Darling Girl by Watkins Terry H

Author:Watkins, Terry H
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Green Writers Press
Published: 2018-01-16T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

1963 — Funeral

MY GRAMPA DIED. In the bathtub. Of something called a cerebral hemorrhage. I had to ask somebody how to spell that.

Now we take him home to be with his people. To Illinois. Henry David was born there, and since he’s younger than me, I guess I must have been there, but I don’t remember it. All I know is it’s a long way away up north, where everything is different. I asked Mama if we weren’t his people, and shouldn’t he be buried near us, but she said no, he needed to go home. To be with Bumpy and Mimi, who were his mother and father. Bumpy, Mama’s grandpa, died before I was born, so I never knew him. There are pictures of me with Mimi when I was a baby, but I don’t really remember her, except when I look at those pictures and close my eyes I can smell lavender and feel scratchy lace.

We have to fly to get there, and there’s a big discussion about who should go and who should stay behind and where everybody will stay when we get there. Mama says we are all too young to go, and don’t need to be involved with funerals, and everybody can stay home with Granny. I get to go, because I’m the oldest and Grampa and I were so close.

All my grownups act odd. Gramma sits and stares and doesn’t answer questions. Mama doesn’t cry. She is quiet and cold and gets everything done. Daddy is mad at everybody and everything. Being sad or scared makes Daddy mad, so he yells. They went to the funeral parlor to make arrangements for how we’d get Grampa to Illinois, and who would take care of him once we got there. Mama and Daddy were arguing about it when they got back. I guess it costs a lot of money to die.

Gramma is staying with us for now, because her house is too sad without Grampa. She shares my room, sleeping in the other twin bed while Granny sleeps with the boys. Gramma only cries when she thinks I am sleeping.

Gramma and Mama find no comfort in each other’s company. I’ve always known they are angry with each other about something, but they never say what. Mama doesn’t much like her brother, Uncle Teddy, who lives where Grampa will be buried. I didn’t know you could not like your family until I saw Mama with hers. They are distant and unattached to each other. Mostly, our family is Daddy’s family, but they have no part in this sadness. The only one of them who knew Grampa very well is Granny, and she’s so used to people dying that it hardly makes her sad at all.

Uncle Teddy will be there when we get to Illinois. He plays the trumpet and has ten kids and a glass eye. Last summer, his whole family came to visit. They all drooped around because they’re Yankees and not used to the heat.

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