Hey. I'm surprised by how fast I wrote this and hope it's not too rough. I took ya'lls advice and decided to lighten up the story a little. Hope you all enjoy my sense of humor or at least find it funny. This chapter had to be cut in half. I wanted to get it done before the weekend was through, and the chapter keep running longer and longer, so I saved the rest of it for number seven. So if anything sounds confusing, it will all be answered in chapter seven. Enjoy!
After the Fall: Chapter Six, 'Ave Maria'
Rated: PG-13, for some very bad curse words.
Rain tapped on the limousine's window, and Beth watched it slide down the glass, pooling with other drops.
"We'll be at the cemetery soon, ladies." said the driver. The most Beth saw of him was the back of his dark head.
"Thank you." said Gran, sitting next to her.
Gran had been very busy the past couple of days and the stress was starting to show. The bags under her eyes had extended and darkened, her usually sleek curls had frazzled into long frizz. She had been on the phone nonstop since the cop had left. She'd called the morgue, the funeral homes, then family and friends. She'd made all the arrangements, paid all the expenses; the coffin, the flowers, and the plane tickets.
Beth's very distant family was being flown in from New Orleans which she didn't understand. Most of the people had never met Mom and knew very little about her, but Gran insisted all the family should be here.
So once they had past the black wrought iron gates of the Eternal Peace Cemetery, she scanned across the green field for her family.
The car drove down the road through the tombstones, all lined up like soldiers. Gran redid her bun and straightened her black dress.
"There they are." she sighed, pulling at her tinsel hair.
A white tent had been rigged up in the middle of the field. Trucks and small cars were parked in a half circle around it and a gaggle of people could be seen huddled under it. Through the watery haze, Beth saw her mother's coffin positioned over her grave, its mahogany wood gleaming.
The limo parked next to a green '70 Ford pickup. The driver wobbled out and opened the door for them. Both she and Gran jogged to the tent to get out of the rain.
White lawn chairs were set up in four long lines around the grave, like rows in a movie theater. Some people sat in the chairs while others mingled around on the grass.
The woman closest to them stood and walked over. Her hair was made frizzy and white by too many years of bleach. Her skin was tanned to a rough bronze and she wore a sleeveless black slip dress and a fringed black shawl draped over her shoulders.
"Bernie, sweetheart." she said, wrapping her long arms around Gran (who looked slightly disgruntled at being called 'Bernie'). "How are you?"
"Fine, Vivian." she said, pulling away. "Just fine. Yourself?"
"We're good." she said in her deep smoky voice, adjusting her shawl. "Jack's got new work on a crawfishin' boat and Livie just graduated from middle school."
Bethany saw Vivian's daughter, her second cousin, Olivia sitting way back in a corner with another girl. Olivia was a tall, thin girl with lanky limbs, tan skin, and long dirty dishwater blond hair. She had never seen the other girl before. They both talked to each other, like conspirators, watching the adults mingle around.
"And how are you holdin' up, bebe?" Vivian asked.
Beth jumped, startled.
"Um. I'm good." she said, staring down at the wet grass. Her insides quivering.
"Oh, you poor girl. Come here." she said, grabbing her by the shoulders and hugging her. Vivi's heavy perfume made her eyes water and her breathing difficult. Luckily she didn't have to hold her long.
"Betty Bancroft!" said a deep wheezy voice from behind Vivi.
Uncle (even though he was really her second or third cousin) Buck sat a few chairs down the row. He wore a white button down shirt with pit-stains, a black string-tie, and a worn felt cowboy hat (black for the occasion). His beer gut stuck out like a beach ball under his shirt and for some strange reason he wore sunglass even though it was a gray, cloudy day.
"You git over here, girl! Let me git a good look at ya." he said, banging his walking stick on the seat next to him.
"Yes, sir." replied Beth, louder than she would've because of his hearing loss. Weaving through the chairs, she made it over to him. She sat and wondered if the chair could hold her up.
"Last time I saw ya, ya were no higher than my knees. Well look at ya now, turning into a pretty young belle." he said, smiling. His teeth were shiny and beige. When he laughed, you could see the dark brown, rotted back teeth.
"Uncle Buck, you have cataracts." said Beth.
"Bullshit." he said, taking a swig of a black bottle he kept at his side. "What do dem doctors know? I'm as healthy as a got-damned horse!"
Beth couldn't help it, she laughed. "Yeah, a dead horse."
"Now, ya better watch yaself, young lady." he said, smiling the whole time. "Ya ain't too old fer me ta put'cha over my knee."
Beth just smiled, not really knowing what to say. She looked out at the people.
Jack, Vivi's husband was standing by the tent pole with some guy, talking about how much crawfish they'd pulled in this season. A little girl, Vivi's youngest daughter, sat on the grass and played with a Barbie doll. A little boy, Vivi's too, was crouched over a dead mouse poking at it with a twig.
From where she sat, Beth had a perfect view of Mom's coffin. The sight hit her like a punch in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. She could feel the tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. Mom was in there.
"Ya okay, babydoll?" Uncle Buck asked, looking at her through the tinted lenses.
"I'll be fine, sir." she said.
"Enough with this 'sir' business." he said, taking another swig. "Ya just call me 'Uncle' from now on, ya hear me?"
"Yes, Uncle." she said, rubbing her hands. "Um. Can I ask you something?"
"Well, ya sure as hell can, babydoll." he said, propping his stiff leg up on the chair in front of him. "What is it?"
"Why are you wearing sunglasses, it raining for Christ's sake?"
Uncle Buck laughed a deep smoky chuckle that eventually turned into a ragged coughing jag.
"Well, sweetness." he said, pulling out his red cough rag. "Me, Jack, and his two buddies over there, Bill and John, went on over to Ralph's Bar last night and let's just say we got a little too carried away."
"Then what's that you're drinking?" she asked, pointing at the bottle in his hand.
"Oh this? Just a lil' hair o' the dog." he laughed, then coughed into his rag. When he had recovered, he turned back to her. "Why don't ya go on over to Livie and her friend over there? Ya're too young ta be hangin' with an old sumbitch like me."
"Okay." she said getting up from the chair. "See ya later, Uncle Buck."
She wove back through the chairs and out from under the tent, (it had stopped raining and was just cold). Looking over at the people, she studied the ones she'd never seen before.
Three ladies surrounded Vivi and Gran, two looked to be sisters with very dark hair and pale skin, the other one was short and mousy. Vivi and the two sisters were talking animatedly to Gran, all at once. Gran kept looking at each of them, trying to figure out which one to listen to. The mousy one sat in a chair and twiddled her thumbs, head down.
Gran shifted her weight in the chair and accidently knocked over her purse. Leaning over to grab it, she did the funniest thing Beth had ever seen her do.
She farted. A short, tight, poof of gastric wind that nearly everyone heard. The ladies sitting next to her all were silent, then they all busted out laughing and pinching their noses. Jack and his buddies were chuckling into their beer. Uncle Buck was banging his walking stick and laughing so hard he ended up coughing for five whole minutes. The two girls were whispering snide remakes into each other's ears between their laughter. Even the mousy old lady cracked a grin.
Gran's face was deathly pale, except for her cheeks which matched the red roses on the coffin. She sat back in her chair and stared determinedly at the ground while the other's laughter bubbled around her.
Beth thought she'd pulled a stomach muscle from trying not to laugh. Wondering what to do while they waited for the priest to show up, she looked around. The girls had gotten up from their chairs and looked like they were going to wonder off. At first Beth had no intention of going, but then she saw Mom's coffin and jogged to catch up with them.
"Hey, wait up." she called as she followed them out of the tent. Olivia didn't turn around but her friend did.
"Hi." said the girl, her short auburn hair brushed the top of her pale shoulders. Her face was soft and plump even though the rest of her body was rail thin.
"Hi." panted Beth. They both had stopped at the bottom of a steep hill. Olivia turned to Beth and glared at her red cheeks and sweaty face.
They both wore short, sleeveless black dresses, Olivia's had tiny seed pearls sewn into the shape of roses, the other girl's was covered in a floral black lace print. Both wore sheer black tights and chunky sandles.
Seeing how pretty the other girls were dressed made Beth look down at her own outfit. Since all of her other clothes were either back in Kentucky or at the bottom of Lake Michigan, Gran had to go and buy her some new stuff. She had bought this especially for the funeral. Beth wore a long black wool dress with long sleeves and a high neck. The dress itched and clung to her body making every fat-roll stand out.
"Hey." said Olivia crossing her arms over her chest, looking at the ground.
"Hi." repeated Beth.
"What do you want?" asked Liv, glancing at her then back to the ground.
"I. . . . I was just wondering if I could hang out with you guys?"
Both of them glanced at each other. Unsure.
"Um . . . "said Liv. "Yeah, I guess you can."
"We were just going to the top of the hill." said the redhead, cracking a smile. "We had to get away from that stink bomb the old lady dropped."
Beth laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty bad."
The three of them began to tromp up the hill. The last thing Beth heard was the soft rumble of the men talking, Uncle Buck's coughs, and Vivi yelling at her kids.
"Bernard! Quit chasing your sister with that dead rat!" she heard as they finally reached the top of the hill, clutching a stitch in her side.
The top of the hill was bare except for one short, spindly tree. While the rest of the trees in the cemetery were leafy and green, this one was completely bare. Its black branches stretched out and snapped in the wind.
"So. . . . "said Liv, leaning back against the tree, her arms still crossed.
"We're sorry about your mama?" said the redhead, softly.
"Thanks." Beth replied, not knowing what to say. "What's your name?"
"Oh!" said the redhead, surprised. "My name's Chastity. I'm Liv's friend. Mama said I could fly up here with her this summer."
"How do you like it here?" she asked, sitting on the grass, not caring that it was wet.
"Oh, it's fine. A little cold." she said, casually tapping her foot.
"Anyone want a cig?" asked Liv, pulling out a red and white Marlboro pack.
"Thanks." said Chastity, taking the pack and shaking one out. "I've been dying for one all day." Then she saw Beth looking. "Ya want one?"
"Uh. . . . Sure." said Beth, grabbing one and holding it between her fingers like she'd seen on TV.
"Here." said Liv, tossing a matchbook over to Beth, who tore one off. Once she had struck the match, the three of them crouched down and lit all of their cigarettes at once.
Liv leaned back against the tree and took a deep pull, held her breath, then coughed a little (smoke shooting out of her nose). Chastity took tiny, fast puffs and tried to make a smoke ring.
"Well, aren't you gonna smoke your's?" asked Liv, eyeing the gray ash at the end of Beth's cigarette.
"Yeah." she said, putting the cigarette to her mouth and sucking. Instantly her throat became dry, so she blew out all the filmy smoke.
"Not like that." said Chastity, laughing. "You're supposed to inhale."
"Haven't you ever smoked before?" asked Liv, eyeing her shrewdly.
"Yes, of course I have." Beth lied. "Just not in a while, is all."
"Well, you're supposed to swallow the smoke."
Beth took another pull that burned her throat, swallowing quickly, holding her breath. Then her lungs expanded, throwing her into a coughing fit.
"That's it." Chastity laughed.
"Does that always happen?" asked Beth, trying to hold back another cough.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." she said, sitting next to her.
Liv titled her head back and moaned as she exhaled, smoke twirling in the air.
"God I hate this place!" she said, rubbing her arms and shivering. "It's so fuckin' cold!"
"I know." said Beth.
They didn't talk for a while. Liv would occasionally look down the hill to make sure none of the adults could see them smoking. The air smelled of burnt tobacco and sulfur.
"That coffin sure is pretty." said Chastity, trying to make small talk, pulling at a hole in her tights.
"Did ya'll buy it?" asked Liv.
Feeling slightly giddy from the cigarette Beth decided to cut loose.
"Are you kidding? We're not that rich." she said, exhaling through her nose. "We rented it."
"What?" asked Liv, shocked.
Chastity, who had just taken another drag, laughed and coughed.
"Joke. Just a joke." said Beth, patting the ash onto the grass.
"Oh." said Liv.
"So. . . . You from New Orleans too?" she asked Chastity.
"Yep, from the good state of Looisiana." she said, pulling her knees up to her chest.
"Why do ya'll say it like that? Looisiana and New 'Aulens?" Beth asked.
"Because that's how it comes out when you've got five Bourbons in your gut and a cigarette in your mouth." said Liv, crushing the butt into the tree.
Beth chuckled, the tobacco was making her lightheaded.
"God, ya'll are rednecks." she said. "And I hardly ever get to say that."
"Shut up, fat bitch." said Liv, glaring at her with bloodshot eyes.
"Don't you have a brother you should be dating?" mumbled Beth, tossing the cigarette butt down the hill without putting it out, not caring if it caught fire.
She could tell Liv was about to say something particularly rude, but Aunt Vivi's voice beat her to it.
"Come on girls!" she called from under the tent. "The priest just pulled up!"
"Coming, Mrs. Taggert!" Chastity called, looking from Liv to Beth.
Silently they all got up and walked back down the hill. Stumbling slightly, Beth accidently bumped into Liv.
"Go to hell." she whispered, jerking away.
"Go to a trailer." Beth said.
While Liv and Chastity went over to the third row with Vivi, Beth had to sit front and center, next to Gran.
A tall thin man with even thinner colorless hair walked behind the coffin. He wore a long black robe with a white collar.
"That's Ft. Stonewall." Gran whispered in her ear. "He's absolutely wonderful."
The man pulled out a worn black bible with red edges on the pages.
"We are here today to celebrate the life and faith of Zelda Marie Bancroft." he began in a droning voice. Vivi's younger daughter fidgeted in her mother's lap, whining.
"Shhh, Jezie, shhh."
The mousy lady sat near the end of the row. On the ground next to her was a CD player. She turned it on and 'Ave Maria' filled the air. Its haunting choir rang through the trees.
"Our Lord Jesus Christ said in John 19:19, 'If you were of the world, the world would love its own, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.' As such, the Lord chose Zelda out of this world to serve at His awesome side."
Ave Maria, Gratia Plena.
Beth's mind drifted, and the priest's droning faded. She looked around, anything but the coffin.
Ave, Ave, dominus.
Over by the cars, two people stood by the limo, talking to each other. What was weirder, they were both staring straight at her. True she was used to people staring at her because of her weight but, they were in a cemetery, there was plenty other things to look at.
Dominus tecum, Benedicta tu in mulieribus.
"Bethany!" whispered Gran, standing up.
"What?" she whispered back.
"It time to finish." she said walking over to the coffin.
Ventris tuae, Jesus.
Beth stood up with Gran and inched to the coffin. Two dozen red roses lay on the lid of the closed coffin. Next to it two small piles of dirt were waiting for them.
Mater Dei.
"In the Holy Mother's name we deliver Zelda Bancroft back into Her loving embrace. May She bless her and keep her. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Ora pro nobis.
Bill and John grabbed the ropes that supported the coffin and slowly lowered it into the grave.
Nunc et in hora mortis.
Beth couldn't look. She stared down at the dirt. Mom was in that box and they were going to put six feet of dirt on top of her. Her hands shook, she tried not to let the memories rush in. Mom at Dad's funeral, how she had held her hand the whole time. Beth half felt like holding Gran's hand but the urge was crushed instantly. She and Gran bent down, (some people chocked back laughter, remembering Gran's little accident), and grabbed a fistful of dirt. Looking at the coffin for the last time, she let the dirt fall through her hands slowly and then brushed it off on her dress.
Et in hora mortis nostrae.
"Now," said the priest. "Let us retire to the Sanford's Lounge."
Everyone got up from their seats and started heading back to their cars. Gran glanced at the coffin, made the sign of the cross, then started walking away.
Beth was left alone for a brief moment. This was the last time she would ever be around her mom. "Bye mama." she whispered, knowing Mom couldn't hear her. "I love you. Goodbye."
With that she turned and followed Gran back into the limo.
Ave Maria.
Good God, that took a lot of work. But it was worth it! Just so you know, I've never been to a funeral before (knock wood) so I had to pull what I know from movies and TV. Hope to get more reviews, but if I don't, it won't stop me. Will be glad to hear from you guys. See ya soon.
Review Response:
To mattb3671: Beth and Blob? Ughhh 0.0 That is a bad mental image. Glad you like the story though. Hope you like the comic relief. And I haven't gotten the chance to ready any of your work (what with writing and all) but it's #1 on my to-do list. So be on the lookout for my review. Nice to hear from ya. ;)
To DreamerLady (a.k.a. my Muse): Sorry I gave you such an ego. I've created a monster! Hope you got a few more laughs outta this one. Talk to ya when ya get back. Your Writer-person. ;)
To Absolute Omega: blushes I never knew ya cared. It's so nice to know someone likes my descriptions, even though the whole 'sorrel-eye' thing was a flop. And I'm glad you like Gran, she is one of my faves. Yay! You're back! I've been waiting for frickin' ever! Hope to read your update soon. ;) P.S. Did you see, I put your name in the fic?
To Kit: Thank you so much. You don't know how unsure I was before I got your review (just ask my muse). I tried my hardest not to make Beth a Sue and it's nice to know the work paid off. This is my first published fic ever and it's weird knowing people adore it. I'm so used to being one of the adoring reviewers. It's kinda nice having my own. Hope you keep reading. ;)
To Cygna Vamp: Yes I have read OthP (many, many times) and that's is where I got the reaction from. Instead of the usual gloomy-doomy Sue reaction, I thought Beth would be more pissed off than sad. I had heard of Carrie but only just recently. You're right, Beth an her are a lot alike. I will change the sorrel eye thing, my excuse is that it was the first chapter and I have learned so much since then. From now on I will use simple words. Hope you keep reading and reviewing. Lo ;)