Rescue Me

Rescue Me: Prologue

Prologue

“We gather here today in remembrance of Jose Hernandez. He was a dear friend to many, a loving father, and a wonderful husband,” The preacher began at the funeral. I looked around the room, analyzing all of my father’s closet people. Yep that’s right, this man here that died is my father. He died in a car accident involving a drunk driver. Many people in this room I don’t know but they must have known him enough to come and pay their respects. I looked to my mother. She was trying to be brave for me but I could see in her eyes she was holding back tears. She just lost the love of her life. I would be a blubbering mess if it were me. I looked toward my abuela (grandma) and abuelo (grandpa). She was crying and he was holding her and as stubborn as he was, he did not shed a tear, though you could see his eyes were pained. I grabbed my mom’s hand and she looked at me. I whispered to her, “Su bien a llorar mamá,” (its okay to cry ma). She smiled sadly at me as tears started to fall from her eyes “Gracias hija,” (thank you daughter) I smiled at her and looked back towards the priest. “Now, Jose Hernandez’s wife, Julie Hernandez will speak,” He gestured up toward the podium. She squeezed my hand and I squeezed back. She sighed and slowly walked to the stand.  “As many of you may know Jose Hernandez was a very nice man. He could see the bright side in anything,” She stopped to take a heavy breath “I remember when I was pregnant with Raine and I was having severe mood swings he would just take them full force and just smile. And I would ‘say why are you always smiling every time I see you, you have on this smile what is it?’ Then he would say ‘I smile because today I have a beautiful wife, a child on the way, and that I’m alive, that’s a lot to smile about,’. He made me laugh that day,” Everyone was smiling because it was true my dad was a good person. “I don’t think I will ever find a good man as good as Jose and that I will always love him from the bottom of my heart. My one true love, Jose,” After she finished I had tears in my eyes. Everyone clapped and then others came up and gave their speeches and soon it was my turn. “Today instead of a speech I will recite a poem,” I took a deep breath and unraveled the poem

My Dad

©Leah Hendrie

If I could write a story
It would be the greatest ever told
Of a kind and loving father
Who had a heart of gold

If could write a million pages
But still be unable to say, just how
Much I love and miss him
Every single day

I will remember all he taught me
I'm hurt but won't be sad
‘coz he'll send me down the answers
And he'll always be MY DAD

Daddy's Girl

© Jazmyn M. Winder

He has been there for every single
day of my life
He has been the provider through all
the struggle and strive
I would be lost if he hadn't shown me
the way
I don't know that I would have made it
from day to day
I am so very lucky for all he has
done
Out of all dads, he was the very best one

www.FamilyFriendPoems.com

I closed the paper and looked back to the crowd.  “Thank You,” I said as I left the stand. People clapped and my mother beamed proudly at me. I sat down and watched quietly through the rest of the memorial.