Memories

Chapter 5 - Kayla

The rest of the year progressed on, Matthew and Kayla had taken Bell into their home so that she could get some help. They had moved her into the extra room, sold everything that didn't have true value, such as the couch or sofa.

"Look at this," Bell said, picking out a photo album from under a heap of papers.

Kayla walked over and looked over her mother's shoulder. "I thought that was destroyed or even lost from your and Dad's last move," Kayla said smiling.

"Guess not," Bell said, opening it up.

There were some baby pictures of Kayla, Irene and Selen. There were the odd group picture of the three girls together, and then lots of family portraits. There was the odd page marked off, from when Evan looked through it.

"These are the pictures that Evan loved." Bell said, pulling some of them out.

There was one there Evan was holding Irene and Selen when they were both two years old, and with Kayla on his back when she was about 6. There was another of all the girls in dress up mode, when they were playing house or something. The other was a family picture when they were at the beach.

"I remember Dad showing me these," Kayla said.

The next book-marked picture was of Kayla at her graduation. She was wearing a navy blue ballroom gowned. It was sleeveless, like most of her shirts when she was that age. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, with the stream curled separately. She was beside her high school sweetheart, Gordon Spears.

"I wonder what happened to him," Kayla said, taking the picture from her mother.

Beside it was a group picture of Kayla, Amber, and the third member to their group, Maria. She had moved away after graduation, and they had just heard that she had died from lung cancer.

"And this would be?" Matthew asked seeing a picture of a young girl.

"That was me when I was just a young lady," Bell said giggling. "Before I had these wrinkles."

"Just shows wisdom," Matthew said.

Amelia came by to visit her grandmother that night. They all talked about things, such as Nathan, Marc, Irene, Selen, and Evan. Amelia was lost for over half of the conversation. Soon, her children, Jacob, Jane, and David came over with their father. They were all together late into the night, laughing, and even tearing the odd time.

Kayla looked at the cemetery, her father's tombstone, and then to his right were Irene and Selen's. In front them Kayla's family laid, her three children. Behind Evan, Irene, and Selen were Bell's parents, and her sister whom had died just last week.

"This has been a ruff time for you," the priest said, recognizing Kayla and Matthew.

"Everyone has a time to go," Kayla said, placing a flower at everyone's tombstone.

The priest left them as the casket was lowered into the ground. "Kind of sad when you have buried your sister, two of your children, your husband, and then three of your grand-children." Bell said, partly blind.

"Just means that you have lived a good life." Kayla said, taking her mother's arm.

The three of them walked through the cemetery, walking back to the car. "I guess that I will be next," Bell said, with her year almost up.

"No one know Mother," Kayla said, not ready to lose her mother.

"Could Mrs. Kayla Wilkinson please come up." The priest said.

Kayla's memories vanished as she walked up to the podium. One last memory floated into her mind before she started to talk to the crowd.

Kayla was going through her mother's things. She came across a sheet of paper, fairly aged. On it was the most beautiful poem she had ever seen. She had put the piece of paper into her pocket before she had left for the funeral.

Flowers covered the casket that was raised above the ground. Small amounts of people were there, the few relatives and friends of Bell's that were still alive. Kayla and Matthew were there, of course, with their daughter, and great grand children all in black.

She reached in, remembering that she had it. "This is a writing that my mother did them when is was in her early teens, she said them when she married my father, Evan Shield who died about five years ago next month. I would like to read this to everyone, so they would know what she felt for him, and how she was in her youth, a loving and caring person." Kayla said, laughing lightly, she started looking down onto the sheet of paper.

"Enfold me in your warm embrace, take away me fear, loneliness, and pain, hold me close, never let me go." Kayla paused and looked at her husband. "Wipe away my tears, and heal my soul. Hold me tight my prince, and love me forever. Let our love bind us, under the eyes of those that watch us now." Kayla said looking up smiling.

She had spoken the Wedding Proposal that no one had known about either then her parents, at her father's funeral. She had found it in a box of things that her father had kept. She had found the vows in the same box that her mother had used.

Every one clapped as she stepped down.

"This concludes the funeral for Bell Shields." The reverend said, and the crowds began to leave. Kayla and Matthew stayed behind, watching as the flowers were removed and the casket lowered.

"Well, they are together now, right?" Kayla asked, looking at the two tombstones side by side.

"I'm sure they are." Matthew said as he put his arm around her and lead her away.

Kayla lay in her bed beside her husband. She was due to give out at any point. Her heart had met the limit; it was on its last few beats. Matthew held her close as her heart gave out and stopped pumping. Just before it totally gave out, he kissed her once more, and told her that he loved her more than anything. She told him the same thing, and then she left him forever.