"Daddy?"
I looked up expecting to find my strong, strict father, but only finding a broken, weakened, tired looking man. The men in black clothes carried the casket towards the sad-looking crowd. All was black, even the sky, which was normally bright blue, was now an ominous gray.
I looked around seeing each tear stricken face with a curious one of mine. I wanted to ask my father why they were so sad, but the casket that held someone dear to me was of far more interest to me at the time.
"Daddy, why are they putting mommy in the ground?" I asked my father.
He turned towards me, knelt down both knees, and told me with tears running down his cheeks, " They're making sure mommy has a nice place to rest while she helps God up there in heaven."
He forced a smile and I stopped talking. I watched as the priest recited phrases from the black book in his hands and the men buried my mother.
When everyone had left I looked up at my father and said in realization," She isn't coming back."
It wasn't a question yet he answered it with a shake of his head. Then my first tears of the day came running down my cheeks. My father dropped on his knees and joined in on my sobs.
"Promise me", my father said interrupting our sorrow, "that when I die, you won't fall on your knees before my grave."
I nodded and we both walked back. I turned around one last time towards my mother's grave and said, " Bye mommy." with a slight wave of my hand.