Chapter 3
7/13/07
Delilah's Funeral
"We gather here today in memory of a very special young girl, Delilah Gloria Williams. Her tragic death has brought sadness and heart-break to us all." I heard a faint sniffle coming from behind me at the pastor's last words. It was Delilah's mother. She was wearing a long black dress that covered her ankles and the tips of her shiny patent leather funeral shoes, bought especially for this occasion. Her shoulders were hunched over in depression under the weight of a heavy woolen shawl, even though it was a week after the Fourth of July. My mother told me this made Mrs. Williams feel more secure. She was holding hands with Mr. Williams, who had been like a second father to me ever since my own parents got divorced when I was four. His piercing blue eyes were glistening with tears. It was the first time I had seen him cry.
People all around me were crying, sniffling into tissues, and holding hands with loved ones. My mom stood beside me, clutching a Kleenex in one hand and mine in the other. Suddenly I felt a squeeze in my palm. “It’s time, Sweetie,” she whispered in my ear. I smoothed my skirt and headed up to the casket.
Earlier that morning Mrs. Williams had asked me to make a short speech about Delilah before her coffin was buried. I had been trying to figure out what to say all day, and I still hadn’t come up with anything.
“Ummm…hi. My name is Jolie. I was, I mean am, Delilah’s best friend.” I saw my mom smile through her tears and the words just started pouring out of my mouth. “Delilah and I were more than friends, we were practically sisters. The two of us did everything together. We had sleepovers every Friday night, we went to the same summer camps, and we bought all the same clothes. Delilah taught me a lot of important things about life.
She taught me how to be brave and confident, how to believe in myself and how to see the bright side of life, but best of all she taught me how to love.”
I stopped there, not knowing what else to say. I suddenly got very choked up, so all I could muster was a faint “thank you”. I was about to step back into the small crowd of people, but I changed my mind. I unclasped my friendship necklace and placed it gently in Delilah’s casket in her right hand. Her transparent milky white skin was the last thing I ever saw of my best friend, a sight that would haunt me forever…
7/13/07
Delilah's Funeral
"We gather here today in memory of a very special young girl, Delilah Gloria Williams. Her tragic death has brought sadness and heart-break to us all." I heard a faint sniffle coming from behind me at the pastor's last words. It was Delilah's mother. She was wearing a long black dress that covered her ankles and the tips of her shiny patent leather funeral shoes, bought especially for this occasion. Her shoulders were hunched over in depression under the weight of a heavy woolen shawl, even though it was a week after the Fourth of July. My mother told me this made Mrs. Williams feel more secure. She was holding hands with Mr. Williams, who had been like a second father to me ever since my own parents got divorced when I was four. His piercing blue eyes were glistening with tears. It was the first time I had seen him cry.
People all around me were crying, sniffling into tissues, and holding hands with loved ones. My mom stood beside me, clutching a Kleenex in one hand and mine in the other. Suddenly I felt a squeeze in my palm. “It’s time, Sweetie,” she whispered in my ear. I smoothed my skirt and headed up to the casket.
Earlier that morning Mrs. Williams had asked me to make a short speech about Delilah before her coffin was buried. I had been trying to figure out what to say all day, and I still hadn’t come up with anything.
“Ummm…hi. My name is Jolie. I was, I mean am, Delilah’s best friend.” I saw my mom smile through her tears and the words just started pouring out of my mouth. “Delilah and I were more than friends, we were practically sisters. The two of us did everything together. We had sleepovers every Friday night, we went to the same summer camps, and we bought all the same clothes. Delilah taught me a lot of important things about life.
She taught me how to be brave and confident, how to believe in myself and how to see the bright side of life, but best of all she taught me how to love.”
I stopped there, not knowing what else to say. I suddenly got very choked up, so all I could muster was a faint “thank you”. I was about to step back into the small crowd of people, but I changed my mind. I unclasped my friendship necklace and placed it gently in Delilah’s casket in her right hand. Her transparent milky white skin was the last thing I ever saw of my best friend, a sight that would haunt me forever…
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1 comment:
Great use of detail, Haley. You really make the images come alive for me as a reader. You're doing a great job weaving description and thoughts with action. I'm wondering who or what inspired you in creating Jolie. Care to share?
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