Post by Battooth on Dec 9, 2007 21:26:17 GMT -5
We pulled into the cemetary, driving slowly as we passed the gravestones. I noticed with slight amusement and queasiness that a lot of the names were the last names of cast members of MADtv. Trust me to think of something like that in a cemetary.
We drove for about five minutes until we stopped. There was a square section of nearly empty, snow-covered grass, a small path for cars, and then a long rectangle-shaped stretch of ground packed with gravestones. I saw on the square section an elderly man standing next to a gravstone, his hand placed on it, his shoulders hunched miserably.
"Go find it," my mother said. My mother and sister got out of the car and began searching through the gravestones. Me and my grandmother hung back a little bit. Walking across those graves didn't seem very appealing to me.
I finally got out of the car with a small Christmas wreath in hand and followed my grandmother. She had spotted his gravestone.
As we approached I was able to make out the word "CASHIN" in big letters. A small flower box in front of the stone had a few dying flowers and a weed. My grandmother got to work trying to rip out the weed.
"We should take this home and repaint it," she said as my mother and sister came to join us.
My grandmother moved the flower box after a moment or two and held out her hands for the wreath. I handed it to her and she began tying it to the headstone so it wouldn't fall.
When she finished she stepped back and I stood next to her.
"I'm going to go see that little boy," my mother said. "His mother used to leave toys there for him." My mother and sister left us again and walked towards the front row of gravestones.
"You know," my grandmother said to me, "He lived a very good life. It was short, but it was good. He was nineteen when he died." I knew this. I knew very well how he had died, and didn't want to think about it. "You're a lot like him."
As I had watched, and as I had listened, tears had been trying to force their way out. They rushed out at my grandmother's last comment and I lowered my face, pretending to scratch my forehead.
I felt arms around me suddednly. I shouldn't have doubted my grandmother's observation skills, especially when it came to her granddaughter. She hugged me tightly and I cried into her shoulder.
We stood like that for a while, until we heard my mother and sister returning. We pulled apart and looked at my family, me wiping tears from my eyes. "The mother died," my mom announced. "She's buried with the boy. The toys are there though."
We began walking again, and I turned back once to whisper, "Merry Christmas, Grandpa Michael." As I turned back around I noticed the elderly man had gone, and so had his car.
We were walking towards our own and my sister had opened her door when something apparently caught her eye. She walked across the square of barren grass to look at a gravestone. It was two hearts overlapping each other with the names Tom and Rosie on each heart. She looked at it, and then walked up and down the row.
I followed her and took the chance to look at the gravestone the elderly man had stood by. It had a last name and the name Mary beneath that, including her birthday and death-day. Beneath the dates were the words, "And her loving husband". A man's name followed, and a birthday, but no death-day. I shivered. If I was right, then the man who had just been there had been this woman's husband, and someone was ready for his death.
"Whoever you are," I whispered, "I know that he loves you. And if there is something bigger- like God- I hope that God watches out for you both."
My sister came up behind me and we looked at the stone together for a moment or two, then began trudging back towards the car where my mother and grandmother were waiting.
As we left to go get some ice cream- yes, we all knew it was winter- I stayed quiet for a long while, wishing for random things.. I wished that I had been able to meet my grandfather. I wished that the man I had seen standing near who I thought was his wife would have good luck, and if there was an afterlife, that he would be able to be with her one day. I wished that no one I knew would have to die anytime soon.
We drove for about five minutes until we stopped. There was a square section of nearly empty, snow-covered grass, a small path for cars, and then a long rectangle-shaped stretch of ground packed with gravestones. I saw on the square section an elderly man standing next to a gravstone, his hand placed on it, his shoulders hunched miserably.
"Go find it," my mother said. My mother and sister got out of the car and began searching through the gravestones. Me and my grandmother hung back a little bit. Walking across those graves didn't seem very appealing to me.
I finally got out of the car with a small Christmas wreath in hand and followed my grandmother. She had spotted his gravestone.
As we approached I was able to make out the word "CASHIN" in big letters. A small flower box in front of the stone had a few dying flowers and a weed. My grandmother got to work trying to rip out the weed.
"We should take this home and repaint it," she said as my mother and sister came to join us.
My grandmother moved the flower box after a moment or two and held out her hands for the wreath. I handed it to her and she began tying it to the headstone so it wouldn't fall.
When she finished she stepped back and I stood next to her.
"I'm going to go see that little boy," my mother said. "His mother used to leave toys there for him." My mother and sister left us again and walked towards the front row of gravestones.
"You know," my grandmother said to me, "He lived a very good life. It was short, but it was good. He was nineteen when he died." I knew this. I knew very well how he had died, and didn't want to think about it. "You're a lot like him."
As I had watched, and as I had listened, tears had been trying to force their way out. They rushed out at my grandmother's last comment and I lowered my face, pretending to scratch my forehead.
I felt arms around me suddednly. I shouldn't have doubted my grandmother's observation skills, especially when it came to her granddaughter. She hugged me tightly and I cried into her shoulder.
We stood like that for a while, until we heard my mother and sister returning. We pulled apart and looked at my family, me wiping tears from my eyes. "The mother died," my mom announced. "She's buried with the boy. The toys are there though."
We began walking again, and I turned back once to whisper, "Merry Christmas, Grandpa Michael." As I turned back around I noticed the elderly man had gone, and so had his car.
We were walking towards our own and my sister had opened her door when something apparently caught her eye. She walked across the square of barren grass to look at a gravestone. It was two hearts overlapping each other with the names Tom and Rosie on each heart. She looked at it, and then walked up and down the row.
I followed her and took the chance to look at the gravestone the elderly man had stood by. It had a last name and the name Mary beneath that, including her birthday and death-day. Beneath the dates were the words, "And her loving husband". A man's name followed, and a birthday, but no death-day. I shivered. If I was right, then the man who had just been there had been this woman's husband, and someone was ready for his death.
"Whoever you are," I whispered, "I know that he loves you. And if there is something bigger- like God- I hope that God watches out for you both."
My sister came up behind me and we looked at the stone together for a moment or two, then began trudging back towards the car where my mother and grandmother were waiting.
As we left to go get some ice cream- yes, we all knew it was winter- I stayed quiet for a long while, wishing for random things.. I wished that I had been able to meet my grandfather. I wished that the man I had seen standing near who I thought was his wife would have good luck, and if there was an afterlife, that he would be able to be with her one day. I wished that no one I knew would have to die anytime soon.