recovers and then you can remember what happened to you."

Sh got up from the edge of the bed, took the tray of food on the table, and placed it on my thighs. "You must be hungry because last night you looked messy, I have to change your expensive dress into my usual clothes, I hope it can warm you up."

Expensive clothes, am I rich?

I ate greedily until the bowl was clean with nothing left, I lowered my head in shame and handed the empty bowl to her. "Can I—" I asked and she smiled and nodded,

"Sure, beautiful, I'll be right back with it for you."

"Thank you."

She seems like a good person, what should I do after this? There's no way he'll house me here as long as I don't recover my memory.

***

I left the room feeling a little refreshed. I slowly walked through several rooms. I want to know what the condition of the house that accommodates me is. The house is made entirely of wood, very large, wide, and well maintained, and also unique and classic.

The smell of wood makes me feel like I'm free, so naturally cool and comfortable as a place to live. I heard something noisy right to my right maybe it was the kitchen and I stepped towards it.

It was true that it was the kitchen, the woman was making cakes there. 'Moms' ... The voice echoed in my mind and there was even a slight memory that reminded me of the two little girls running into the kitchen and helping a woman there, maybe her mother.

My head throbbed slightly when the memory suddenly appeared. I decided to turn around avoid the kitchen and walk out of the house. It turns out that the yard is very large, covered with green grass that is fresh to the eye. A memory came back, now a man's voice. Leah...Leah....

That name echoed in my mind, the more I tried to remember the more I couldn't! Whose voice was that, did he call my name?

"Hi, are you awake?" I was shocked and clutched my chest when a man's voice greeted me, he came from the side of the house, carrying several pieces of wood in his hands.

"Oh, Hi, sorry, were you the one who saved me?" I asked him and he nodded, smiling kindly at me. It must be him, the husband of the woman inside.

"Yes, I helped you, how are you, has someone dumped you or wants to torture you?"

"Ah, yes... I was being chased by bad people there," I reasoned.

"Where?" he asked in surprise. Maybe I'm not good at lying so he doesn't believe the reasons I give or my face looks unconvincing.

"There, by the lake," I continued again and something seemed wrong. The man looked tense, then said,

"There is a grave of a family. Who took you there?"

One family's grave and that means there are both parents, is that me?

"Is the story true and there is evidence, may I see it or explain it to me if you know the story."

This old man didn't seem to want to talk but I kept forcing him because I needed my memories, I needed someone who knew me, I needed to know the cause of everything that happened to me. "Sorry miss, I...."

"If I told you that I was the one buried there, would you believe it, would you tell me everything?"