THE TRUTH OF US : Truth Known. (5)

Where He Lays.

Nate watched.....Looked at me, he was shaking his head.

Another image was coming to mind, more a voice at first.

A child was asking to open my bedroom door, he was told no....."She's asleep.    Little people need their sleep. She'll be cross if we wake her up now. You need to go and play..."

The child didn't care.....He knew what I wanted, and he wanted the door opened......NOW. He told the older voice he'd heard crying...."door OPEN!..".  The child was still told.....No. Then the older voice went away.

After some banging.......The door was opened, and one very pleased child walked in.....Climbed the bed, and informed me.....He was "here".

He gave me a very "sparkle-eye, dimpled-grin"....Look!

"......Do this?..."

Nate moved closer to the door, stayed looking at me.

"Ready?    Now do?..."

"Oh, sorry!...Nate.     Head's been a million miles away at the moment.."

"Scared?       Don't want.....to?..."

I gripped his hand......."Yes.."

We walked into the small building.....George was standing by the coffin, Gus had set up some lighting.....He then moved over to the coffin too.

The coffin looked so....Final.     There was Eddie.

I looked at Nate.....His eyes were wide, solemn expression to his face. The lighting had cast an eerie shadow over him.       He almost didn't look real.

"In the old days.......If a family member died on foreign grounds, a "Heart-Box" would be sent back to the family, the body was burned.    The ashes were spread over water, so their spirit could return..."

George was looking at Nate, Nate squeezed my fingers.....He was listening, eyes not leaving the coffin.

(Hope George let's Nate take this in, he's getting it.      But...He's wanted something else for so long.     Also hope, we aren't lifting the lid!      Nate will be floored)

".......In time, the French's requested the body back on home ground, with them......Some "keep-sake" may have been made and left, with who ever the person or people, the person may have been with. We, French's loved to travel....Couldn't keep us in our own back yards..."

Nate was now standing by the coffin.

Strange images kept moving in and out my head......I couldn't stop them.

Nate rested his hand on the coffin, it was solid oak wood.....Dark in colour, so large and elegant. I really didn't remember it looking this way.....But, it's been awhile since I had last seen it.

"I have a book, I want to pass on to you......Bit of family history, it's all true. Remember that when you read it..."

"......Is Dad....here?       Mom said he was in England...."

I could see more questions coming, still listening......Taking it in?      Please don't lift the lid!

"He's here..."

George tapped the coffin.

"......Edward broke with tradition. Unlike his father, he didn't want his body with us.....And a Heart-Box made. He wanted to be fully here, laid to rest within this country. The decision was not made lightly, some family members still wish to change it.....and..."