Part One - Part Two
The Wake (3 of 4)
12.5.5
He walked slowly down a long hallway with many doors. Being such a fragile old man, he took only very short steps. His sons stood next to him, one on each side. The rest of his family followed close behind.
Leading the group was a funeral director in a well-pressed suit. He glanced over his shoulder every few seconds to ensure that the group was still behind him. After what seemed like several minutes, we reached an open door, which he then stood by. He raised his arm gracefully and motioned towards the room.
My grandfather entered and immediately came to a halt. There she was. His wife of over half a century lay there in a polished aluminum casket.
His legs lost their strength, and he began to fall to his knees. His sons came to his aid before they touched the floor. When he had regained his balance, they walked him over to the coffin, and helped him to kneel down next to the woman he loved.
She wore a white dress with ornate gold embroidery. He looked down at her, and placed his hands upon hers. The room watched in silence as he spoke to her through heavy tears. Occasionally he would look up at those around him and comment on how nice they had made her look. Everyone agreed.
He stayed there for several minutes, talking to her. Telling her how beautiful she was, and how much he loved her. Every set of eyes in the room was fixed on this display of love. I watched as various gazes would occasionally turn towards my grandmother, then quickly turn away...eyes shutting.
After some time, he rose to his feet, and took a seat in a chair facing her.
The room was quiet conversation. Small groups of people shared memories and cried together. One by one, each person took their place at her side to say their final goodbye. Some spoke aloud, while others did so in silence. When it was my turn, I approached her and knelt down.
For a few moments I just looked at her. I had never seen anyone's remains before, as this was my first real experience with death. I had known a couple people who had died in the past, but never anyone I was too close to.
She looked different, but familiar. I reached down and touched her hands with mine, but immediately withdrew them. Her body was unexpectedly cold. It seemingly sent a shock through my fingers.
I don't remember exactly what I mumbled inside my head. I know I told her I loved her, and that I would miss her. Anything specific is lost to me now, though.
When I was finished, my grandfather called me and I sat next to him. "Do you think that she's in heaven now?" he asked me.
The night before the wake, I had slept in my grandmother's bed. My grandfather had his own bed on the other side of the house (With their health problems, they had long since forgone tradition for comfort). Before I drifted off to sleep, I had wandered around her room, looking at things I had seen all my life.
I suppose I had never really understood the extent of my grandmother's religious beliefs. I knew that she believed in God, and every now and then she would tell me that she was praying for me, but that was about it.
However, as I looked around the room, I noticed a section of her dresser that was dedicated to religious trinkets. I had seen all of this before, but until now, it hadn't occurred to me exactly how many there were.
In the same way, I had never thought it possible that my grandfather was so uncertain about the afterlife. I had never really seen him as anything but happy, in love, and sure that he would always be with his wife.
"Do you think that she's in heaven now?" The question seemed to echo through the silence.
"Yes," I reassured him. "Of course."
To be continued...
