The reception after the funeral was to held in the same chapel so that Neal's friends could share some of their memories with all the mourners present.

The podium was open to anyone who wished to come up and share their thoughts. And though Rose wanted to go up and say something, her legs felt weak so she waited. Jason stood up and took his place behind the podium.

"First, I would like to thank all of you for showing up today," there was a slight waver in his tone for though he appeared calm and collected, deep down he felt just as sorrowful as Rose, Sarah and the rest of them.

"And I would like to take this chance to tell you exactly who you were attending the service of. I bet all of you have seen the news, the overexaggerated accounts that rage on television and it pains me to see how people commercialize such a heinous thing as murder," his voice had turned sharp at that, stormy eyes locking with the press representatives but then he added in a lower tone, "but I will not say more on that. I believe this time should be utilized to share with you all what really matters."

Utter silence gripped the hall and his voice though soft and sorrowful echoed through the vaulted space. "You all must have known Neal as a singer, a host for the concerts held in Iceberg Lounge, a troublemaker and I'm sure most of you still think of him as such. But the truth is that deep down he was not like the masks he used to put on for the world to see."

That sentence struck Rose deep for she could clearly recall her conversation with him in which he had told her of Japanese myth called the Mononoke; a spiritless being wearing masks to conceal its emptiness.

"To me and my friends, Neal was family. He was a caregiver, a close friend, an older brother and in some cases even a father figure. He looked out for us when no one else did. He helped us out when we had nothing to eat and no place to sleep. He must have seemed a careless person who could do anything for the adrenaline rush, but he was much more than that. Much more than what people thought of him."

Jason paused for a short while, the memories overwhelming as he talked so he took a moment to compose himself before resuming with the memory that had just flashed in his head, making a sad smile break out on his face.

"There was one time I told him, and please excuse my language, I told him that just because you look like a motherfucker, doesn't mean you are one. He had laughed it off saying maybe he really was how he looked like. And let me tell all of you, if you think that of him then he would be very pleased that his act paid off."

Rose felt Sarah's hand tighten on her and she gently lifted the girl onto her lap, her arms wrapped around the child comfortingly. Richard was standing in a corner listening to every word Jason uttered closely, his eyes reminiscent of sorrow.

"Death took him away from us too soon and even though the time he had with us was very short, still he managed to make the most out of it. He stood by us, supported us, cared for us and now when he is not with us, his memories are going to remain in our hearts forever. I wish that he finds peace where he is currently. And I am certain that place would be loads better than this city we call our home."

His account had been touching such that the silence in the audience had not been broken even once for every single person present listened closely.

"In the end I would just add that we pass by many people on a daily basis, we judge them by what little amount we see of them and we form an opinion regarding their personalities just from those tiny glimpses we get in passing. That's exactly what people did with Neal, forming opinions on him, labeling him without even finding out who he really was deep inside, without even seeing what laid under the mask... And as I leave this podium, I also leave one question with you to ponder on seriously; do you think it is fair to label someone merely based on short glimpses? I hope you find the right answer. Once again, thank you very much for coming and for listening. And if you wished Neal well then I thank you for that too on his behalf."

He descended the podium at last, his stormy eyes welling up as he came to stand by Richard who patted his back affectionately, hand resting on his shoulder.

Elliot took the podium next and his account was nothing short of emotional either. After him, Lydia, the girl who had learned guitar from Neal and was a frequent visitor to his pay parties, delivered her own eulogy. 

It seemed as if Richard would go up after her but his blue eyes connected with her grey irises and he dipped his head in a nod as if gesturing her to step up instead. She took in a deep breath and then stood up, feeling all eyes on her as she stepped onto the podium.

Her hands had gone cold from stage fright at seeing such a lot of people sitting in front of her, waiting for her to speak up.

But then she thought of Neal and she thought about what he would like to hear from her at that moment if he was present too. And she took another deep breath, composing herself before beginning.

"My name is Rose Gibson and I met Neal four years ago at Daley Primary School. He used to teach English to fifth grade and I had applied for a job there," though at first, her voice was shaking, it gradually retained the usual faint timbre as she resumed, "Neal was not always a singer and a concert host. Years ago he had taken multiple jobs and being a school teacher was one of them. He had always been very compassionate towards children, calling them his little friends and doing all he possibly could to help them out. I have known him when he was just Neal, another face in the crowd to vanish within, and then I have also known him as Neal Hastings, a brilliant spark of light in this otherwise dark city... What changed in him, I don't know but to me, he was perfect with all his little imperfections, his cryptic statements, his kind words and his subtle ways of making sure that he sufficed for everything else... And even I never found out what kind of a man he really was deep inside all those appearances he had put up. But what I know is that he was truly one of a kind. He always used to say that he was temporary like a white rose. He always used to tell me that one day he would fade just like a flower wilts. But I was to remember him for all the good times I shared with him, all the memories I had of him and keep them cherished just like one cherishes the beautiful scent of a rose."

Her voice broke at those words and her hands reached out to cover her eyes that were pouring with tears. 

"He somehow always knew he was going to die young. Somehow... And now that he's gone I... I can't help but think how short his time was with us that we never really got to know him. Me, Jason, Elliot, Lydia and Sarah... Dianne who is no longer with us too... Officer Grayson and Barbara Gordon... We came closer to Neal in this very short time that he had. And though I sometimes wonder what it would be like if he had lived longer, I find myself thinking that maybe he would not want that. He believed that things are beautiful because they are finite, he believed life was short and fleeting and that is the beauty of it..."

And with those words, an accepting emotion flickered on her face as if she had finally come to terms with it all despite it being sorrowful. 

"He used to sing a song on what would happen when he was gone... How everything would be the same and yet so different simultaneously. But with time everything would be fine. We would be fine... All we have to do is give it time..."

She looked up and saw that the crowd was looking back at her with awestruck faces as if they hadn't expected to hear such a lot about Neal and find it so contrasting to what they had always thought about him.

"Thank you for bearing with me. And I would conclude by answering Jason's question... It is unfair to judge anyone on brief glimpses. Even after four years, I am conflicted about Neal even though I know for a fact that he was too good for this world. So how could I or anyone for that instance judge people based on just what they look like, or do or spend their time in... That's all from my side, thank you so much."

Lydia hugged her tightly right as she stepped down from the podium and she gratefully wrapped her arms around the girl's thin frame, holding her close. She needed a comforting shoulder to rest her head on and cry, letting go of all the tears and sorrow building up inside her. And Lydia, who had a quick eye for observing when people needed something, had not hesitated to offer her own shoulder.

That was the most beautiful thing about the people who had been close to Neal, especially his little friends who saw him as a protector and sincere friend. They were all so different but deep down their compassion tied them together with an inseverable knot. And in that instant when he was no longer with them, they were still knit together tightly, just like a strange sort of family.

Neal's family.

When Rose pulled apart, Lydia gave her a reassuring look and she returned the gesture, following the girl out when the reception ended and the mourners were finally dispersed.

***