Teaser

A Chapter by JWidener

A short excerpt of what the story will become. Not a huge giveaway, but I feel enough to entice a reader.

“Autumn was a wonderful girl and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that her passion for life inspired us all to do great things.” The speaker wiped his hands and looked over at the casket that sat as the centerpiece of the room. “She was a great daughter.” He said solemnly. “Her time on Earth was short but her life was full: full of laughter: full of love: full of wonderful friendship.” He glanced over to Jerry and Tabitha, who were sitting in the front row.

“As her father, I feel I was gifted. Not only to have had the opportunity to raise such a brilliant and loving young woman, but to have had the opportunity to have that same young lady as a friend: as a best friend. It didn’t matter what happened. It didn’t matter if we were angry with each other. She always found the time to talk about her problems.”

He looked at the audience that he spoke to. There were all ages dressed in different styles of formal clothing. “I think I can safely say that,” he paused, “I think I can say that Autumn would have wanted us to be happy today. Not happy that she is gone, but happy that she had lived. We should all be glad to have had the opportunity to be a piece of her life. Thank you.” He stepped off the podium stand and moved over to his seat next to his mother and Angela, Autumn’s best friend.

“That was beautiful.” Angela said as she gripped his arm. She had helped Autumn’s dad through most of the planning process. Her guidance and support had been most of what helped him get through it all without going insane.

“I just didn’t know what to say. I had the speech planned out, but after I got up there, I just didn’t think that it would cut it.” He wiped a few tears from his eyes. The rest of the ceremony went by faster than he imagined. Before he knew, it was time for them to move the casket.

A crew of funeral home workers gathered around the casket after it had been prepped to be moved. With a single motion, they moved the casket into the air, supported by six pairs of hands donned in white gloves. It was a simple touch the funeral home director insisted on implementing.

A crowd gathered outside as the hearse began to move away from the home a graveyard that was under a mile away. One of Autumn’s wishes was to have people follow her on foot to her final resting place. Thirty people of various relationships to her followed slowly behind the hearse. There were few dry eyes in the group.

A prayer was read after they arrived to her gravesite and her father finally broke down after the crew started to lower her body into the Earth. After the ceremony, he sat on the ground next to her grave.

“Hey, Mr. Anders.” Angela said as she walked up behind him. She knelt down and made sure to properly cover herself. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m forty years old and I’m getting counseling from a sixteen year old. How do you think I’m holding up?”

His outburst took her off guard.

“I’m sorry, Angela. I just… I don’t know why it had to be her. Why she had to be the one to go.” Tears built up in his eyes once more. “I don’t know what to do. What do I do?” He said as his voice began to quiver beyond comprehension.

“You live. Make a legacy for her.” She said as she pulled him into an embrace. “Live for her.”

“And if I can’t?”

“You can. Your love for her will power that. I promise.”

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