Happy Accidents

Kate

*AutumnUnderTheSea's Part*

As I stood up to sing the final hymn, I quickly glanced around the room, taking in the faces of Mr. Norm's family and friends. My sister gave me a sideways look, so I turned back to the blue book she was holding. I attempted to sing along with Amazing Grace, but I could tell I was butchering any hints of amazing-ness or graceful-ness that the song possessed in the process.  

When the singing concluded we sat back down to listen to a priest deliver the final words of the service. "Norm will be dearly missed by all here, and though I only knew him as the local milkman, I know he was so much more than that to everyone in this room". 

Someone sitting a few rows up scoffed, then tried to pass it off as a cough. I could feel my sister Vicky glaring up at this person, before her husband, Spencer, patted her shoulder and they turned their attention back to the priest. 

He finished with, "Thank you all for attending, a light lunch will be served in the conjoined room before we proceed to the burial site." At this everyone stood and slowly filled to the back of the building. My sister grabbed my arm and motioned to Spencer. He was up at the front talking to Mr. Norm's wife. We walked up there to join him. "... It was just so sudden," I heard his wife say, "and unexpected" 

"I was shocked as well when I heard. I don't think anyone expected this, especially when he had just started hiring more milk delivery men." Spencer stated. 

I started zoning out, and thinking about Mr. Norm. I'd known him my entire life, as many people in this town have. He was the local milkman, and just about everyone got their dairy products from him. I did not know him very well, though, until he hired another delivery man, Spencer, and had him start delivering our milk. When Spencer started dating my sister, I started seeing a lot more of Mr. Norm because because they needed someone to look after me when they wanted alone time, and who better than the most trust-worthy man in town? He started taking me on his milk routes, where I got to know him surprisingly well.  

He'd started delivering milk when he was 12 years old, and he had loved it. He had stayed with that service until he was 36, and the owner had retired and the business was shut down. He then moved out into a more rural area, here, where he met his wife and started his own milk delivery service when he was 40 and couldn't find good work. At 64 his business began expanding as the town grew, so he hired Spencer. Two years after that, when I was four, Vicky started dating Spencer, and Mr. Norm started taking care of me. When Spencer married Vicky four years after that, Norm promoted him to manager and hired two more delivery men. This worked well for about seven years, when the town grew even larger, so he started hiring again, but just a few months after he started hiring, he suffered a major stress related heart attack, and passed away. 

" Oh yes, I know, which reminds me, are you coming to the reading of the will this evening?" Mr. Norms wife asked. 

"I was not planning on it, why?" Spencer said.  

"Well, he spoke very fondly of you, and not to mention, as manager, the ownership of his milk delivery business is being transferred to you. I'm sure he would want you to be there when that is declared officially." 

"Well yes, I suppose it would be proper of me to be there for that," he turned to my sister, "Victoria, would you like to join me?"  

Vicky looked up from the spot she was staring at, "Of course, Spence." 

"Well then it's settled, you'll be there" she said happily.  

"I guess it is" Spencer said, laughing. They said their goodbyes before the three of us went to go eat. 

We got into the line and grabbed plates. I walked past most of the food, only grabbing a spoon full of soggy green beans, and a heavily iced piece of chocolate cake. I turned from the food table and quickly searched for my sister and brother-in-law. Spencer raised his hand up and waved me over to where they were seated.  

As I started walking over, I noticed I forgot to grab a fork. I walked back to the line to grab my utensil. When I spun back around to go to my seat, I almost rammed into the woman standing behind me.  

"Oh!" I exclaimed, "Pardon me, ma'am."  

"Oh, that's quite alright," the lady said with a smile. 

I flashed a quick grin back at her before continuing on the path to my seat. About half way to the table though, the worst possible thing happened - I tripped. I could feel the plate fly out of my hand, and stop with a squish. I looked up from my spot on the floor to see the girl standing over me. 

My eyes widened as I took in the scene. She pulled the plate off of her shirt slowly. My cake had smeared all over the front of her button-down, and completely coated her tie. My green beans were running down her pants, and strait onto her shoes, along with the majority of the icing from my cake. "Oh my goodness! I am so, so sorry! Let me help you with that!"  

I reached to grab her some napkins from a near by table, but she put her arm out to stop me. "Just..." she started angrily, "Just leave it" she sighed. 

She walked out of the room before anyone could say another word. I looked up, the eyes of nearly everyone in the room were trained on me. I rushed to my seat and buried my head in my arms, where, with sick realization, I noticed not a drop of food had landed on me.