CHAPTER 39:
SAYING GOODBYE
Bella strolled along the uneven, cracked concrete ground, looking up at the grey-black structure of St Mary’s Church with its steeple, narrow windows, and surrounding bollards. The glare of the sun penetrated her retinas, almost blinding her, and the wind blew gently like a summer’s breeze in springtime.
She stepped into the church, nauseous, and grabbed a funeral booklet from a young skinny girl standing by the door. The quiet whispers of the mourners made the grief for Martha real and sad. Smiling at the girl, she made her way towards Liz who was seated at the back of the church. Jamie sat close to the front, talking to a towering man. Bella assumed the man was George, Martha’s husband.
Sitting on the hard bench, Bella greeted Liz. “How’s Jamie doing?”
Liz
