My cousin from afar

Daniel (Narrator's POV) “Aargh!“ I groaned for the third time as I sat at my desk at the office. Work was tedious at the office as we were rounding up for the year. My department, the sales department was bustling with staff talking and moving here and there. A pile of paperwork sat on my table, waiting to be addressed, yet my head won't stop aching. I was completely stressed out but I couldn't rest or i might earn a scolding and a salary cut from my boss, Mrs Darling. Unlike her name implies, she was the hardest and most strict boss I've ever worked for. Her attitude, temperament and dressing did not speak of anything close to being a darling. To add to the stress I was feeling at the moment, my phone rang. I picked up the phone, glad for the chance it gave me to leave the tensed up office atmosphere I had been in for over five hours today. I glanced at the screen and answered the call as soon as I stepped out of the office. “Hello, Uncle James” I said. “Hello, Daniel. How are you doing?“ The caller asked. “I'm good and you?“ I asked. “Um, where are you?“ He asked. “At the office. Is there any problem?“ I asked back. “Are you in a meeting?“ He asked again. “No, I'm not. Is something wrong?” I asked. “We just lost your aunt and her husband in an accident last night. The funeral is this week Friday. Daniel, could you please make out some time and come for the funeral? I also have something to discuss with you” he said. I sighed, before replying: “I'll see if I can apply for a leave, uncle. Please send my condolences to her family” I said. “I will. Thank you very much, Daniel. Please be there. It's by 10 am in the morning” he said. “Okay, I'll try my best” I replied. “Thank you” he said and the call ended. I returned to the office and sat at my desk. After a few minutes, I began to work again. That five-minute break was just what i needed. You might wonder why i did not seem to be affected by the bad news I had just heard. The truth is i knew almost nothing about my aunt or her family. I remembered her name was Mabel but as for what she looked like or her family members looked like, i had no idea. After work for the day, I approached my boss and luckily for me, she granted my leave. Friday came and I took a cab down to the central bus stop where I took a bus down to the place my uncle lived out of town. I took another taxi down to the location he had sent me and joined the funeral service which was ongoing. It was unfortunate I was seeing my Aunt and her husband for the first time when they were already dead. They had left behind a 17 - year old girl who was now an orphan, just like me. I lost my parents five years ago - my father to poisoning and my mother to hypertension. Being an only child, I had to live in the world all by myself with the help of my uncle, James. He was a retired lecturer and he sent me money and looked for jobs I could do until I was able to stand firmly on my own a year later.