Ghost - Elmax

Chapter 40 : Burial

The next days were very long and emotionally hard. Jane organized the entire burial with the help of Max, even if the redhead didn't do much, but, at least, she was there for her girlfriend.

Now, they were getting ready for the day. Jane was stressing a lot because she didn't want to see all her family again. They would be as awful as for her sister's burial, and she didn't need that, she was feeling bad enough. The two girls were at the funeral parlor, enabling the family to watch the body one last time. Her grandparents were there with her cousins. The two old people didn't say anything, while Jane's cousins greeted warmly the girls with heavy hearts. They weren't there for Constance's funeral, and it was regrettable; she didn't have too much problems with them, they were weird but not mean, and they seemed happy to meet Max, smiling to her despite their tears. A doctor opened the door and welcomed them inside, explaining the situation, before leaving them. Her cousins and grandparents began to walk in the hall, letting the two girls alone and behind.

- "You don't have to, you're not forced, really," told Jane with her voice down to not break the silence.

- "I know, don't worry for me," softly smiled Max.

Jane lightly nodded. She took a deep breath and was going in direction of the room, one of her cousins passed on the other way, tears falling from his eyes. Jane barely looked at him, not wanting to break down before being in the room. Her grandparents and cousins were in a moment of contemplation, sobbing in silence. Jane slowly entered to discover her mother's face one last time. Her heart became heavier than before, like if it was weighting tons. Tears came instantly in her eyes, but she didn't wanna cry, so she bit her right hand and tensed her left hand on herself.

Max saw for the first time Jane's mother in real life. She had already seen her in pictures, but it was different. She gave some space to Jane, knowing it was hard enough for her.

After half an hour, the men of the funeral home arrived to lay out the corpse in coffin. The girls separated from the others to go in their car and make a procession behind the hearse, followed by her cousins and grandparents' cars. It was Jane who was driving this time.

- "Your cousins seem nice," told Max.

- "Yeah, they can be. I hadn't seen them a lot, they weren't here for Constance's funeral, I don't know why," answered Jane.

- "Maybe your grandparents didn't tell them!"

- "I wouldn't be surprised!"

Max had a weak amused smile. Her girlfriend was so unlucky, it was a miracle she didn't give up before with a family like that, her sister really saved her life, and Max couldn't be happier about this.

The cars of the procession parked next to the hearse. The priest came to bless Jane's mother's body before coming back inside the church. The men of the funeral parlor took the coffin on their shoulders and went at the head of the procession, while the close family was behind. Once everyone ready, they all entered the church with the music and the persons already inside turning to them. Max recognized her friends, Mike, Will, James, Joyce, Dustin, Suzie, Beverly, Moussa, Lucas, Gabrielle, Troy, Juan, and Abigail. She was glad they could all come, it was an important support for Jane, even if the girl didn't look around, not wanting to see the sad faces.

Jane didn't stand during the entire ceremony. Even if she loved her mother, she still had a problem with religion. She didn't write a testimony for her mother, not because of the religion, but because she was unable to write something nice with happy memories. She found any.

She had to hear again the beginning of her mother's sickness. Jane was ten years old. Martin, her mother, and she were at the supermarket. It was a Saturday afternoon, they were buying pizzas for the diner, like they used to do. Jane was with her mother, following her, but her mother kept looking at her with a frown and tried to lose her in the market many times, until she yelled "STOP FOLLOWING ME! I DON'T KNOW YOU!" in the middle of the shop. Jane didn't understand at first, but then, her mother hit her with her bag, and everything changed since that day.