The snow fell on intermittent puffs of air, a strange sight amongst the now vivacious greens of the trees that lined the street and the cemetery. Dave didn't mind the cold, the stimulation of the senses. In fact, he welcomed it, satisfied that the world no longer boasted its gaiety in his face.
The priest finished his final words… "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen." He made a cross across his chest with his rosary beads. The elder man didn't look up at the young man at the burial site, but left the fresh grave to sit in the cold.
A slight breeze lightly tugged on Dave's short, combed hair, blowing the smell of the coming rain to follow the snow across the graveyard. He had no feeling on the tip of his nose or his fingers, but he didn't care. He stared at the teal coffin sitting suspended on straps above the hole which it was to be lowered into.
Mark kept his hands in his pockets as he approached, a bundled up Elizabeth at his side. It was such a dry, crisp cold that all he wanted to do was go back inside, but he and his wife had come to give much needed strength to their friend. Elizabeth held Ellla close to her, bundled up as they both were.
The wind picked up slightly and blew her hair as she and her husband searched for Dave. It wasn't hard to find him. He was shrouded in black, and despite the circumstances looked nice dressed up, even with his black eye, butterfly bandaged temple, and the dark stain on his lower lip where it was still healing.
Dave bent down and grabbed a small handful of the dark earth piled on the ground. He tossed it on top of the coffin and wiped his hand off on his pants. He looked up at the ruffle of clothing to see a solemn couple approaching.
"Hey," the tip of Mark's nose was red as were his cheeks.
"Hey." Dave continued to look down at the coffin, feeling emptiness inside of him.
"I, um… I'm sorry about what I said the other day…"
Dave thought of a response for a moment but when he looked up he saw an Elizabeth who was more different than she had ever been to him before. She looked at his hurting face with compassion in her eyes as Mark took the bundle that was Ella into his arms. Before Dave could even greet her she pulled him into a hug with all of her warmth. He wasn't reluctant to hug her back and closed his eyes as he let the comfort of another human being enter his soul. Whether it was her shift in maternal hormones or the sudden glimpse into his real person that made her feel such compassion she did not know, but she felt it all the same and was willing to express it to him, even if he was once someone she despised. She felt so foolish sometimes. Just when you think you know something about anything the world has a way of turning you on your head.
They pulled away from each other and Dave had tear trails on both cheeks. He didn't care if he cried. He deserved to cry. It was his father's funeral. No matter how much he tried to hate the man his frustration would always get the best of him and all he could do was loose himself in sorrow. He always felt inferior for letting himself show his emotions, but now didn't have the strength to hold them back. All he could do was live.
Elizabeth smiled sadly and wiped a tear off his cheek with her thumb. "How are you doing?" She hadn't seen him since before he was attacked and now saw a changed man who looked back at her.
He pulled in a shaky breath that exhaled in a white stream. "I'm doin' okay…" his voice was shaky and he sniffed as he turned back to the grave.
"Hey," Mark grabbed his arm with his free hand. "I mean it. What I said the other day about if you need to talk. I'm always there for you."
Dave nodded solemnly and put his hands in his pockets once more.
"Come on, let's get something warm to eat," Elizabeth had taken Ella again and Mark tried to get his attention by pulling on his sleeve once more as he spoke.
"No it's okay… I just wanna' go home right now."
"Well c'mon then, I'm driving."
"I can get a cab-"
"Dave, I'm taking you, no buts about it."
Dave chuckled, giving in. "Okay, okay, if it's not out of your way…" he turned to follow the couple to their car.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a small group of men approaching. They slowed and stopped when they saw him, as did he. The man closest stared him in the face and flicked the ashes off the end on his cigarette as he tilted his head back slightly, exhaling smoke. Dave glanced back at the grave then to the men again who offered small, sinister smiles that were obviously meant to intimidate him. He merely locked eyes with the leader, watching the man's smile slowly fade into a scowl as he saw the strength, honor, determination and calling for vengeance in the younger man's eyes. He gave Dave an equally menacing look.
Mark stepped up beside him. Looking at the men. He could sense something happening between that man and Dave and didn't like it. "Hey- we going or not?"
Dave took a moment to tear his eyes away from the older white man obviously in charge of the small group behind him. "Yeah, sure," his voice was quiet and husky as he turned away and followed Mark to the car, leaving the white supremacists to grieve one of their own alone.