Chapter 3: Tragedy Strikes

It was early afternoon when Mom and Dad started their drive back; as they traveled through the market near the town center, they had to stop to allow a religious procession to pass when the car next to them blew up. They were killed instantly and there were many more casualties.

I was working in the Foundation's conference room that afternoon when Aunt Janet came in crying. She knelt down next to my chair, put her arms around me, and whispered, "Oh Kevin ... I'm so sorry ... I have to be the one to tell you ... both your mom and dad were killed by a bomb a few hours ago..."

I was stunned. The world stopped. My vision contracted to a tiny point. I couldn't see or hear; my only sense was the feeling of Aunt Janet's arms and the seat I was sitting in. Then I began to hear her quiet voice giving me reassurances and encouragement that everyone would be there for me and not to worry about myself. Gradually I could feel my Arts training begin to assert itself and I relaxed as my body found its center.

Then Dan came in. "Kevin, I just heard that awful, awful news. I'm so sorry, but I want you to know that you'll be ok, as much as you can be right now. I've sent people out to find out more details and I've notified the State Department because that car bomb might have been directed at your mom."

I asked, "What happened? Do you think they were in any pain?"

Dan told me the few details that he knew, and just then a policeman came in and whispered in his ear. Dan told me that the bomber's target was the procession, not my parents.

My memory of the next week and a half is just a blur; shock, I guess. The funeral took place pretty quickly and the State Department sent quite a number of dignitaries. They all stopped to speak to me about Mom and tell me how much she was admired. The Seoul chargé spoke to me for a while; I knew him and his family very well and he was very comforting. He told me that State would take care of everything in Korea, close up our apartment and ship my folks' effects to storage near my new home. He knew of my emancipation and he thought it was a perfect situation coming out of a total disaster, and before he left, he assured me that he and his family would be there if I ever needed them.

Soon memories began to return. Dan stopped by to tell me that my folks had multi-million dollar life insurance policies with double indemnity clauses, and that State had a sizeable pension and death benefit in Mom's name, Audrey Boniger. I could live very comfortably on just that income without ever needing to touch the trust fund. Plus I was the inheritor of my folks' estate.