Inheritance of Hearts

The Funeral

Amidst all this pain they were feeling she needed to face practical things.

The preparations to be made for her burial were the next line of action for them, informing other family members, friends and work partners of what had happened.

Experiencing emotional upheaval and overwhelmed by her loss, she drowns herself in this work of making sure that every need is met.

The funeral plans took up a lot of space, and she had to pay close attention to every little detail.

The entire procedure, from choosing a coffin to liaising with the burial director, seemed not to be how she had imagined it would be.

A sharp contrast to the warmth and vitality her mother had represented.

Each phone contact or message served as a terrible reminder of her loss and the hole left behind, while she needed to inform friends and family.

Managing her mother's possessions made possible the most difficult task; each object, ranging from the treasured picture frames to the tattered sweaters she loved.

It seemed every choice she made as she went through her personal belongings drew her further.

Three days of Sharon mourning her mother’s death had passed by and the day came to lay her body in the grave.

‘We are greatly honored to have you here, sir,’ said Sullivan to one of the guests as they shook hands.

‘Theresa was a woman full of energy, working with her shaped a lot of things in our organization. We all miss her.’

She stood by hearing all they said concerning her mother and it only increased her grief.

One hundred and twenty-six people came to honor Mrs Theresa and share in their pain.

Sullivan stood next to Sharon dressed in all black. Behind them a lady who seemed more familiar with them stood with a Chanel purse in her arm.

The opened coffin in front of them had Mrs Theresa's body lying in it.

Accompanied with black shades which covered Sharon’s eyes, yet her face carried a frowning expression.

She stood still, stared and wept as her mother's body was lowered into the grave.

The ground moments ago filled with family and friends began to be emptied by leaving guests. Those who came with flowers slowly and sorrowfully lowered them to her grave and left.

Every other person left except for the daughter of the deceased, Sharon, she stood there till the sun went down.

Not sure of what he should be doing, Sullivan roamed around back at the house in the living room while he waited for her step-daughter to come back.

Waiting there long enough, the wooden entrance door opened and an incredible figure slowly walked in as she took off her glasses.

Her eyes were red, for she had cried all day. ‘I’ll be in my room.’ She mourns.

Staring at her as Sharon walked away to her room and did not come out for the rest of the day.

Avoiding phone calls and text messages, she stayed most of the time by herself in the room and kept on like this for days.

Looking at her mother’s picture after the other, food became a thing of distraction and even though she looked hungry, she wouldn’t eat.

On the other side of Sharon's room door came a knock on the door.

‘Who is there?’ she asked faintly.

‘Sharon, you need to come out, the lawyer is here and wants to see you.’