Set against the backdrop of the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak, a young woman, Gravely Eaton, is stuck working at the family funeral home with a father she hates. The world is dying around her, but there seems no escape from her boring life with no friend...
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When you're driving city streets in any hearse, let alone one that is almost 65 years old, whether there's a casket in the back or not, you draw stares from people. You can tell from their faces, some folks are respectful, some are curious and some appear turned off. I've actually seen a couple of individuals, seniors mostly, stop and bow their heads, even take off their hats, as our funeral procession rolled by on our way to a cemetery. But I think the majority of curious onlookers are genuinely repulsed by the sight of the vehicle since most folks have an aversion to death and dead things.
One overprotective mom with two kids in tow actually made her little ones face away from the road when our hearse approached them, shielding the innocents from any hint of their mortality. Maybe a passing funeral coach is a rude reminder of peoples' own mortality, something they don't want to acknowledge. It's funny but sitting in the back seat of the hearse with Healy, a few days after our encounter with Crim and Domagio, my outlook on such things had changed. Instead of taking stock of who on the sidewalk was staring at our big black car of death, I couldn't help but wonder if any of them were themselves, gravers. And the very people who might've shunned a look at our drive-by could just as easily be sitting beside a dead person on a park bench. It was just another example of how my world had been turned on its head.
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True to his word, Justin found us the perfect picnic table under the perfect shade tree in High Park. It was a mild, sunny September day, and the park was alive with lovers, families, and kids playing in a nearby baseball diamond. As we chowed down on our sandwiches, Justin regaled us with stories of his life back in India, and Healy spoke about growing up on the east coast. It was nice to hear adventurous tales about faraway places. I'd never traveled outside of Ontario, so there was a vicarious pleasure in hearing about the other side of the world. I spoke about my dream to travel the world, and the boys suggested I had to start living on my own terms. Go beyond my comfort level. Then Healy got an idea.
"For starters, you should get your driver's license," he said enthusiastically. "Justin and I can give you lessons."
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