7 Minutes in Heaven

7 Minutes in Heaven Chapter 20

Please refrain your fangirlish screams until the end...thank you. xD

Hope you like--no--love this chapter! xD

But I apologize that it's shorter than my recent chapters...

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The funeral service and Grandma’s burial were probably another one of those overwhelming moments where I broke into pieces about a thousand times. That Thursday was the public viewing, and I clearly remembered saying my eulogy in front of everyone. And much to my surprise, I didn’t choke on my words—I kept it together. My eulogy wasn’t as heart-wrenching like Emmett’s, my mom’s, my cousins, or my grandma’s other children and grandchildren’s. It was more heart-warming with words that made everything seem like Grandma wasn’t really gone. Her presence was still with us, but not in the sense of a ghost.

Sure, I’d recount my memories with her, but they weren’t so deep that I broke down. My brother’s was probably the one that got me the most, using an acrostic, defining why Haneul Sobong was like a true grandmother. And every word I heard rang true, so true that the thought of her made my heart ache.

Still, I had that feeling in the back of my mind that she’d wake up from her coffin, fully alive. But that’s just wishful thinking on my part. Plus it’d be selfish. She died to be free from her pain, and I’m not going to wish for her to be alive again for her to suffer once more. So I guess, in that sense, its best that my wish for that remained unfulfilled.

Nate stopped by at the funeral, and I’m grateful that he and Emmett didn’t come to blows. In fact, I think that might’ve been the first time that they showed sympathy and compassion towards each other. They did a bro hug like they’ve been the best of friends. And when Nate hugged me, Emmett didn’t do or say anything. Not even when I stayed by his side (though that might not have been the best idea since I’ve been trying to convince my brother there’s nothing going on between us).

I watched his neon blue eyes scan my grandma’s lifeless and deadly pale body. My hand reached for his, and he squeezed it tightly. A small, sad smile formed across my face as I watched his stoic face shift to a twisted, pained, and gloomy expression. When I turned him to face me, he pulled me in for a tight hug; I could feel a slight tremor in his body as he had done so.

No words were exchanged between us for we both knew nothing was supposed to be happening in front of my family (i.e. Emmett). We pretended to be mere acquaintances that were only sharing our condolences. It was surprising that Emmett didn’t stare us down nor put up a suspicious expression. It was strange, but better than the usual hostility between them.

When it came to the burial, Nate was there, too, and there wasn’t any enmity either. I stood between those two as I watched her coffin lower into the ground, along with the small cylindrical case of my grandpa’s ashes. My eyes were overwhelmed with tears, and I started hiccupping, sniffling, and shaking all over again. They both held me as my breathing slowly came back to its steady rhythm.

This friendliness was only temporary. Soon enough, come Monday and these two would be trying to kill each other off. That was the only other thing that ran through my mind other than watching Grandma’s burial. And when we came back after an hour, the ground was covered in bouquets and bouquets of flowers. It was beautiful…just like she was and always will be.

The house was silent those two days. No one of us spoke nor dared to look each other in the eye. I knew Grandma didn’t want this to happen, but it was still so devastating. I also never went to school for the rest of the week; I was ever so grateful that Nate still went through the trouble of bringing my makeup work to me, sneaking into the house at night, and taking my finished work back to school the next day.