There Is a Fountain/ No, It Don't Make Sense

"There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains." The funeral congregation sang as the coffin was brought out of the church towards the gravestones.

The simple white coffin was carried by three of Stoffel's cousins and three of his young friends.

The day of the funeral was wet, the rain pitifully falling from the heavens as if it wasn't even trying.

"The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day.
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away."

Several more friends volunteered to serve as pall-bearers, but they were deemed too small to shoulder the burden. Recent heavy rains made the Oxfordshire clay soil glow, as Stoffel Vandoorne, just two months shy of fourteen, was laid to his final rest.

Fernando stood against a tree, hand over his eyes as tears ran down his face.

"God forgive me what I think. God forgive me what I wish right now." He mumbled angrily to himself.

A news reporter caught his arm, a cameraman shadowing him. "Well, you must've known Stoffel pretty well."

Fernando turned his gaze to the ground. "Yessir, I did."

"Then this must be a mighty hard day for you."

"Did you ever hear his laugh?
When he laughed, you swore you'd never cry again.
Did you ever see him smile?
His smile was like a glass of lemonade.
And he said funny things,
And he wore handsome clothing,
And he liked to see the pictures at the City Hall,
And he loved ridin' swings,
And he liked cotton candy,
But I think he liked the pictures best of all."

Nando's voice cracked as his sobs caught in his throat.
"No, it don't make sense to me
That he won't be around.
No, it don't make sense to me
To put him in the cold and lonely ground.
And no, it don't make sense
The way the world can let you fall---
I swear it don't make sense to me at all."

Somehow, during their walk, they made it to where the rest of the funeral party was standing after the burial.

"Dear dying Lamb,
Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its pow'r."

"He had two crooked teeth." Pierre, one of their classmates said.

"He had cuts on his fingers." Charles wiped tears from his eyes, letting new ones pool in their place.

"He worked next to me last summer." Lando rubbed his arm, remembering when he and Stoff had worked at the leisure centre in town.

"Once a week we used to play," Dan added as the group recalled the football games they played every Saturday

"And he knew how to read." Max wrapped his arms around his middle. He'd been close to Stoff, the elder helping him with the school's required reading. Max had moved from the Netherlands and spoke very little English, Stoffel had been one of the first people to help him settle into life in England.

"He would smile at the foreman." Lance sighed. Stoffel was always the polite one in their group, he was always smiling at vendors and cashiers, saying 'thank you' whenever the situation called for it. He had quite a reputation around town for it.

"And I can't believe they took my friend away," The group sobbed, Nando joining them.

"No, it don't make sense to me.
That he will not be there."

Their whole class were attending the funeral, the death of their classmate rattling them to their bones.

School was never going to be the same again.

"When he laughed, you swore you'd never cry again." Fernando wiped his nose on the back of his hand.

"No, it don't make sense to me."

"He loved when I brushed his hair." Stoffel's mother wailed into her husband's shoulder.

"And no, it don't make sense,

They way the sun can still burn down.

No, it don't make sense to me."

"God forgive me what I think." Nando muttered.

The news reporter turned back to Nando. "Tell me, son, you got any idea who it was?"

"God forgive me what I wish right now.
I don't know the coward's name.
I don't know the bastard's face.
But I swear right now to God;" He glowered, whipping around to face the camera.

"He ain't never gonna get away with what he done to Stoffel!"

Fernando curled his fist, voice raising with every syllable.

"Let him quiver in his boots!
Let him run until he bleeds!
I won't rest until I know-" Dan and Pierre grabbed his arms, pulling him back slightly, Nando struggling against their grip.

"He's burning in the ragin' fires of Hell forevermore!"

"There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins."

"God forgive me what I think," Nando snarled.

"And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains." The congregation's song finished, the sound of the knell ringing

"God forgive me what I wish right now."

And with that, Fernando broke down, sobbing into Dan's arms as the other held him tightly.