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Sage was shaking the hands of sympathetic people who’d known Mark, when all of a sudden, Harper bolted from her place, sobbing. Her sporadic display of grief made her blind to the men gathered in front of Mark’s casket. They were the same sleazy characters who’d been carelessly consuming the food beforehand. Harper violently shoved her way past them, causing them to drop their plates of dessert squares and crudités. Sage immediately rushed to her side to comfort her. As she wrapped her arm around Harper’s quivering shoulders, she heard the scolds of the men stooping to clean up the mess. Sage didn’t recognize them and assumed they must have been distant friends or family of Mark’s she’d never met.
Nearing the end of the visiting hour, Cameron made an announcement directing the guests to the chapel where the funeral service was to begin. Sage and Harper were the first to enter, seating themselves closest to the stage, where a podium and microphone had been positioned for eulogies. Sage was impressed with how different the chapel looked compared to when she’d seen it upon her first visit to the funeral home. No more were the narrow tables set for two. Instead, rows of chairs had been carefully arranged.
There was a painfully beautiful melody coursing through the chapel. Initially, Sage thought the music was being played through a speaker system, but as she scanned the room, she saw a grand piano was stationed in the far right corner. Sage hadn’t noticed it before. It wasn’t the typical Ave Maria tune that tended to be overused for funerals, but a different song; an infamous song. The notes flowed in melancholic waves causing the hairs on Sage’s arms to stand on end.
“Again with the Moonlight Sonata?” Cameron said under his breath. He appeared at her side. “He always plays that one. It’s an alluring piece, but I’ve heard it so many times it’s starting to get old.”
“Who’s playing it?” Sage inquired. From where she was seated the view of the pianist was blocked by the piano. Cameron ignored her question, smiling politely. He then turned and marched out of the chapel. Unable to contain her curiosity, Sage left her seat
I can’t believe he went to the extent of requesting a musician,she thought. Mark’s funeral was truly a reflection of his pompous attitude. He had only ever accepted the best. Everything in his life had to be perfect, including the people. Of course, this was impossible. People were flawed. For this reason, Sage and Harper had never been able to meet his expectations.
When Sage saw who the musician was, she gasped. It was Irving. The way his elegant fingers caressed the keys was breathtaking. Not only that, there was no sheet music in front of him and his eyes were closed. During points in the song, he would gently touch the keys, producing soft enticing notes. As the song progressed, the rhythm and intensity increased to climatic heights.
“He’s memorized it,” a gruff voice came from behind her. It belonged to Irving’s eldest brother, Blake. “When no one is around he comes down here and plays Beethoven’s works over and over. I guess that just goes to show the ungodly amount of time he’s lived on this planet. Committing numerous symphonies to heart may seem impressive to you, but it fails to resonate with beings such as myself who’ve lived long enough to accomplish whatever we set our minds to.”
“I see,” Sage uttered. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Irving. He seemed to be lost in the music, completely mesmerized by the chords. Everything about him in that moment was utterly magnificent. His performance was beyond emotional. Sage was so transfixed, she almost forgot that she was at her husband’s funeral.
“You should take your seat, ma’am,” Blake said, “Cameron and I will be wheeling the casket in shortly.”
“Right.” Sage found she had to forcibly will herself away from Irving.He never told me he was a musician,she thought. Come to think of it she didn’t know much at all about him, save for the fact that he was a vampire with OCD. He’d lived for so long, he must have developed countless interests and talents.
After witnessing Irving’s passionate piano playing, Sage found it difficult to concentrate on her husband’s service. She couldn’t stop herself from sneaking glances of Irving as the casket was rolled down the centre aisle. The music stopped once the casket was positioned horizontally in front of the stage. It was then that Irving subtly walked around the perimeter of the casket, cloth in hand.What is he doing?Sage wondered. It wasn’t until she saw the fingerprints, illuminated from the overhead lighting that she understood.
