Sheldon Cooper once believed in God, he wasn't always a germaphobe and he used to have a friend in Galveston, Texas. He went to church every Sunday, he was in the choir, and he used to swim in the lake with his friend. Sheldon Cooper used to be a good Christian boy, but not anymore.
The funeral for Sheldon's Meemaw, was a Christian one, and even though Leonard didn't really know Meemaw that well, or even at all, he had gone with Sheldon for her funeral. He of course stood at a distance, it made him uncomfortable to be around all those people, none of which he knew except for Missy, Mrs. Cooper and of course Sheldon. He wouldn't have gone, but Sheldon had asked him to, which was something so out of character, that Leonard couldn't say no.
He noticed a young girl sitting on a headstone, something that was probably considered extremely disrespectful. She seemed so out of place in the cemetery, in her yellow sundress, and her white sun hat. She was staring at something off in the distance, Leonard followed her gaze and was surprised to find that what she was staring at, was non other than Sheldon.
His interest peaked, Leonard made his way over to the girl. "I don't think you should be sitting on that," Leonard informed the child. The girl looked at him and smiled. "I don't think she'd mind, the girl gestured to the headstone.
Willa Schmidt
Loving daughter and friend
October 6th, 1980 - July 7th, 1990
Leonard raised an eyebrow at her, "she died before you were even born, I doubt you would know that." The girl rolled her eyes and slid off the headstone. "Aren't you supposed to be with the rest of them?" the girl asked pointing over to where the funeral was still going on. "I'm only here because my friend asked me to be, I didn't really even know the woman who died," Leonard replied. "So you're friends with Shelly?" the girl asked happily. " Sort of, he's my roommate so I'm kind of stuck with him," Leonard replied.
"He looks uncomfortable," the girl pointed out. "His Meemaw is dead and he's at her very Christian funeral," Leonard explained. "He wasn't always an atheist," the girl told him. "And how would you know?" Leonard asked. "It's a small town," the girl shrugged. "What's it like living with him?" the girl asked, looking at Leonard with big blue eyes. "Difficult," he replied curtly. "Why?" the girl asked. "He's controlling, socially inept, overbearing, germophobic and stubborn," Leonard replied, wondering why this girl was asking him all of these questions.
"I know he's stubborn and socially inept, but he wasn't always the other stuff," the girl said her eyes, once again trained on Sheldon's face. "How would you know," Leonard asked again. "Like I said before, it's a small town," the girl replied. "Okay it wasn't always this way, that what changed him," Leonard asked, his curious getting the better of him. "She died," the girl pointed to the tombstone she had been sitting on. "What?" Leonard asked, his eyebrows shooting upward. "Mrs, Cooper talks about what happens sometimes," the girl continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "What happened?" Leonard asked irritated at how cryptic the young girl was being. "Do you really want to know," the girl asked looking at him, her eyes suddenly appearing ancient. Leonard looked away from her, becoming uncomfortable under her gaze. "Yes," Leonard decided, after a moment of silence had passed.
"Sheldon used to be a devoted Christian, he went to Church every Sunday, he read the bible and he was in the choir. Sheldon and Willa were neighbors, they grew up together. They were both in the Choir, and they were always together," the girl paused glancing back over at Sheldon. "Willa started getting sick all the time, so her mother took her to the doctor. The doctor said that her immune system wasn't working properly. He suggested that she should be kept in a sterile environment and never be allowed to go outside. However Willa's mother, being the Godly woman that she was, decided to forgo the doctor's suggestions and rely on prayer. Will kept getting sicker and sicker. But she kept going outside and playing with Sheldon. They would go swimming in the lake, they would play in the dirt, and they would ignore their mothers. Sheldon believed that God would make Willa better, so he prayed for her all the time." the girl paused to look at Leonard, who seem entranced by the story.
"But no matter how much anyone prayed for Willa, she kept getting sicker and sicker. She eventually became so sick that she had to be hospitalized. Sheldon visited her everyday, he would sneak her sweets and bring her homework from school, and still he prayed for her. One day he went to visit her, only to find that she had died. There was nothing the doctors could have done. If only Willa's mother had listened to the doctor, she might still be alive. But Sheldon didn't blame, her mom or the doctors that had been taking care of her, no, he blamed God. His faith had been destroyed and he feared illness more than anything. He became afraid that he might die like she did," the girl finished, glancing once again at Leonard who was now, looking over at Sheldon.
"He never told me," Leonard whispered. "Why would he, when you think so little of him, and find him to be nothing more than a nuisance," the girl spat, her voice turning venomous. "He may be a nuisance, but I still care about him," Leonard said defensively. Than why aren't you over there with him, he asked you here because he needs you there for him," the girl replied. Leonard paused, "I don't know," he admitted. "Go, be there for him. He needs a friends," said. "I will," Leonard nodded, "My name is Leonard by the way," he said holding out his hand to shake her small fragile looking one. The girl took it in her own, smiled and shook it. "My name is Willa, nice to meet your." "Are you related to Willa Schmidt," Leonard asked. "Something like that," she smirked. "Now you go over there and be there for Shelly," she smiled and started walking away. Leonard turned around and walked over to where Sheldon was. They had already lowered his Meemaw into the ground and he was staring down into the hole. "You okay there buddy?" Leonard asked him.
"Leonard, I just watched as my Meemaw's casket was lowered into a filthy dirty hole," Sheldon paused, "no I'm not okay." Leonard nodded and cautiously placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Do you want to leave now," he asked. Sheldon shook his head, "I have to do something first." Leonard followed him over to the headstone of Willa Schmidt. Sheldon bent down and moved the flowers that were covering the bottom half of the headstone, to reveal a photo of a girl. Leonard almost passed out when he saw the picture. It was the girl in the yellow sundress, smiling. The wind blew through Leonard's hair and he could have sworn he heard a young girl's voice whisper in his ear, "take care of Shelly for me, Leonard." A childlike laughter echoed throughout the graveyard.