The Longest Day

Liam Stonem had always hated funerals. Today was the worst one. His grandmother, Cheryl Stonem, died three days ago. She was the only woman in his immediate family. His parents were divorced, so his grandmother doubled the role of grandma and mom. Cheryl held the whole family together. Liam adored his grandmother to the fullest. Her sudden death came as a devastating state to her husband, sons, and grandson on Thursday. Cheryl was a very healthy woman. She lived to eighties. It was still hard to grasp that she could just suddenly collapse and die from a clot in the brain. Now, her boys would have to survive without her.

Liam stood at the edge of the pond just as few miles out from his backyard. This was his grandmotherï¿½s favorite place. She always came here after a fight with her husband. She said that it relaxed her. Liam remembered her saying that if he closed his eyes, he could hear singing in the wind. The boy did so. The wind was silent today. ï¿½Guess the voices died with her,ï¿½ he thought. Liam slowly opened his lovely amber eyes. The sky looked so sad and grey this morning. Come to think of it, the whole Yorkshire countryside seemed dead today. Cheryl seemed to have taken the magic of his hometown away with her. That itself was a sad thing to behold.

The boy looked down at the murky water below his feet. He could barely see his reflection. His black suit was the only thing clear in the water. Even his light brown freckles were barely visible to him. He used to hate them. Cheryl slowly helped him learn to love them. ï¿½They are a huge part of who you are,ï¿½ she said. ï¿½Never forget that.ï¿½ Liam now would take that heart. He slowly looked up beside of him. Something could his eye over to the right further down. A girl about his age was looking out at the landscape across the pond. Liam studied her closely. She looked like a beautiful girl. Her long black hair looked like a cape from the distance. Her skin looked a cool ivory white. She too was all dressed in black. Liam looked at her intrigued. He had never seen this girl before in his life. At first, the boy thought he was dreaming. Liam blinked once. The image didnï¿½t change. The girl in black still stood looking into the water below. Liam studied her a little more. She didnï¿½t seem to have come from Yorkshire. ï¿½London girl, maybe?ï¿½ he thought. The boy just had to find out.

He was about when he heard someone yell, ï¿½Liam!!!ï¿½ Both he and the girl looked up right away. Liamï¿½s father, Peter, stood in his suit at the top of the slope.

ï¿½Liam!ï¿½ he shouted. ï¿½Come on! Weï¿½ve got to go!ï¿½ His son rolled his eyes.

ï¿½But dad!ï¿½ he protested. ï¿½Nan loved this place! I canï¿½t go just yet. Give me a little more time!ï¿½

ï¿½There is no time!ï¿½ his father yelled. ï¿½Your granddad and uncle are waiting in the car. Now come on!ï¿½ Liam rolled his eyes again.

ï¿½Fine,ï¿½ he grumbled. ï¿½Iï¿½m cominï¿½. Iï¿½m cominï¿½!ï¿½ Liam began to walk up the slope to his dad. Before he did so, the boy took one look back at that mysterious beauty. To his surprise, she was gone. Liam looked on confused. ï¿½Huh? Where did she go?ï¿½ he thought. The boy looked on confused.

ï¿½LIAM!!!ï¿½ his dad yelled. ï¿½COME ON HERE!!!ï¿½ The boy quickly came back to earth and raced up the hill. His father grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him along the path to the backyard. The rest of the men were waiting in the kitchen. Liamï¿½s uncle, William, and granddad, Wally, sat at the kitchen table. They looked up when they heard the backdoor opening. Liam and Peter stood in the doorway looking at them. Father and son looked so similar to each other that it was scary. The only way to tell them apart was height. Peter always towered over his sixteen-year-old son, even used him as an armrest at times. Peterï¿½s younger brother, William, lit a cigarette and sat up. Liam looked on unhappily

ï¿½Nan doesnï¿½t like smoking in the house!ï¿½ he reminded him. William looked at his nephew glaring.

ï¿½But I need this fag,ï¿½ he said. ï¿½I havenï¿½t had one since Wednesday.ï¿½

ï¿½Bill,ï¿½ Peter said. ï¿½Put it out until after the funeral.ï¿½ His younger brother sighed and rolled his eyes.

ï¿½Fine,ï¿½ he said. William took the cigarette out of his mouth and crushed it on a napkin on the table. He sighed.

ï¿½Canï¿½t a guy have a good fag around here?ï¿½ he mumbled under his breath. The rest of the men heard him, but chose to ignore him at the moment. Wally stood up from the table.

ï¿½Okay then,ï¿½ he said. ï¿½Letï¿½s go, then. The limo is parked outside waiting for us.ï¿½ The three younger men nodded at him. The grandfather walked out first. The sons got up and left after him. Liam trailed behind the men. They all climbed in the limo with Cherylï¿½s casket in the back seat. The boy sat the closet to it. He felt a chill go all over his body. ï¿½My Nan is dead in her casket next to me!ï¿½ he thought nervously. He tried his best to stomach all of this. Liam began to remember once again why he hated funerals. Today would be a long one. Plus, the Stonem family lived two hours from the church. This was only morning too. Not a good day to drag on for Liam.

Along the drive, it began to rain. Liam stared out the window as the limo drove along the mud-converting dirt road. His green-blue eyes were coated with a shade of grey this morning. The song on the radio, ï¿½House of the Rising Sunï¿½ by the Animals, wasnï¿½t helping either. Liam breathed out on the cold window before him. ï¿½Couldnï¿½t the driver have picked a happier song for this trip?ï¿½ he thought. He breathed out again. Liamï¿½s mind began to wander back to that girl he saw near the pond earlier. She was sure a real beauty. Too bad he didnï¿½t even get a chance to talk to her. That girl really did look like she came from London. What was a London girl doing all of the way out here in Yorkshire. Did his Nan have any other grandchildren in the city that he didnï¿½t know about? Nah. William never married. Sure, he had many relationships, but they never produced any children as a result. He saw to that himself! So who was this girl? Cousin? Did his Nan even know anybody out in London? Could be possible, she was a social butterfly in live.

Liam turned from the window to the front and middle seats. ï¿½Dad,ï¿½ he spoke up. The older men ahead didnï¿½t turn around.

ï¿½Yes, Liam?ï¿½ he dad asked. His son shifted a bit in his seat.

ï¿½Did Nan know anyone for London?ï¿½ he asked. Peter thought about that for a moment.

ï¿½No,ï¿½ he said.

ï¿½Do we have any relatives in London?ï¿½ the boy asked. ï¿½Does mum have any relatives there?ï¿½

ï¿½No, why?ï¿½ his dad asked. Liam shook his head.

ï¿½No reason,ï¿½ he said. The boy looked out the window again. The rain had gotten heavier now. Who was that girl he saw by the pong this morning? This mystery had thickened. The limo pulled up to the church. Liam looked out the window and sighed. The church looked the same as ever. White and dull along with some history to it. That building looked as sad as the rest of the day. Liam pressed his forehead against the cold glass and breathed out. The air fogged up and went away. Liam saw his grandfather talking to the vicar. The boy sighed and rolled his eyes. ï¿½Great!ï¿½ he thought. ï¿½More funeral stuff!ï¿½ The boy looked around at the dray landscape outside. Not many have shown up either. Can this day get any more depressing? Then, he saw her again. That girl was looking at the graves in the graveyard. She looked so beautiful in the rain. Liam watched on with big eyes. ï¿½Itï¿½s her!ï¿½ he thought. The boy seemed to have fallen infatuated with this mystery girl.

A cold breeze brought him back into reality. Liam quickly looked up and saw that the truck door had been opened. The men were taking the coffin out of the limbo and moving it into the church. Liam watched as they did so. ï¿½Bye Nan,ï¿½ he thought. Liam turned back to the landscape. His mystery girl was gone. Liam breathed out once more.

ï¿½Figures!ï¿½ he thought. ï¿½Sheï¿½s gone again!ï¿½ He then saw a big hand tapping on the glass. Liam looked up startled. His dad looked into the limbo. His son quickly rolled down the window. Peter leaned inside.

ï¿½Liam, come on,ï¿½ he said. ï¿½We have to go.ï¿½ The boy didnï¿½t say anything. He opened the door and climbed out. The son shut the door behind him and joined his father. The boys walked into the church. Liam looked around the whole time. Still no sign of that girl anywhere. He began to wonder if he had imagined her in the first place. No, that couldnï¿½t be. He already ran that test and she was real. But who was she? Even more important, why is she in Yorkshire? Liam felt someone nudge him in the ribs. He looked up and saw his father looking down at him.

ï¿½See something interesting?ï¿½ he asked. Liam shook his head.

ï¿½No,ï¿½ he said. ï¿½Nothing at all.ï¿½ Peter didnï¿½t say anything. He just dragged his son along into the church. Pretty soon, the people all came into the church one by one. They all gave their condolences to the Stonem family. Wally, William, and Peter accepted them gracefully. Liam on the other hand, was sick of hearing about how people were sorry for their loss of Cheryl. ï¿½Why do they do that?ï¿½ he thought as he sat in the pew near the casket. ï¿½They didnï¿½t kill her!ï¿½ He looked around once again. The whole town of Yorkshire must have shown up at the funeral. The boy had never seen so many people before in his life. Then again, Cheryl was a social butterfly and not only the rock of the family, but the rock of the community as well. She helped everyone that she could. Rich or poor, young or old, nice or cruel, the old lady helped them all in any way possible. So, it was easy to see all of these people coming here for Cherylï¿½s funeral. Bad for Liam, thought. That would mean the day would drag on even longer. Liam breathed out and leaned over the pew.

Then, he saw his muse again. His mystery girl sat in the pew across the aisle. She stared on at the cross ahead of her. The girl seemed to be studying it in her head. Liam looked on at her intently. It was tempting for him to go over there and talk to her. Sadly however, he couldnï¿½t seem to move. His body wouldnï¿½t let him. Liam just sat there staring at his eyes of affection from afar. ï¿½Come on, damn it!ï¿½ he thought angrily. ï¿½Get up and go talk to her!ï¿½ Liam kept trying to push himself to go, but his body just wouldnï¿½t move. By the time he found the ability to get up and work over there to her, the service had already started.

ï¿½My fellow lads and lassies,ï¿½ the vicar opened up. ï¿½What is death really to us? The end of everything. I see it as a beginning to a new journey.ï¿½ Liam sat back into place. ï¿½Bugger!ï¿½ he cursed himself. Looks like he would have to wait until about the service to try and talk to his mystery girl. The whole service seemed to drag on forever. The vicar just didnï¿½t seem to know how to shut up. He just went on and went about how great Cheryl was. Liam tried his best not to fall asleep on the spot. He kept his eyes and mind on the girl across in the next pew. She listened to vicar with no emotion. Everyone went up to the floor to talk about their fondest memories of Cheryl. Liam listened on as he tried to keep from getting bored. He began counting the ceiling titles. His father had to nudge him to stay focused.

ï¿½Stop counting,ï¿½ he hissed at his him under his breath. Liam focused on the service after that. Even through the hymns, he tried his best to keep himself awake and not looking bored through the whole thing. The service went on until late afternoon. The whole funeral party and guests went out to the graveyard, which was an hourï¿½s drive to the graveyard. During the flood of people, Liam looked on through the crowd. The girl had disappeared once again. The boy became disappointed. She disappeared again. How did she keep disappearing and reappearing again? The girl had become a white rabbit to the boyï¿½s mind.

Everyone made it to graveyard. Cherylï¿½s grave plot was one of her favorite willow tree in the graveyard. The people all gathered around the plot. The vicar said another prayer for Cherylï¿½s soul. Liam took another look around the graveyard. He found that girl near some cross-shaped graves. Her hair and dress masked her back. Liam looked on at her. Suddenly, an opportunity had opened up for him. Liam looked over at the funeral party and then at his prize. He took once more at the funeral party. The boy made up his mind and walked over to the girl quietly. His prize turned around and looked up at him. Liam found himself drew in deeper to her with her lovely soft white-blue eyes. She smiled at him gently as he made it over to her. This mysterious lightly held the boyï¿½s hand. He held hers as well.

ï¿½Hi,ï¿½ Liam said to his prize.

ï¿½Hi,ï¿½ the girl said in a lovely London accent.

Soft Voices in the Wind