Raising Laila

Chapter 4 - 'Oh The Places You Will Go'

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'since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage'

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November 1, 2017: 11.12am. 

The day of the funeral came around faster than anybody had hoped, while Karl and Jade had taken great care in planning it all, everybody felt unprepared. When elderly family members died, somehow it felt different as if everybody had kind of been expected to attend the funeral although this was completely unexpected and nobody felt good about it. 

Karl and Jade as well as the other adults involved had debated whether or not to let Laila attend, she's only six and in any other scenario would possibly not be involved in the funeral but with her own parents they decided that she deserved the chance to say goodbye, they didn't want her to look back in a few years time and wish she had attended. 

Leigh Anne, Perrie and Jesy had all travelled from their various homes in south England to attend the funeral and Jed had flown in from Los Angeles to attend. Jade didn't remember when but at some point since the accident a message had been posted on their Instagram page explaining and blocking any comments, Jade didn't need to read them right now. 

It had been almost ten days since the accident happened, Jade, Karl and their family members were all still processing the information. They all found it increasingly hard to stop thinking about the horrific accident as the scar down Laila's ear proved a constant reminder of what happened. Nobody really knew how Laila was feeling, she didn't share with anybody instead choosing to revert back into herself for the majority of the time very rarely becoming animated, more often shouting at something or somebody as she got cross or angry. 

"Laila?" Jade called deciding to explain what was going to happen at the funeral for the second time today. "Come and have a chat with me and Shireen," she said.

Sitting quietly down at the kitchen table and swinging her legs that were still not touching the floor. 

"So you know that we're going to the funeral today right?" Jade started, Laila nodding in response. "I just wanted to check that you understood what was going to happen?" 

"Yeah, I know. You've already told me," This is what everybody had to deal with for the past few days, blunt, slightly rude Laila. Nobody really wanted to tell her off though, they weren't in the mood for shouting at a child and she had been through a lot and they didn't want to add being in trouble constantly to the mix. 

"Okay, there is no need to be rude. We just wanted to check how you were feeling about it? You know, I'm a little nervous," Jade admitted, hoping that explaining her own fears would encourage Laila to do the same. 

"You are?" she asked quietly, turned around to fiddle with the strap on Jade's dress. 

"Yeah, I am and it's okay if you are too," 

"I'm not, I'm a big girl," she said indignantly. 

"Yeah, you are, we know. But you know that there is going to be lots of people there, and some of them might be a little bit upset and it's okay if you're upset too, but if you don't want to cry then you don't have too. If people want to talk to you, you just be polite and kind, okay as much as you can," Jade struggled to explain. 

"I dunno," she said pulling at her black funeral dress. 

"It's okay, you'll be fine..." Jade thought for a moment, "You've been so big and brave and we are all really really proud of you, can you just be really brave for one more day for me please,"