The woman visited her husband’s cemetery every weekend after his passing, cleaning the stone, pulling weeds, and putting new flowers there.
When she got to the cemetery one morning, she observed something odd. She didn’t know the woman, who was perhaps forty years old, standing next to her husband’s grave. As though to apologize, the stranger put her hand on the picture and carefully brushed the dust off the gravestone.
Despite her shock, the woman dared not approach. She just stood back and watched. She didn’t see the stranger again for a year after that day. She went back to the cemetery on her husband’s birthday and spotted her again.
I apologize. Did you know my husband?
The truth was much more terrible, but the woman was certain the stranger was her late husband’s lover.
The stranger pivoted. Her eyes were soft and worried at the same time.
Indeed. I apologize if I interrupted. I simply couldn’t leave.
“Who are you?” Irina murmured. — Were you… near?
Her voice faltered. She gave the woman a crumpled piece of paper that she had taken out of her pocket.
– The car was driven by me. The moment when it occurred.
The world swayed. She had ringing in her ears. The old woman was speechless.
I didn’t run. I remained. I went to court, made a statement, and phoned for an ambulance. He was crossing where it was forbidden, thus I was found not guilty. However, that is meaningless. I deal with this on a daily basis. If it’s even possible, I just wanted to make amends in some way.
The woman remained quiet for a while. In her hands, the paper shuddered. It was the official report. It was all real. She recalled that they had never been able to identify the culprit.
She said, “Have you been coming here all this time?”
Indeed. Frequently. Occasionally at night. I didn’t think forgiveness was possible.
The widow approached the grave slowly.
– He was unyielding. I repeatedly pleaded with him to avoid taking short cuts.
She looked across at the stranger.
— Leave. — she said calmly. It’s not that I despise you. However, if I allowed you to suffer indefinitely, he would never forgive me.
The stranger was about to say something, but she decided against it. She gave a nod and left without turning around.
