Maybe This Time by Kasie West

Author:Kasie West [West, Kasie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

At the pulpit, Pastor Greenley was giving a sermon about death and salvation. One of John’s grandsons, Joseph, in from out of town, kept looking over his shoulder to where Micah sat in the back row of the chapel, smiling at her.

“That guy is going to give himself a neck strain,” Andrew said. “This is a funeral. Even I know it’s not the appropriate time to flirt.”

“Everyone deals with grief in different ways,” Micah said, smiling at Joseph as he looked back again.

“Do you see the good in everyone?” Andrew asked.

“Pretty much,” she whispered.

“She’s more forgiving of the cute ones,” I said.

“So untrue,” she said.

The couple sitting in front of us turned around and shot us annoyed looks. We went silent.

The sermon wasn’t too long and it was followed by John’s son giving a eulogy. There was a large photograph of John set up by the casket and I stared at it as the words about his life were read: He’d served in the military; he was married for fifty-four years; he had two sons, one daughter, and eight grandchildren. He volunteered at the veterans’ hospital; he had a problem with alcohol when he was younger that he overcame. The facts of his life were read off like a checklist and I, like I assumed most people did at funerals, started thinking about what facts would be read at mine.

She got by in school; she loved her brother; everyone loved her best friend; she longed for a life she couldn’t even imagine because it was so foreign to her.

“He had a special place in his heart for the underdog,” John’s son said, bringing me back to the moment. “Probably because he felt like he was one. So he always stood up for them.”

“I guess that makes you an underdog,” Andrew whispered.

I elbowed him in the ribs and he let out a grunt.

Mr. Farnsworth finished up with a teary declaration of gratitude to his father and then sat down.

Pastor Greenley stood back up again. “We will now all proceed to the graveside. After the burial, Mrs. Lawson has opened up her home for a reception.” He closed with a prayer and then everyone was leaving.

Andrew headed for the door with the rest of the congregation but stopped when neither Micah nor I followed.

“We have to bring the flowers,” Micah said.

“Oh, right.” He came back to stand next to us.

Joseph headed up the aisle right next to us and gave Micah a wink as he passed. I shot him a dirty look and Andrew chuckled. I scanned the rest of the people filing by. I hadn’t seen Kyle during the ceremony and I didn’t see him now. The last of the patrons left the room and then it was just the three of us. Micah grabbed the flowers from the pulpit while I went for the ones on the credenza next to the wall.

“Um …” Andrew said.

“What?” I asked.

“I think the family forgot something.”

“What?” I asked again, joining him. “Oh.” The casket sat unassuming on its wheels, the large picture of John and the spray of flowers on either side.

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