Golden Birds

Chapter fifteen

Monday, the day I wasn't excited for.

My mum's funeral.

My emotions were all over the place, one minute I will be trying to be brave the next I will be in tears. We left my house at around 2 o'clock to get there for 14:30, it was held at a beautiful church, my mum's favourite church. She always told me and Vaughn that when she was younger she would run to the church whenever she was down.

Our cars pulls up outside the front door my brother and I jumped out, whilst my dad went off to park. We slowly walked towards the crowd of people outside waiting for us. First my Nan and Grandpa (my mum's mum and dad) come and say hello then her brother and sister - one of my aunts and my uncle. Then more and more people come over including my cousins, I hold my prepared speech in my left hand.

When the door opens we were sat on the front row, I fiddled with the speech in my fingers. My started the service off with a beautiful speech on how they met. Then we all stood to sing a song, mum's favourite lullaby, my eyes started to drizzle. My brother's speech was next and another song but this time it was song by Emily one of my cousins.

Next was my turn I walked slowly up to the stand and cleared my throat: "My mum was a beautiful and wonderful person, who, even to her last days, was kind and caring towards many people." I stuttered a bit, then carried on. "She always wanted me to be happy and she told me that when I think about her, she wants it to be all the happy memories we spent together. She always wanted me and my brother to have the best start in life and I thank her so so much for that. The world will never forget my mum." Everyone clapped and I went and sat back down.

~•~

The reception was held in a large dining hall with all the tables set up ready for a buffet dinner. It was all you could eat but I wasn't really hungry, I was sat at a table with my brother and my 3 cousins- Emily (the eldest- 16 years old), Danny (her brother- 13 years old) and Emma (my uncles daughter-10 years old and about to be a big sister). The tables were meant to seat six therefore there was an empty seat were we dumped all our coats and bags. Emily tried to make small talk but end up just speaking to Vaughn.

I picked at some chicken on my plate and fiddled with my knife and fork, I listen into to my brother's conversation however it was rather boring.

"How did GCSEs go?" Vaughn asked with a mouthful of carrots.

"Oh they were fine, how did Kayla find them?"

"I think she didn't find them that bad..." which was true. "Are you dating anyone or anything?"

"Yeah. I am actually dating this really sweet girl called Esme." she flicked her hazy golden hair over her shoulder. "She has green eyes, like really vibrant green and gorgeous ginger hair with freckles all over her face." My brother looked shocked, not quite sure whether it was the fact she was dating a girl or the fact this girl sounds outstandingly beautiful. There conversation lasted quite a while, by the time they finished it was about 4 o'clock, then everyone but me had a conversation about how everyone was, I just smiled and nodded.