Phoenix Rising (re-writing)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I didnt get there until five minutes before noon. I really wanted to avoid my dad. He seems mad I'm late, but he wouldn't say anything in front of witnesses. I take a seat in the front row beside Elliott. I hate open caskets. Why is this a tradition? They never look right. I look everywhere but at Nana. I look at the flowers that have been arranged to be big and bushy bouquets. I look at the carpet trying to find faces in the patterns. A stranger comes up and Talks about Loss. I tune him out. He talks for a long time and I'm certain he never says a thing.

"Dayjanerah, Come on up sweetheart." I hear the click of heels muffled by carpet walking to the podium beside Nana. Elliott gasps and taps my leg. We meet eyes and he uses his eyes to tell me to look. Curiosity gets the better of me as I look up to see Nix's toned legs. I force my eyes up higher taking in her appearance. She is wearing a black dress that exposes her back. Her hair is styled to the side in perfect curls. The dress hangs slightly above her knees, it swooshes as she walks. It has a deep V that hangs off her shoulders. It isn't revealing at all, its rather modest for my generation, but she sure fills it out. I can see my guitar pick tucked in the dress. It stirs my stomach that she still wears it despite the ass I have been. Her lips are tinted red bringing out the blue in her eyes. She has light eye makeup that really makes her blue eyes shine.

"Thank you." She takes a calming breath. "To those of you that don't know me I am Dayjanerah Spade-Koenig. I was a close friend of Lou, or Nana as I so affectionately called her. Lou was an exceptional woman that brightened every room she walked in. She was my hero." She pauses smiling. "She was kind and gracious with an understanding I can only hope to acquire with age. I meet Nana in my darkest hour, and she showed me how to see in the dark. Lou was the kind of woman you don't say no to, at least not without facing her wrath." Someone giggles softly. She thanks them with her eyes. She looks so comfortable standing up there. Its weird considering how awkward she normally is in large crowds. She is always so shy; she looks sexy as hell the way she is radiating confidence. She seems as she is in her element. "Nana was a fun-loving free spirit. She played pranks and loved to cheat at cards." I always knew she cheated. By the laughter she received I'd say others always suspected as well. "I have known loss greatly in my few years on this earth, however the devastation I feel at the loss of Nana is incomparable. Nana was more than my friend. She was my teacher. She taught me how to braid my hair and most of all how to cherish the little things. She will always be in my memories as the strong wonderful woman that showed me how to find beauty in the worst of storms. Nana, loved nature, and would frequently take long walks by the river, she enjoyed laughter and cherished all those around her with a love that will continue to light the paths of those she loved." She takes a pause before continuing. "There are so many things I wish I could tell her today. First all I want to thank her, for the memories and for loving me as her own. I want to thank her for laughter I will always hear in the breeze. I want to tell her that I promise to always strive to be the person she believed I could be. I was asked to keep it short today, so I can open the podium to friends and family to share memories of the wonderful woman I have come to know. So, with that I have one last thing to say." She pauses composing tears. She steadies her breathing before continuing. "Take hold of the man with holes in his hand and he will lead you straight home." My dad makes a disapproving tone. He has always been an atheist and requested to keep religion out of the service, I disagreed, Nana was always firm in her beliefs of God. I was overruled. She walked from the podium with her head held high never looking back. Against my hopes she did as she was asked and walked out the double doors never looking back. After her many others had come with stories or memories of Nana. The best of which was Barry, who to my shock was the same man from taco bell. He introduced himself as her boyfriend of two years. It took effort to keep my jaw closed. He talked of Nanas sense of humor and the jokes she enjoyed playing on her grandsons. According to his rendition of that night, Nana had requested he meet her at taco bell because she wanted to prank me. He talked about how they had many laughs over my reactions. Elliott seemed in on the joke by his sly smile.