A/N: The funeral time has been changed to morning. Seven am. It's because of her burial. Thank you.
Life is short. Yes. Why should we make it any shorter ourselves? No matter how much I try to understand her, I believe suicide wasn't the best answer to why she was looking for. Why did she have to end it all? Didn't she think a bit about Brianna and Beverly? How was their reaction going to be like?
From the entrance of the small church, white roses are stuck carefully in small flower pots to compliment Neveah's love for roses and flowers as a whole.
Family and close friends take one side of the wooden pews and school mates take the other side. The room is lit with dim light and black clothes highlight the sad mood in the room. How Neveah will so love to see the peace and stillness in this room.
The organist is playing a soft slow song which happens to be one of her favourite hymns. I walk slowly to not make any noise to the front where her mum and sisters are seated.
I spot a very familiar face in the student column in a crisp black Louis Vuitton shirt and I inwardly roll my eyes. Jackson.
Brianna and Beverly are bickering over where their sister is going and their childish mindset brings more tears to my eyes. How was their mum going to explain to the five-year-old twins that their sister wasn't going to come back?
"Quiet", Peyton warns the kids as the minister continues the service. She puts her free arm around the twins and tries her best to conceal her tears. Why did Neveah decide to do this to all of us? What was even her reason?
After the Minister's brief sermon on the world above where she'll be resting peacefully in the bosom of her maker, we finally got the chance to pay our last tribute before the hearse arrives to take over the last part of the small funeral.
Our mates from school take their turns in saying their last goodbye to her while I make light conversations with her cousins from Atlanta in whispers.
"Why is Neveah in the coffin? Hadley says she's sleeping and people don't sleep in coffins", Brianna admits loudly and lots of heads snap to her direction, bringing tears to their eyes if they weren't crying before.
Their innocent minds didn't understand that their sister wasn't going to come back to them and it hurt.
"She'll be sleeping for a very long time, Bria. Now keep quiet and go say bye.", Peyton instructs her calmly and nudges her towards the stage where Neveah's cherry wood casket was laid.
"She was a great girl.", Peyton mumbles in a croaky voice and I nod slowly, thinking of what to tell her. Only tears made their way down my cheeks so I hug her. Beverly joins in the hug and we part.
"She's not going to come back, is she?", She asks me and I nod. Her pretty silver doe eyes pop wide open and I see tears filling them. She might've not understood the impact of not seeing her sister again but I knew she slightly understood what I meant by nodding my head.
I bend down to scoop her into my arms and adjust her on my hip while her mum goes to pay her last respect. Beverly buries get head in the crook of my neck and lets out soft sobs.
It was my turn to go say my last goodbye and I hand Beverly who had already begun to fall asleep to her mum and make my way to the stage.
Her cherry wood casket is covered with her thick flowery blanket and wooden poles stand at the four corners, holding large red candles and incense that smelled like spice. Lots of flowers are around the casket ranging from white to red, purple and lots of bright colours. How Neveah would love to inhale the sweet scent of these flowers. But I doubt it'll ever be possible.
As I stand beside her casket, the pain in my heart feels like the cracking of glass, spreading its pieces throughout my body. I could hardly bear the sight, as I watched my own best friend hidden away in a suffocating casket but what's the difference if she's not going to breathe or even feel hot. It felt as if my bright world had gone dark, like a big curtain being pulled across the sky. Tears streaming down my cheeks, falling to the ground like raindrops. I stood there longing for her to wriggle and break free. My heart slowed as I realized, my very own Neveah isn't going to come back.
"Good morning everyone. I'm Allison Hailey Turner, her best friend. Thirty-eight days ago my best friend passed away. And she left an empty place in my heart; a place that nobody can fill.", I start my eulogy slowly and try my best to keep my tone balanced but a gust of hollowness knocks into me and I let out a small sob.
"June 4 was the saddest and most painful day I've had in my life until now. That day I got the call that my best friend had died. It is a memory that I cannot erase from my mind, either from my heart. Although I told her lots of time that I loved her dearly, I would give anything to turn back time and tell her that I love her one last time, to tell her that without her my life is not complete and that she is a very important part of it.
People say that time heals all wounds, but today I can tell you that's not true. Till today, I feel the same pain in my heart that I felt that Thursday evening.
I know she is closer to me, that no more distance or time difference separates us now. I thank you Neveah Skylah Reynolds for those years of friendship that you gave me. Thank you for everything that you did for me. I want you to know my friend, that I love you with all my heart and that I always remember you. You will always be my Fashionista, my friendly friend.", I end my eulogy with lots of cries and leave the stage.
After a couple of great comments about her, Jackson stands up and all attention turns on him. His eyes are dark with tears but I don't care what he's got to say. why did they allow him in?
"You are leaving
Greeting
From a place that
Empty is without you
I see your eyes shining,
Slowly turning
Into crystal clouds.
That’s how
I will always remember you", he ends his small poem and wipes his cheek.
Several moments later,
I put my hands on the shoulders of the twins who are standing on each side beside me with their tiny arms wrapped around my legs. Beverly who seems to understand more about the gathering has tears in her eyes while Brianna is making pouty faces as they lower the casket into the dugout Earth.
The minister says a few things and throws a shovel full of sand on the casket, earning loud sniffling sounds from the crowd and muffled voices.
"She can't breathe in that box. Mummy, why don't they open it? Neveah told me we need air to breathe when I was doing my science homework!!", Brianna yells defiantly and rushes to push the man covering the void space left after the casket had been lowered in.
"She isn't going to breathe, Bria. Alli says she won't be coming back.", Beverly retorts and their mum puts her hand over their mouths.
"What about the cookies she bakes?", Beverly asks me in a whisper and I smile at her. She understands better than to talk too much.
After her burial, we wash our hands and go out of the cemetery, heading towards the church again. It hurt that she had to let her going be so painful.
This is my first funeral scene and I copied Jackson's poem from Google. I'm sorry if it isn't so good because this is my very first. I'll rewrite it if you want me to.
YOU ARE READING
Dear Neveah,
RomanceNeveah commits suicide few days to her birthday and her best friend, Allison starts writing letters to her after her funeral since they had agreed to never lose contact. But will she receive any of them at all? What about Lucas Clarke who comes int...
