This is an excerpt from my newest
writing project, currently untitled…yet a work in progress:
…The
mass was quick, and the family priest was kind. He talked about the Marty he
knew. The Marty who showed up at mass quite frequently with his family;
daughter Lisa and wife Sara. Joe listened as the priest spoke about Marty, the
loving father and husband. Joe respected
Marty through the words of the priest, and continued to show support to the
grieving “sisterhood”. Before the mass
ended, the priest offered his condolences to Sara first, then to Lisa, and then
to Marty’s sister Susan. He left Joe for last. Susan heard the priest whisper
to Joe, “Take care of this family.” Joe nodded and shook the priest’s hand. He
understood what his duty was as Sara’s new husband. He had been taking care of them all along
since Sara and Marty divorced some time ago...They all got into Joe’s car and
followed the hearse to the crematory.
The ride to the crematory was a short one. No one spoke in the car, not
even Joe. Joe just kept his eyes on the hearse in front of him and followed it
slowly. This was the final step in laying Marty to rest. This was the real
goodbye. The Funeral Director came over
to the car and asked if anyone wanted to actually be present at the cremation.
The entire “sisterhood” nodded in the affirmative, as they wiped away tears
with a handful of crumpled tissues. All three exited the car, as Joe followed
behind. The Funeral Director warned that this may not be an easy thing to
witness and gave the ladies a chance to respectfully back out. Instead, they
joined hands and followed the Funeral Director inside the crematory. Joe
continued to follow behind to show his support.
…They were seated in a plain room with a glass wall, in which they
witnessed the cremation. It was not a
simple or a short process. It took a bit of time, and it was as unpleasant to
witness, as the Funeral Director warned.
It seemed as if the “sisterhood” was temporarily being held in a torture
chamber. Only they were there by choice and not by force. They were the ones
being tortured as they sat through the cremation process. Although they did not
see much since the door was closed after the casket was placed inside the
crematory and the process started, the noise from the cremation chamber along
with their imaginations was blood-curdling and seemed much louder than
expected. It sounded like jet engines. Marty, thankfully, was home free and
clear. He saw and heard nothing. His anguished soul moved on. It was now time
for the “sisterhood” to move on, as well.
The Funeral Director escorted all four of them back to Joe’s car, and
assured Lisa that he would contact her as soon as her father’s ashes were
placed in the urn of her choosing. He
promised her that all will be handled properly and that she is not to worry. He
shook everyone’s hands and once again offered his condolences. They got into
the car, and Joe took them out for a late lunch at a nearby diner where they
ate lightly, mourned heavily, and prayed for peaceful healing.
