Please Don't Cry by Jane Plume

Author:Jane Plume [Plume, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780753555385
Publisher: Virgin Books
Published: 2014-02-27T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

SOLDIERING ON

The days following the funeral were very hard. I, for one, felt bitter and angry. The world was carrying on as normal, with people complaining about being stuck in queues or having to go to work and other petty little niggles of everyday life. Didn’t they know the tragedy that had struck the Hibberd family? The pain those two little boys had gone through, in losing their mother, was unbearable enough, but they still faced the prospect of losing their dad. When something so terrible happens it really does make you learn to appreciate what you have, and realise how small most ‘problems’ really are.

Shaun decided not to return to work for three very good reasons. First, he had been working as a lorry driver and starting at three or four in the morning, which was not something he could do now that he was solely responsible for Lewis and Ashton. Secondly, he needed to put his own health first more than ever and allow himself time to grieve. Finally, and most importantly, Lewis and Ashton needed him.

I continued to help wherever I could, sorting through the mountains of paperwork and forms that continually landed on the doormat, and making make telephone calls on his behalf, usually with him sitting at the side of me. He would often have to speak to the person on the other end to confirm he was happy for them to discuss his affairs with me, then let me get on with it. He was totally lost in how to manage all the admin and household papers, an area that Gina had always dealt with, so at least I felt I was of some practical help.

On one of these afternoons we were just finishing off a stack of paperwork and I was about to make Lewis and Ashton’s packed lunch for the following day, when I said, ‘I’ll look after the boys when the time comes if you want me to?’ He just smiled and nodded, and we carried on. We weren’t to speak of it again for some time, but I was just glad that he knew that I was willing to be there for Lewis and Ashton.

Shaun’s brother David and his partner Lisa felt the same as we did, that tragedy had taught them was that life was too short, so they decided that they would like to get married as soon as possible. They had set the date for 5 November 2010, just a couple of weeks after Gina’s funeral. They wanted to keep it low key, with close family and friends only, but it was the end result that mattered. David invited Shaun to be his witness, which he happily accepted. After the ceremony, Lisa took her bouquet and laid it on Gina’s grave, which I thought it was a lovely gesture and a touching tribute.

Sadly, I couldn’t attend the ceremony as I couldn’t get the day off, having already taken the two weeks following the accident, but I managed to get to the reception in the evening.

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