The morning after the funeral arrived without comfort. Rain had washed the streets clean during the night, but it could not wash away what Anna had seen. The previous night, Anna couldn’t sleep. A nightmare had caused her to wake up in the middle of the night. “Anthony…” She screamed, sweating profusely though it was still cold. Her heart trembled. This morning, she stood by the living room window, her untouched cup of tea growing cold beside her. Beyond the glass, children walked to school, laughing as though the world had remained unchanged. Only hers had fallen apart. She unfolded the white handkerchief once again. Its corners were neatly stitched with the initials A.C. A. C. could mean anything. Yet, to Anna, it was different. To her it meant Anthony Coleman. She traced the letters with trembling fingers. She hadn't imagined it. No, she couldn't have imagined it if the handkerchief was still with her. The sound of footsteps interrupted her thought. Daniel entered the room, already dressed for work. He looked tired, though he tried not to show it. “You didn't sleep.” Anna didn't turn around. “If I tell you I saw him, you don’t believe me.” Daniel closed his eyes briefly. “I thought… we've been through this.” “No.” She finally faced him. “You've been avoiding it.” “I buried my husband yesterday...” Her voice cracked. “And then…” Anna paused for a moment. “…He handed me a handkerchief.” Daniel walked toward her carefully, like someone approaching a frightened animal. "Anna..." "You think I'm hallucinating?" She replied. "I think you've suffered a terrible shock." She held up the handkerchief, “Then how do you explain this?” Daniel took the handkerchief from Anna. His expression remained calm, but something flickered behind his eyes. He noticed the initials fixed on it, smirked and folded it again before handing it back to her. “It could belong to anyone.” He said dismissively. “It has Anthony's initials.” “A.C. could mean anything.” Anna laughed bitterly. “So now we're pretending coincidences explain everything?” Silence settled between them for a while. Then Daniel spoke. "If you really want answers..." She looked at him expectantly. "...why don’t we call the cameraman over?" Daniel reasoned. Anna frowned. It clicked. She breathed a sigh of relief. Why hadn’t she thought of the cameraman earlier? If the funeral was recorded, the possibility wasn’t far-fetched. "If someone gave you this..." Daniel nodded toward the handkerchief, “...the camera may have captured it.” For the first time since leaving the funeral, hope entered Anna's eyes. She seemed to have recovered. She smiled with excitement. “Call him then. I know he was there.” … An hour later, the cameraman arrived carrying a padded camera bag and a laptop. He was still dressed in yesterday's black shirt, his eyes heavy with sleep. The call didn’t allow him to rest. Not even for a second. "I came as soon as I got your message," he said, giving a slight bow. "Thank you for coming, Benjamin," Anna said. Benjamin, the cameraman, placed the laptop on the coffee table and connected the camera. “I haven't edited anything yet”, Benjamin explained as the first clip appeared. He wasn’t aware of the scuffle before this moment. The clips kept playing: The hearse, then the choir, before rows of mourners dressed in black could be seen on the screen. There was a part where the priest was leading the opening prayer. The football field stretched beneath a cloudy sky. Anna leaned forward. “Keep going.” She beckoned. The cameraman clicked to the next clip. Daniel sat beside her, arms folded. His face revealed nothing as if he cared less about who she saw. Minutes turned into hours. The place was so quiet that the sound of a fallen pin would be heard in the stillness. They watched the service unfold exactly as they remembered: The eulogies, then the hymns. They also saw where flowers were lowered, but nothing of much attention was in them. Anna's shoulders slowly sank in disappointment. “Maybe...”, she whispered, “...maybe I imagined it.” Anna was quite frustrated. Just when thought she had evidence to prove what she saw, everything came crushing down. Her desperation had caused her to forget to serve and welcome the visitor properly. “I’ll get us some water.” Anna rose slowly and walked toward the kitchen. “Pause until I come”, she said while leaving. She needed a moment to steady herself. Cold water splashed into three glasses. She had beckoned the cameraman to pause while she was away. Yet, Benjamin clicked again. His attention was on the screen; he failed to hear Anna. He continued clicking. “There are still a few more”, he reminded them. The next video began. Anna stood before the mourners reading her tribute. Her voice trembled through the speakers. She paused. Then… Someone stepped into the frame. Benjamin instinctively paused the video. He recalled the commotion during the reading of the tribute. “Is that the man?” He asked. Daniel stared intently, and he gulped. Then he saw a man who was unkempt giving a white handkerchief to Anna. His heart stopped or a second. “Um...uh… ” Daniel whispered. He didn’t know whether to answer a yes or a no. Bejamin zoomed in to have a closer look. The image now looked larger, but the zoom in made it slightly blurred. Benjamin adjusted the focus. The stranger's face sharpened. Daniel stopped breathing. He knew that face. The resemblance was striking, irrespective of the bushy hair and the long beard. “Whew… finally…” Benjamin smiled. The look on Daniel’s face answered his question. He brushed sweat from his forehead, reaching for the keyboard to enlarge the image further. Then Daniel's voice interrupted him. “Stop… it’s… oookay...” Daniel’s demeanor became like a snail retreating into its shell. His face had become pale from the sight. The room fell silent. Benjamin looked up from the screen, "Sir?" "Delete that clip." The scream pierced Benjamin’s ear, startling him. For a moment, he could hear echoing sounds in his ears. Daniel was standing now. His body tensed, his cold eyes still stared on the screen. “It doesn't prove anything”, Daniel said with a lowered voice. Benjamin hesitated, “I mean... we can save it if…” “I said delete it”, Daniel cut him before he could complete his statement. This time he was calm. Benjamin frowned, “But Anna…” “Just do as I said.” Benjamin was surprised at Daniel’s sudden reaction. If what Anna was saying earlier about who she saw was true, why did Daniel want it deleted? He felt a little… “I don’t think it’s fair to delete it”, he replied Daniel boldly. “Who do you think you are”, Daniel barked. “You didn’t employ me; the Coleman family did. Why do I have to listen to…” Before he could complete his words, he felt the back of his neck hooked with strong hands. Through gritted teeth, Daniel placed his hand on the mouse. With one click, a message appeared. Delete selected file? Yes, he clicked without hesitation. The progress bar flashed across the screen. And the file disappeared. Benjamin felt uneasy. “I... I had backups on the memory card.” Daniel turned toward him. “Erase those too.” Another pause. Then, reluctantly... Benjamin obeyed. Before he could delete, Anna returned... She stopped and leaned in to scrutinize the laptop screen. She had overheard the unusual conversation. Her hands shook so badly that a glass of water nearly slipped from her grip. Neither of them was speaking. The laptop was partly closed, and the cameraman looked pale. For Daniel, his expression had become unreadable. Anna's eyes moved from one face to the other. Then to the laptop. Then back to them again. ‘What...” she asked quietly, “...did you just delete?” Neither of them answered. The silence said more than their words ever could. Anna tightened her grip on the tray. “Why are you quiet?”

What Did You Delete?