The Lies That Built Us

The Surprise Return

Chapter 2

The funeral was a somber affair, held under the gray, overcast sky that seemed to mourn along with them. Helen sat on one of the sofa, as she listened to the murmurs of sympathizers, friends, and, most notably, the in-laws who had despised her from the moment she married into the family. Dressed in black, they whispered among themselves, their words sharp as knives.

“The poor man spent his entire life slaving for his wife and son, neglecting the rest of his family,” one of the women murmured.

“Yes,” another chimed in. He was the first son, the provider. Yet, she took him far away from us, isolated him, and now she gets to keep everything.

Helen heard every word but refused to acknowledge it. She kept her posture poised, her face unreadable, even as their voices rose in bitterness. She had endured their hostility for years, and today was no different. The only thing that mattered was giving her husband a dignified farewell.

The arrival of the priest signaled that it was time. Jamii, back in his room, was fixing his tie when Helen appeared at the doorway.

“The priest is here,” she said softly. “It’s time.”

Jamii turned, his dark eyes reflecting the weight of the day. He took a deep breath, adjusting his tie one last time before stepping toward his mother. “Alright, let’s do this.”

As they stood by the graveside, Helen reached for Jamii’s hand. “Your father did everything to keep us comfortable and give us a good life,” she whispered. “Now that he’s gone, we need to be there for each other, just as he was for us.”

Jamii squeezed her hand, his heart heavy. “I know, Mom. And we will be.”

The ceremony proceeded, with prayers and eulogies from those who truly cared. Helen remained stoic, her strength unwavering, even as her heart ached. When the casket was lowered, she felt a finality settle over her.

After the funeral, as the guests slowly left, the in-laws stayed behind. Their previous whispers turned into outright confrontation.

“We will not allow you to keep the mansion,” one of Jamii’s uncles spat. “It belongs to the family.”

Helen met his gaze with calm defiance. “This house was built by my husband for me and his son. He made sure everything was legally settled before he passed.”

Another uncle scoffed. “He was blinded by love. You manipulated him.”

Jamii stepped forward. “Don’t disrespect my mother. My father made his choices."

Helen placed a hand on her son’s arm, a silent signal to remain composed. “We have no interest in fighting over this house. We’re leaving, and whatever my husband left behind, he left it for us. That’s not up for debate.”

The in-laws glared but said nothing more. Helen and Jamii turned away, walking back into the house one last time.

Later that evening, when the house was finally quiet, Helen and Jamii sat on the balcony, overlooking the dimly lit garden.

“We need to decide what to take and what to leave behind,” Helen said.

Jamii leaned back in his chair, staring up at the night sky. “We should only take what’s important. Anything else, let them fight over it.”

Helen nodded. “I agree. There’s no point in holding onto things that will only cause more problems.”

They spent the next hour making a list—clothes, personal belongings, a few sentimental items. Everything else would be sold or left behind. Then, they discussed their departure.

"I should call Nancy," Helen said. "When she called to extend her condolences, I told her about our plans to return, and she promised to help us settle in." She picked up her phone and dialed Nancy, who answered almost immediately.

“We’ll leave in three days,” Helen decided after the call with kathryn's mom, Nancy. “It gives us enough time to finalize everything here and settle things with the bank.”

Jamii exhaled slowly. “It still feels surreal. Leaving all this behind.”

“I know,” Helen said, reaching for his hand. “But it’s the best decision. We’ll start over in a place where we’re not constantly surrounded by people who wish us harm.”

Jamii nodded. “You’re right.”

Meanwhile, Jamii decided to text Kathryn too, his childhood best friend.

Jamii: Hey, Kat. It’s been a rough day, but I just wanted to check in.

It didn’t take long before his phone buzzed with her reply.

Kathryn: Jamii! I’ve been thinking about you all day. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there. How are you holding up?

Jamii: I’m okay. It was tough, but we’re managing. Guess what?

Kathryn: What??

Jamii: My mom and I have decided to come back home. We’re leaving this place behind.

Kathryn: Oh my God jamii, you're coming back home?!!!

kathryn said, trying to contain her excitement.

Jamii: Yep.

Kathryn: When???

Jamii: You’ll see when I get there ;)

Kathryn: WHAT. No way. Tell me when!!

Jamii: Nope. It’s a surprise ;)

Kathryn sent a string of exasperated emojis, followed by a flood of excited texts. Jamii smiled for the first time that day.

Back home, Winny had finally started settling into her university life. The week had been a whirlwind of registration, administrative paperwork, and orientation. She barely had time to breathe, let alone spend time with Kathryn.

By the time she finally managed to grab lunch with Kathryn at the café, she was exhausted.

Kathryn grinned at her. “Look at you, university student! How’s it been?”

Winny groaned. “Stressful. I think I’ve signed my name more times in one week than I have in my entire life.”

Kathryn laughed. “It gets better. Sooner or later, you’ll figure out the system and breeze through everything.”

Winny leaned back in her chair. “I hope so. Because right now, I feel like I’m drowning in forms and class schedules.”

Kathryn’s phone buzzed, and she smiled at the screen. Winny noticed immediately. “What’s up? You’re smiling like you just won the lottery.”

Kathryn grinned. “You won’t believe it—Jamii is moving back!”

Winny raised an eyebrow. “Jamii? Your childhood best friend?”

“Yes! I can’t wait for you to meet him. He’s been away for so long, but we’ve always kept in touch. You’re going to love him,” Kathryn said excitedly.

Winny smirked. “We’ll see about that.”