Akari ran as fast as she could to the grave yard without slipping on the ice. It didn't help that she was wearing a dress, because she had to make sure it didn't fly up in the cold November wind. As she rounded the corner to the graveyard, she realized that the funeral had just started. Akari looked around the small crowd quickly until she spotted Jin. He was standing alone, head down. Akari frowned and made her way over to him.
As Perry the priest began his usual speech when someone dies, Akari grabbed Jin's hand gently. With out looking up, he entwined his fingers in hers.
"And though she is gone, she will forever live on in our hearts." Perry finished.
"Now." He began again. "Is there any one who would like to say a few words about our dearly departed neighbor?"
For a moment no one moved.
Akari then let go of Jin's hand and started up the little path to the podium. For the first time in the whole ceremony, Jin looked up.
When Akari stepped onto the podium, she examined the crowd. There was Yolanda, Jake, Colleen, Shelley, Candace, Luna, Hamilton, Gill and Jin of course.
Akari took a deep breath and started her speech.
"We all knew Irene," she started, "Some of us better than others...but you didn't need to know her that well to know she was a good person. Irene was kind and caring, if you needed someone to talk to, she was always there. Though I didn't know her for very long, the time that we did spend together, was always fun. I am so lucky that I knew this amazing person."
Akari stepped off of the podium and back to her spot with Jin.
"...Thank you." He whispered.
Perry stepped back on the podium once more.
"It is now time to open the casket, for those who want to say one last goodbye."
He said and stepped back off the little stage and opened the coffin.
The people in the crowd moved out of the way so Jin could get through. Akari watched as he slowly made his way to the front and next to the casket. He stood there for a long moment, then kissed his grandmother's forehead. He then turned back around and made his was back to Akari. Realizing that no one else needed to say good bye, Perry closed and locked the coffin. He motioned for Hamilton to come to the front.
The two of them carried the coffin to a hole in front of Irene's grave stone. Jin watched as they lowered his grandmother's dead body into the opening. He finally started to breakdown. Jin took shaky breaths as he tried to stop the tears from coming.
"It's ok... You're aloud to be upset." Akari cooed, as she wrapped her arm around him.
He continued to sob as Hamilton and Perry filled in the hole. The funeral finished and the grave yard cleared out. Jin and Akari were the last to leave. Jin had spent about twenty minutes just sitting in front of Irene's grave stone. Akari sat behind him a little ways, on a big rock. She waited patiently for Jin to finish what he needed to finish, even though it had started to snow, and gotten really cold.
Finally Jin took a deep breath and stood up. He thanked Akari for waiting for him.
"You're welcome...Now, why don't you come home with me for a while, and I'll make you some tea." She said kindly.