American comics: Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who worry about their fathers!.

Chapter 8 The Ominous Breath of Death

"Let us pray for him, because both men and women are like flowers in the valley, blooming today and withering tomorrow. Human life is like a season, which comes and goes. Let us pray."

In the church, the pastor was saying the blessing with a heavy expression.

Peter, wearing a black suit, sat in the middle seat, with Clark and A-Zu sitting on his left and right.

The two boys who were having a quarrel have reconciled after A-Zu's formal apology.

Zu tilted his head and whispered to Peter, "Dad, what happens when people die?"

"Some people think we go to heaven or hell, some people think we are reborn as children."

"Carnations? Like Rose in the movie Audrey Rose?"

"It's not a carnation, it's rebirth."

Peter corrected his pronunciation.

(The pronunciation of regeneration is similar to carnation.)
"and many more!"

Peter looked at Azu, "Isn't Audrey Rose a horror movie? I told you, John, you can't watch horror movies."

When Zu saw Peter's serious face, he immediately put the blame on Clark.

"Clark told me about it. I haven't read it."

Clark's little face immediately became more depressed.

He didn't like the atmosphere of the church in the first place. It was his first funeral in the church and he felt awe. He felt a little quiet and uneasy.

The pastor on the pulpit has finished his blessing.

Clark explained to Peter with a bitter face: "I accidentally saw it on TV, Godfather."

"Yeah, next time you see it, you can ask the adults to change the channel."

Clark nodded obediently.

"Dad, is there anything else?"

A-Zu wanted to hear more about death.

Clark has a fear of death, but Zu doesn't feel much about it.

"Catholics believe in heaven and hell, but they also believe in a place called Limbo and a place called Purgatory, while Hindus and Buddhists believe in Nirvana—"

The two boys listened quietly.

Peter spoke more slowly. "There may be more, but the fact is, no one knows what happens after death. People say they know, and they say so because they believe what they say because of their faith. Do you know what faith is?"

They both shook their heads, "I don't know."

Peter said to the two men, "Look, we're sitting on chairs now. Do you think my chair will still be here tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course."

"So you have a faith, you believe it will still be here, and I believe it too, faith is believing in what something will be like or believing in what it is like, understand?"

"understood."

Clark nodded affirmatively.

A Zu scratched his head and said, "But we don't know if it's still here. Maybe a chair thief might break in and steal it, right?"

Clark said to Azu: "Then you have no faith..."

"I believe in the same things as dad, Dad?"

Azu looked over at Peter, "Dad, what do you believe in?"

"My faith?"

Peter was stunned for a moment.

What is your belief?
Money, power or worldly rights?

It seems like I want them all, but it seems like none of them are that important to me.

Just when he didn't know how to answer, the pastor's voice "rescued" him.

Hearing the pastor say, "Please ask the bearers of the coffin to come to the front," Peter gave an instruction to the two men and walked forward.

He greeted Louis Wilson, a man in his thirties wearing glasses.

Although this unfamiliar cousin had a look of pain from losing his family on his face, he still seemed very strong.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with his cousin, he looked at Clark and A-Zu.

I found that the two had disappeared.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the coffin in front of him. Afternoon.

After the funeral, Peter drove Clark and Zu back to the farm.

Stephens's "This Old House" was playing on the car radio.

"Dad, you have no idea what we saw."

A Zu boasted to Peter: "We saw the dead man lying in the coffin."

Hearing what Azu said, Peter's brows immediately frowned.

"That's very undignified, John."

Peter scolded Azu, the culprit.

There is no need to guess, you know it was him who instigated Clark to go with him.

"I know I was wrong, Dad."

A-Zu hung his head dejectedly and admitted his mistake to Peter.

Seeing that the other party quickly admitted his mistake, Peter did not continue and the car soon arrived at the farm.

late at night.

"Jingle Bell!"

The farm phone suddenly rang.

Peter, who had already gone to bed, put on his clothes, walked into the living room and picked up the phone.

"I'm Peter Padrick, yes, yes, okay, I get it."

After hanging up the phone, Peter's brows immediately frowned.

He put on his clothes, went upstairs to check if Azu and Clark were asleep, then went downstairs to take the car keys from the wall.

The night outside was dark and drizzles of rain were falling on the ground.

The car's headlights pierced the dim night.

Peter drove the car and soon arrived at the cemetery he had visited during the day.

There were several police cars parked around the cemetery, with dazzling red lights flashing in the night.

After Peter got off the car, he walked towards the place where the coffin had been buried during the day.

Many people gathered around, talking in whispers.

"Louis."

Peter walked up and greeted his cousin who had a dazed expression.

Louis heard the sound and hurried forward.

Next to him were two policemen following him.

Peter asked his cousin, "Louis, what happened?"

"It's little Terry. His body is gone."

Louis said something that made Peter frown.

He walked to the grave holding an umbrella and found that the grave had been dug up and the body inside was missing!

"Did someone steal the body?"

“We cannot rule out this possibility.”

A white policeman who was somewhat familiar to Peter came forward and said.

The other person was tall and strong with sharp eyes.

"We meet again, Mr. Padrick. After all these years, you seem to have not changed at all."

"You are."

Peter looked at him in surprise, "Are you Officer Ryan?"

The other party was Ryan Schneider, who was in charge of investigating the case of the Walmart supermarket shooting six years ago and was also the police officer who interrogated him.

"Yes, I didn't expect Mr. Patrick to still remember me."

Ryan came up and shook his hand. "I'm sorry to bother you. You were one of the four people who carried the coffin for the burial, so we wanted to find out more about you."

(End of this chapter)