FRACTURE

Everything outside is soaked in the heavy rain, and Peter is soaked in his memories—his young life showing everything he ever earned clearly before his old, rotten eyes.

But for a brief moment, he stops. For the first time in his entire life, he allows himself to feel the rhythm and sound of the blessings that fall to earth straight from heaven. He closes his eyes and experiences a kind of peace he never thought was possible for a human being to feel.

The rain may seem unnecessary sometimes, but it does not care about the opinion of some simple human. It is in love with the earth.

When the earth becomes sad, the rain does not hesitate to jump down from miles above and fall upon the only thing it cares about—the earth. The rain protects the earth with its cold touch and warm heart, and eventually blends into it.

Some people say rain represents the earth’s tears, and that whenever the earth cries, the raindrops fall. But I think it goes beyond that—their relationship is more pure, more serene, and something... more beautiful.

Peter feels all of this, and the pride gathered from his past memories rises within him.

Peter orders his eldest son, “Bring them.”

Paul does not hesitate. He has already prepared everything needed for his father’s peaceful death. He grabs his backpack, pulls out a large file, and hands it to Peter. Inside are the most precious things in Peter’s life—things he must love more than anything else in the world.

The file is filled with every certificate Peter has earned throughout his journey—exam results where he scored the highest, job appointments, promotions, and other official documents that had made him the most valued person whenever he entered a room.

For the last time in his life, Peter holds those papers against his chest, hoping to die in the serenity he had expected all his life.

Dying with his achievements, with all the papers he had earned, will erase the pain from his death. The Angel of Death will come to him with the utmost respect and take his soul in the softest, most painless way—as if it had never done so for anyone before.

And eventually, that happens. His soul fades away without a single movement from his body. He still looks the same as he did a few minutes ago—still, his eyes open, his hands resting on his chest, peace beneath them, as if he had tried to say something before leaving but could not.

When Julia realizes what has happened, she cries out loud. Jasmine helps her mother, while Paul lowers his head for a few seconds before carefully taking all the papers from Peter’s hands.

But Sam silently walks out of the room, as if he had only been there to watch a movie… and now it is over.

Peter’s standards will live on, passed from one generation to the next.

Paul locks the papers away somewhere safe, preserving them for the future children of the family so that they can look at them and learn something from their grandfather.

Peter leaves this world in the most peaceful way possible. And Sam lives the same way.

Outside, the rain keeps falling, as if nothing had ever happened.