Gordie Lachance sat in his car just miles from Holdens Funeral home,
where Chris's wake was to be held, crying for the first time since he had
heard about Chris' death. He didnt know why his emotions hadnt kicked in
until now but it certainly was horrible timing. Although few tears streamed
down his face, he had to pull off to the side of the road so that he could
calm himself and not look like a complete sap when arriving at the home.
After a few minutes of reliving fond memories, Gordie wiped his face and
started up the car. Five minutes later he pulled into a parking lot of
about thirty cars.
The room was packed full of friends, old and new, past girlfriends, few relatives, and his business partners. Eyeball was standing in a corner next to the casket, drinking a beer and chatting with some friends. His eyes were a bit swollen and he had a hankerchef in one of his hands, but he was still smiling. Chris' wife was sitting on the front pew, watching the people pass by the casket. She was being comforted by her sister and a couple of Chris' more recent friends. Gordie let out a sigh of relief when he saw his old friend Vern walking up to him. Vern was still short, still jitterish, but since his senior year in high school Vern had been walking around with the nicest stomach in Castle Rock. Gordie embraced Vern in a big hug that brought back so many memories that he almost started crying again but regained his composure and finally said the first words he had said to vern for almost twenty years, "twenty years, missed ya." Vern smiled his million dollar smile before confirming Gordies statement. "Kinna a bad time to reconvien, huh Gordie?" "I'd say so Vern." Vern went blank, obviously remembering his days as a kid, hanging out and smoking with Chris, Teddy, and Gordie. "Have you,you know, been over to see the body yet," asked Vern, "I mean I havent..and I kinna figerd that since we saw our first dead body together...we could see another one."Gordie looked down at Vern, acknowledging his sincerity and nodded.
Vern and Gordie walked up about five feet from the casket and stopped simultainiously. Gordie looked at vern, "You gunna cry?" To which vern replied, "Prolly." Together they took their steps towards the body of their old friend. Gordie placed his hands on the edge of the casket and looked into it. Chris layed there, still and lifeless. His mouth had been placed into a crooked smile, sort of disturbing for the occasion but Gordie was happy. He loved to see Chris smile, ever since they were kids. Vern looked sick and his eyes were getting slightly watery but he managed a smile. "Gordie, im gunna go see if I can find Teddy." "He's out?" "Two months ago, living down my street, he was real torn up about this." Gordie watched vern walk aimlessly through the crowd, looking for someone he didnt expect to live past age twenty.
Chris' hands were placed on top of his stomach, with a rose intertwined between his blue fingers. Still Gordie could see the self made tatoo he and Chris had given each other the summer before high school. It was on the side of his right hand. The tatoo showed two hands, one on top of each other, skinning it. Both of their tatoos were faded, one of the wrists was completely gone from Gordies tatoo but otherwise they were in pretty good shape. Tears now filled his eyes, one spilled out of his eye and onto Chris' hand.
He moved away from the casket towards vern who was talking to a tall fellow his age, he knew this because this man was balding in the back. He got closer to vern and heard the insane laugh of Teddy Duchamp. Vern said something under his breath then Teddy turned around, made his famous laugh and grabbed hold of Gordie. Gordie, out of pure habit screamed and laughed at seeing his old friend. "TEDDY, oh my gawd, you-your alive!" "Alive and kickin! Oh Gordie, man!" Both men stopped being so lively when they realized the reason they were here was because some one wasnt so lively. "I gunna go pay my respects, how bout we meet up , see you guys where Chris saved my life" Vern and Gordie glanced at each other, knowing exactly where Teddy was atlking about. Vern raced to his car,"See you there Gordie", with which vern skidded out of the parking lot.
As Gordie was getting into his car he could see into the room where Teddy was standing. Right over the casket, talking to Chris, crying and letting the whole world know. He shut the door to his car and walked back to the casket. Teddy put his arm around Gordies waist and they both just stood there for a moment, letting tears trickle down their faces. "Ill miss him Gordo...I'll really miss him." "Me too..." See you at the tracks Gordo" and with that Teddy left Gordie standing over his old best friend again. "I love you Chris, you were my best friend, I love you."
The room was packed full of friends, old and new, past girlfriends, few relatives, and his business partners. Eyeball was standing in a corner next to the casket, drinking a beer and chatting with some friends. His eyes were a bit swollen and he had a hankerchef in one of his hands, but he was still smiling. Chris' wife was sitting on the front pew, watching the people pass by the casket. She was being comforted by her sister and a couple of Chris' more recent friends. Gordie let out a sigh of relief when he saw his old friend Vern walking up to him. Vern was still short, still jitterish, but since his senior year in high school Vern had been walking around with the nicest stomach in Castle Rock. Gordie embraced Vern in a big hug that brought back so many memories that he almost started crying again but regained his composure and finally said the first words he had said to vern for almost twenty years, "twenty years, missed ya." Vern smiled his million dollar smile before confirming Gordies statement. "Kinna a bad time to reconvien, huh Gordie?" "I'd say so Vern." Vern went blank, obviously remembering his days as a kid, hanging out and smoking with Chris, Teddy, and Gordie. "Have you,you know, been over to see the body yet," asked Vern, "I mean I havent..and I kinna figerd that since we saw our first dead body together...we could see another one."Gordie looked down at Vern, acknowledging his sincerity and nodded.
Vern and Gordie walked up about five feet from the casket and stopped simultainiously. Gordie looked at vern, "You gunna cry?" To which vern replied, "Prolly." Together they took their steps towards the body of their old friend. Gordie placed his hands on the edge of the casket and looked into it. Chris layed there, still and lifeless. His mouth had been placed into a crooked smile, sort of disturbing for the occasion but Gordie was happy. He loved to see Chris smile, ever since they were kids. Vern looked sick and his eyes were getting slightly watery but he managed a smile. "Gordie, im gunna go see if I can find Teddy." "He's out?" "Two months ago, living down my street, he was real torn up about this." Gordie watched vern walk aimlessly through the crowd, looking for someone he didnt expect to live past age twenty.
Chris' hands were placed on top of his stomach, with a rose intertwined between his blue fingers. Still Gordie could see the self made tatoo he and Chris had given each other the summer before high school. It was on the side of his right hand. The tatoo showed two hands, one on top of each other, skinning it. Both of their tatoos were faded, one of the wrists was completely gone from Gordies tatoo but otherwise they were in pretty good shape. Tears now filled his eyes, one spilled out of his eye and onto Chris' hand.
He moved away from the casket towards vern who was talking to a tall fellow his age, he knew this because this man was balding in the back. He got closer to vern and heard the insane laugh of Teddy Duchamp. Vern said something under his breath then Teddy turned around, made his famous laugh and grabbed hold of Gordie. Gordie, out of pure habit screamed and laughed at seeing his old friend. "TEDDY, oh my gawd, you-your alive!" "Alive and kickin! Oh Gordie, man!" Both men stopped being so lively when they realized the reason they were here was because some one wasnt so lively. "I gunna go pay my respects, how bout we meet up , see you guys where Chris saved my life" Vern and Gordie glanced at each other, knowing exactly where Teddy was atlking about. Vern raced to his car,"See you there Gordie", with which vern skidded out of the parking lot.
As Gordie was getting into his car he could see into the room where Teddy was standing. Right over the casket, talking to Chris, crying and letting the whole world know. He shut the door to his car and walked back to the casket. Teddy put his arm around Gordies waist and they both just stood there for a moment, letting tears trickle down their faces. "Ill miss him Gordo...I'll really miss him." "Me too..." See you at the tracks Gordo" and with that Teddy left Gordie standing over his old best friend again. "I love you Chris, you were my best friend, I love you."