Mai Legacy
1.9 - The Horrible Solution
It happened suddenly, and from out of the blue.
About a year after Susan moved in with James, Jacques fell significantly ill. So ill, that even his doctor was at a loss for words. He’d been sick before, but nothing quite like this. The doctor stayed at Jacques’s bedside, doing all he could to keep him alive, but ultimately, his disease had claimed him.
“Heart failure,” the doctor had told the distraught Akira.
Spending time besides the ailing Jacques, Akira had finally gotten to see a bit of the anger that always recently consumed the man melt away, revealing the happier, somehow more lively man he'd been back when Akira had first met him.
He was an old man. I guess… I guess I always knew this was going to happen eventually. I just… I never would have imagined this soon. Akira had texted James.
From what he’d heard, Jacques’s three children were absolutely devastated. After loosing their mother a few years back, somewhat suspiciously, none of them even dreamed of Jacques passing so soon after.
“I know that Jacques was awful for as long as you knew him, but he had better days, he really did,” Susan went on while they got ready for the service. “Akira wouldn’t fall in love with just anyone.”
“He always complained so much… you’d never image they’d ever been happy,” James sighed.
“Maybe later on, but at the beginning? Oh no, now that’s a love story for the ages. Those two danced and sang and were the life of every party! Some disapproved, saying it was too soon after Jacques's wife's passing, others said that because Akira had only just turned 18, it was wrong of him to be dating a man so much his senior. But I always supported them.”
Susan slipped on her heels, then went on. “Some said Akira was seeing Jacques just for the money, probably because of the massive age gap. But, you see, Akira always told me, he falls in love not with a person’s looks, gender, or wealth, but with their personality. Their potential for good things. And, for the record, Akira only stopped working when Jacques said he could. The Villareal family's wealth was never his goal.”
She adjusted her necklace. “And of course, Akira had heard all the rumors about Jacques murdering his wife. He still says the same thing he would say back then, that that’s all they are. Rumors.”
“It's hard to believe that they were once that in love,” James admitted.
“I was there for every moment. Their first kiss happened when the three of us decided to treat ourselves to lunch one day, and it was obvious that the two were completely infatuated with each other. People always say that people can fall out of love for the same reasons they fell into it. Akira's charismatic, thoughtful, loves to make jokes and is generally a big softie. Jacques is brutally honest, and is quick to react.” Susan whispered. “I think that’s what happened to them. While at first, their differences balanced each other out, they later ended up conflicting. They fell out of love. And after watching that happen... that’s why I was so afraid to start seeing you, James. I didn’t want our relationship to go through the same thing theirs did.”
James reached out and embraced Susan comfortingly.
The service was held on the Villareal property, in the family crypt. Jacques had already insisted on being buried on the land he’d been raised on, just as his ancestors had before them. Some said the ownership of this land went so far back, the Villareals might as well be an unofficial legacy family.
Upon seeing Akira at the gate, Susan rushed forward and hugged him. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“I’ve just learned so much about you two,” James smiled sadly. “He shouldn’t have been gone so soon.”
“Thank you two so much,” Akira nodded, not even trying to act positive. “You two can go and find a seat anywhere.”
Seeing Eliza and Ulrike, James and Susan headed over towards them.
“You knew Jacques?” James asked Eliza.
Eliza nodded quickly. “We used to go out for coffee all the time. Discussed life, bratty husbands, the whole bit.”
“Dear-“ the man beside her started to say.
“Don’t even start today, Bob,” Eliza said, cutting him off. He returned to silence. “But yes, dear old Jacques was a wonderful friend.”
“He always came to me when he wanted a new painting,” Ulrike said quietly. “Said he trusted my art critique more than anyone else’s."
Salim and Penny walked into the room together. “What are you two doing here?” Susan hissed. “It’s no secret Jacques didn’t like either of you.”
“I could say the same about James being here” Salim shrugged. “But no, I’m only here as Akira’s friend. I never liked the man, but I believe in paying respects.”
“Jacques passing is a pretty huge thing,” Penny sighed. “Villareal is only second in fame to the Le Chien family name in Windenburg. I'm just here for the scoop!”
"And, unfortunately Penny, that was exactly the reason Jacques always hated you," Susan sighed.
“So, Penny, if the Villareal family name is so big, why aren’t more people here then?” James asked curiously.
“Don’t be daft!” Eliza whispered violently. “You think Jacques would have more than a small, private funeral? No! All he wanted was for Akira to pick a small selection of guests to sit on his property for a short period of time.”
“If anything, we should be surprised we’re here instead of people like the Le Chiens, Sanchezes, Goths, Laurents, or Fengs,” Penny said quietly.
Akira then walked into the room. He sat down near Jacques’s children.
After realizing that none of Jacques’s children wanted to get up and speak, Akira coughed awkwardly and got up to give a speech about Jacques.
“Words don’t even begin to describe… Jacques…” Akira began, tears forming in his eyes.
He only managed to speak for a minute before he got too emotional to go on and sat back down.
Jacques’s daughter, Luna, frowned, then pushed her way up to the front. Her speech lasted for a good half hour, where she somehow managed to put on a smile.
James and Susan left Jacques’s funeral with the image of his children and Akira crying over his coffin. Seeing that, even James couldn’t help but completely doubt what he’d always thought of the man.
But he knew he’d never know who he really was now. It was too late.