Live ! Hold on to reality, by any means necessary. It must be done at all costs. At every possible cost.
ANGOMA Cemetery, KALANK
The sky was a gray so deep it seemed to harbor profound anger and boundless grief. The humidity hung thick in the air, and the wind blew fiercely, sweeping autumn leaves from the ground and shaking the trees in a frenzied waltz. Yet even in that unsettling atmosphere, not one of those present looked away from the coffin that stood at the center of the grave dark with secrets and crying out for vengeance.
The cawing of crows mingled with the weeping of family and loved ones, who poured out their pain, their fear, and for some, their relief.
Funerals were events I never particularly enjoyed attending. But what I did appreciate in those moments were the plots and secrets written across every glance, every gesture, every expression. It became almost amusing almost intriguing.
As the priest guided the deceased through a prayer of blessing, her grave was gradually covered with earth. Like the turning of a page in a book, one chapter of a life was closed to welcome another.
Leonora ANGOMA was a charming young woman, full of surprises. Cunning and empathetic, she never let herself be intimidated and knew how to get what she wanted. But there were things in this world that came with a fatal price and the truth was one of them. The truth about what, though?
Dead at twenty-five under deeply troubling circumstances, a murder investigation had been opened to shed light on this dark affair. Yet it was already certain that the case would not be easy to unravel. Suicide or murder, time would tell, sooner or later.
The last guests left the cemetery, taking care to lay white roses upon her grave before turning their backs on her for good.
I approached the grave in turn and observed it through the mist rising over the cemetery. Kneeling at its foot, I laid down black roses and a solemn promise.
— I will cherish with the greatest care the life you entrusted to me, and use it wisely to make you rise again from your ashes.