Envelope Challenge

Chapter 34 - The Funeral

Well, my few followers, you reached it and you passed it. At 253 reads, I'm a little bit late from the 240 check point, but better late than never right? I was writing this for like an hour when my computer crashed and, of course, my auto save wasn't working so I last the original draft to this chapter. I hope you aren't too offended by the changes.

Enjoy!

Yellow tulips and white carnations were everywhere. Everywhere she looked, her vision was full of white and yellow, her mother's favorites. They were in bouquets from the guests in the back, woven into garlands and hung or in vases placed on pedestals around the casket. A smooth dark oak, it worked well with the multitude of flowers. The cushioned steel seats were few, only about twenty-five, but every seat had an occupant. Just like the other two days had been, the sky was overcast and a noticeable wind was blowing.

Polly was on the edge of the first row, her chair complimented by the crutches beside her. Nathaniel was to her left, holding her hand gently. As the service progressed and the priest continued about how her mother was with God now, the pressure on his hand from hers increased, but he never complained.

Finally her time came. With the words from the priest drawing her forward, she hobbled up on her crutches to the closed casket, careful not to be too much pressure on her broken hand. Nathaniel tried convincing her to go in the wheel chair because of her arm, but she refused, saying she wanted to pay her mother respect by standing as she said her farewells. With the audience silent around her, she took her time to gently caress the lid of the coffin. Tears wanted to fall, but sheer willpower kept them inside.

"Mother," she started and cleared her throat when it came out too clogged. "You were always a good mother to me. Like that one time I stayed out too late with my friends. You had the entire neighborhood get out and search for me. When I finally got home, you grounded me for a week while crying and hugging the life out of me. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but I get it now.

"Thank you for making me into the best person I can be. You never accepted me telling you that I was tired or that..." She paused to hiccup. "That I just didn't want to do it. I'm so sorry for all those times I told you that you weren't right. I'm sorry when I disobeyed you."

I'm sorry I ran away from you without clearing out our argument. She didn't say it, but it was a prevalent thought in her mind. Tears streamed down her face and flooded her mouth, making her incapable of saying anything else. After standing there for a few silent minutes, Nathaniel finally put her out of her misery and walked up to her. He put his arm around her waist and she leaned into him, allowing him to lead her off the stage and back to her seat. She buried her face in her hands.

Nathaniel rubbed her arms during the rest of the service. Friends came up and told their stories, some happy, some sad, others melancholy. She didn't listen either way. Her pulse pounded in her ears, obstructing anything she might have been able to hear. She focused on that dull, sharp ache in her chest and the feel of Nathaniel's hand on her arm, the heat of the torso she was curling into.

When the time came to greet the mourning family, she stood up and crutched her way over to the greeting area. There she stood with Nathaniel supporting her. She had to leave one of the crutches to shake hands and hug and accept condolences over and over repeatedly. Friends were the only ones in that graveyard. Discretely looking up, she feared the sky would start to rain and ruin the funeral.

"I'll be back," Nathaniel lowered his head to whisper into her ear. She gave a nod while pasting a smile on her face and shaking hands with Mrs. Kingo. He stepped away from her and began to walk away.

The funeral wasn't turning out as he expected it to. It had been completely anti-climactic and utterly mundane. Yes, it had torn him up to see Polly so destroyed by her mother's death, but he expected his old gang to try get her back. If there was one thing they hated, it was getting what was 'theirs' taken away. Why would they sit on their hands while they had the chance to get her back?