Lewis, mother and myself stand close together, our eyes staring at the covered body laid in front of us. The officer holds the white sheet down, ready to rip it off but he waits for us to give him the green light. Mother starts exhaling deeply trying to calm herself. I can see her chest heaving with fear and dread. I reach for her hand and squeeze it hard, this is hard for me too because I have never been inside a morgue before, I never had to identify a body before and I never thought I would have to. I refuse to believe that my father is the one lying on the metal bed cold and lifeless.
I need him alive for so many things in my life, he has to walk me down the aisle the day I get married and give me away. He has to be there to play grandfather to my children one day. This is not how our
