He idly wondered just how many people were buried in the graveyard, given the sheer size and scale of it. Surely they’d have to use an excavator at some point; nobody in their right mind dug every single grave by hand, not when they didn’t have to. He looked around, but couldn’t see anything resembling machinery.
“Normally we’d use the digger, but it’s in the shop getting checked over,” Damon said, as if reading his mind. “Like I said, we’re a man down as well, so it’s just you, me, and two shovels. Here’s our stop.”
They stared down at the plot, which was currently marked by a single wooden cross. The name on it was barely legible, but Antonio could make out a few letters. There was an A, and an I, and what he thought was a B, but he couldn’t be sure. Damon, however, rattled off the name like he’d etched it on his brain.
“This one is for Mrs Ilonia Bedford.”
They looked at the cross for a few moments longer, and then Damon shrugged his shoulders and set to digging.Antonio watched him for a few minutes to try work out how best to dig, but quickly realised it was better to just get stuck in, rather than try and analyse everything.
The two men worked in silence, the labour making it impossible to speak. With every shovelful of dirt, Antonio found himself growing ever more grateful that he worked out, especially as his arms were growing more exhausted by the minute. Beside him, Damon worked as if he’d never used anything but a shovel, his muscles rippling beneath his shirt as he threw the earth onto the ever-growing pile behind them.
Finally, it was done, and they clambered out of the hole. Antonio was dripping in sweat, on the verge of passing out, and feeling more than slightly sick. It was something he’d never felt before, despite the overwhelming sense of achievement, and he hoped he didn’t look as awful as he felt. He sat down heavily and wiped his face with a hand, noticing he had several open blisters on his palms.
“Not bad, Blackwood!” Damon grinned, flopping down on the grass next to him. It was weird seeing his brother-in-law smile at him, given the circumstances, but he was too tired to question it. “Five minutes break, and then on to the next one. We’ve got a bit longer on this onecos the funeral’s not til 2 pm, but it doesn’t hurt to get started early.”
“Don’t you ever take a lunch break?” Antonio gasped, his voice hoarse with exertion.
Damon shook his head, looking slightly bemused. “I only have three graves today – well, two now – so I don’t really need one. I get some water in between jobs, and that keeps me going. If I’mreallytired, or I’ve got more than three jobs, I’ll bring along a protein bar or a snack. Soon as the last job’s done, I go home, shower, eat, fall asleep for a few hours, then go to my second job.”
“What’s your other job?”
“Best if you don’t know about that!” was all Damon said, before jumping to his feet and starting to head off. “Let’s get going, Blackwood. We’ve a lot to do before we knock off.”
By the end of the day, Antonio felt as if he’d done ten rounds in an octagon. He was absolutely dripping with sweat, his hair was slicked back in a desperate bid to keep it out of his eyes, and every muscle in his body ached. He couldn’t help but wonder how Damon did it day in and day out, although it answered the question of why he’d never seen Damon in a gym.
“How’s it feel doing your first day of manual labour?” Damon laughed, noticing how exhausted he looked. Antonio could only give him a half smile in return, nodding as he gulped down water like a man in the desert.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done manual labour before, but never anything like this. I don’t know how you do it every day,” he answered. “You definitely don’t need a gym with this job!”
“Ha! That’s true enough.” his brother-in-law admitted. “Let’s get you home, freshen you up and so on. Alyssia says you’ve got a hot date tonight.”
Antonio groaned, wondering if he’d be able to stay awake long enough. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for the next year, but it looked likethatwasn’t on the agenda.
7
That evening, Antonio fought with all his might to stay awake through dinner. Alyssia had made reservations at their favourite Italian restaurant,El Mare, and he didn’t want to miss a single moment of it. It had been years since he’d taken her there, and he felt absolutely awful for not managing to be more conversational, but the day’s exhaustion was slowly catching up to him.
Sitting opposite him, Alyssia chattered on about her day, which had been a series of meetings and paperwork. He felt his eyes drooping, and forced himself to wake up by ordering an espresso. The coffee, when it arrived, smelled like burnt toast and roasted chestnuts, the aroma immediately making him more alert. He took a sip of the ebony liquid, feeling it scorch his tongue, and tried to focus on what his wife was saying.
“Do you understand now?” she asked, a wry smile playing on her lips.
Antonio swallowed his last sip of espresso and set the cup down, realising he hadn’t heard a single word of what she’d just said to him. He searched his memory, desperately trying to think of what she could have said tohim, but it was like searching through dense fog for a needle.
“I’m so sorry,” he apologised. “I didn’t hear what you said.”
“I said, do you understand now?”
“Understand what?”
“This is how I feel every single day,” she told him. “I come home feeling exhausted and then have to listen to you witter on aboutyourday. Most days you don’t even ask how I am!”
A wave of guilt swept over him, and he reached across the table to take her hand, which she gently withdrew. He felt utterly ashamed of his behaviour, and couldn’t help but wonder how she’d put up with him all these years. Most women he knew would have left him before now, and he couldn’t help but admire his wife’s patience and love.
“I am so sorry,” he murmured, tears springing to his eyes. “I’ve been incredibly selfish, and I didn’t think about you for a second. I really am an awful husband, huh?”
His wife smiled and waved a hand as if to say that it was of no importance, but the guilt was still overwhelming. He silently vowed to make sure that he asked about her dayfrom then on, no matter how tired he felt. She’d put his life before her own for far too long, and it wasn’t fair.
Hisnonnohad always taught him that women were the cornerstone of any household, and he knew that the old man would be spinning in his grave if he could see the colossal mess his grandson had made of his marriage. Luis had always,alwaystold him that family came before everything.
