Chapter 16
September, 25, 2072
Just over fifty years later
Everyone stood around in a circle as the flag-draped coffin. A tough decision had been made and now those that remained cried.
"Sko there gera ÉG sjá minn faðir," ('Lo there do I see my father,$)
"Sko there gera ÉG sjá minn móðir og minn systir og minn bróðir," ('Lo there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers,$)
"Sko there gera ÉG sjá the lína af minn fólk bak til the byrjun," ('Lo there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning,$)
"Sko þeir gera kalla til mig," ('Lothey do call to me,$)
"Þeir tilboð mig taka minn staður á meðal þá," (They bid me take my place among them,$)
"Í the forstofa af Valhalla," (In the halls of Valhalla,$)
"Hvar the stríðsmaður mega lifandi að eilífu." (Where the brave may live forever.$)
Joshua's somber words finished, the Icelandic Coast Guard and LazyTown policemen aimed their rifles. BANG, pause, BANG, pause, BANG, pause, BANG, pause, BANG, pause, BANG, pause, BANG, silence. Rifles were returned to their sides and salutes were given. A bagpipe and trumpet started "Amazing Grace" as the coffin was lowered into the ground.
Stephanie cried and leaned up against Joshua. They had buried a husband and a father. Samantha clung to her husband's other side trying to lend Joshua as much support as they could. Their now grown children stood and watched as their grandfather was buried. The great grandchildren stayed by their parents.
All of LazyTown watched as the Icelandic and American flags were folded and handed to the now eighty-nine year old widow. Tears flowed and Joshua hugged her tighter. Soon the ceremony was over and people began to leave. Those that remained were, Stephanie, Joshua, Samantha, Amanda, Trixie, Stingy, Ziggy, and Pixel.
Suddenly someone started to laugh. Soon the laughter was contagious and almost everyone was laughing.
"What is so funny?" Stingy asked. Trixie pointed to the grave marker next to him. It read,
"Here lies Robbie Rotten, loving husband and father." But that wasn't as funny as the note that was stuck just underneath it. There had been an ongoing joke between the two ex-enemies about who would live the longest and apparently Sportacus thought he had had the last laugh.
"I won, you old coot." Ironically enough, the two men died at the same age; Sportacus shortly after his one hundred and first birthday and Robbie shortly before his one-hundred and second birthday.
"I think it only fitting to leave a little note myself since I was Robbie's wife." Amanda smiled. From her purse, she pulled an envelope.
"I found this when I was going through Robbie's things." It was a little sticky note that read,
"I won, Sportakook."
To Be Continued…
$The 13th Warrior. Prod. Crichton/McTiernan. Dir. John McTiernan. Perf. Antonio Banderas, Vladimir Kulich, and Omar Sharif. DVD. Buena Vista Film Studios, 1999.
