Alright people… we promised you a sad, emotional chapter; we gave you a sad, emotional chapter. Before you read, get a box of tissues ready.
Timeskip four years
Mason's POV
I heard a knock at the door, so I got up and opened the door and I saw the Dean standing there (forgot to mention, they are in college now) "Mason grab your stuff. You won't be coming back to class today." I got confused but I did as he asked and he led me to his office and when we got in, I saw Lilly, my sister in-law Grace, and my brothers in the office and the Dean sat down behind his desk and took a deep breath and said "I am just going to get right to the point," he paused and took a deep breath and said "yesterday, Nuka was killed by a landmine planted by the Taliban. His body is on its way home right now." We all gasped and Grace was the first to break down crying. My brothers and I stood up and we pulled her into a group hug as we all broke down crying.
Time skip three days
Lilly, my family and I were at Nuka's funeral. We couldn't see his body because it was so mangled from the landmine that they had to make it a closed casket funeral. First ones to pay their respects to my brother were his unit. They each walked up, took a star out of their lapels, and smacked it into his coffin before saluting him and walking off. Then we were up. Larry placed a 2liter bottle of cherry Pepsi on the coffin before he placed three tear drops on the coffin. Then Karl placed a football on the coffin. I placed a photo of him and me at his wedding day and a 6 pack of regular Pepsi on the coffin. Mom was crying her eyes out as she and dad placed a wreath on his coffin as dad led mom back to their seats. Lilly placed a copy of ride the lighting by Metallica on the coffin before walking off. I placed my arm around Lilly and gently pulled her close to me as she started softly crying. Karl and Larry were comforting Grace and her daughter Isabella.
I looked up to the sky and closed my eyes and said "You left too soon Nuka. Your family still needs your guidance." Isabella walked over to me and asked "Uncle Mason, why is everyone so sad. I want daddy. Mommy said that daddy was on his way home." I bent down and picked her up and said as I held her "you remember how sometimes people die in car accidents right?" she nodded and I said "Well when daddy was away, he got into an accident and he didn't survive. Daddy's body is in there," I said pointing to the coffin "But his spirit is in here," I said pointing to her heart. "And his memory is in here" I said pointing to her head. "So long as you remember your daddy, he will always be with you and mommy."
I then reached in my pocket and said "Daddy gave this to me before he left and made me promise that if he doesn't make it home to his baby girl, that I give it to her." I then pulled out a picture of Nuka and Grace holding Isabella the day she was born. I handed her the picture and said "That's your mommy and daddy holding you the day you were born." She handed the photo back to me and asked "What does it say on the back of it?" (Remember Isabella is only four years old in this) I flipped the photo over to the backside and I took a shaky breath and said "To my beautiful baby girl Isabella, my greatest gift. Remember that no matter where you go and where you are, daddy loves you no matter what." I handed the photo back to her and she gave me a big hug and said "I miss daddy so much" she then broke down crying her eyes out.
I pulled her into a hug and said as tears streamed down my cheeks "I know you miss daddy. I miss him too." I then walked over to grace and I put an arm around her shoulders and said "I know you miss him Grace. I miss him too. His body may be gone, but his spirit lives in all of us." She said "I know, but how am I going to raise Isabella and the new baby on the way?" She said pointing to her belly, large with a baby bump.
I gave her a kiss on the cheek and said "you're a smart woman, you will figure it out." She simply just nodded.
Then a three man squad walked up holding bolt action rifles. The commander called out "Get ready!"
They took a shooting stance
"Aim!" they shouldered their rifles and cycled the action.
"Fire!" BANG BANG BANG
They cycled the action
"Fire!" BANG BANG BANG
They cycled the action
"Fire!" BANG BANG BANG
They cycled the action
"Fire!" BANG BANG BANG
They cycled the action
"Fire!" BANG BANG BANG
They cycled the action
"Fire!" BANG BANG BANG
They cycled the action
"Fire!" BANG BANG BANG
His commander then walked up to me and handed me a small envelope. I opened it and pulled out Nuka's dog tags, his blood still on the tags. I stood to attention and saluted him and he returned the motion.
I walked over to Grace and asked "Do you want his dog tags?" she replied "I'll take one. You can keep the other." I nodded and took out the dog tag that said his name, rank and unit. I kept the one with his number on it.
We gave each other a hug before his commander handed mom the Canadian flag folded up and handed Grace the flag of Newfoundland folded up. We then watched as the Canadian and Newfie flags were lowered to half-mast. I saluted as the flags were being lowered as did all others there with military or police training.
Mom and Grace were not even trying to hold back the tears as his coffin was loaded into the hearse headed for the crematorium. Isabella ran up and threw her arms around the coffin, crying her little eyes out. I quickly walked over, picked her up and returned to my position and saluted to the soldiers who were carrying my brother to the car. Isabella was crying as loud as her little lungs could. I started gently patting her on her back as I slowly rocked back and forth with her. She slowly fell asleep on me as I let the tears stream down my cheeks.
I watched as the hearse drove off I said quietly "I miss you brother. I miss you so much. I love you." I then walked towards Grace's car and I met her there. I buckled Isabella in and Grace handed me the keys saying "my vision is too blurry for me to safely drive." I nodded and I wiped my eyes before I got in the car and started it before I put on Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile by Sinead O'Connor. I then slowly drove off towards Grace's House.
When we got there, I Carried Isabella in and I laid her down in her bed and tucked her in before I walked back to my place.
There you go people… this was not easy for us to write. Please leave a comment, a nice comment. It would do us a lot of good and help to lift our spirits. Nuka was my oldest brother. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him. He died for our country. He died doing what he loved.
If your wondering why it had to be a closed casket, he was killed by a landmine that mangled his whole body really bad.
Please leave a nice comment.
Until next time,
Peace
Love
And hope
GoddessGodOfAllWolves
