look like if he were alive.
That’s when it dawns on me. How weird is it for my mother to live next door to Uncle Tony? What does she thinks every time she sees him? Does she ever imagine he’s Dad? Does she ever feel jealous of Nancy? I feel like an insensitive jerk for never having thought about this before.
The sky is grey. There’s thunder and lightning but no rain. The air is charged with electricity. Fireworks to welcome Josette to the next world.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Two men with a gurney are standing by the door of the hospital room when I arrive.
“Give me a few minutes,” I tell them.
They nod silently. What a sorry job they have.
I knock on the open door before I enter. It’s a double room, but the other bed is empty. The hospital staff must have moved the other patient. Mimi is sitting on one side of her sister’s bed, holding her hand. She’s talking to Josette in Créole. The words don’t mean anything to me, but her tone is desperate, as if Mimi is begging for forgiveness. She talks fast. Is she telling Josette all the things she never had the chance to say when she was still alive?
Josette wasn’t an easy person to talk to. On good days, she was high as a kite and unable to comprehend what anyone said. On bad days, she was down in the dumps and wouldn’t listen to anyone.
Toussaint kneels on a chair on the other side of the bed, his head on his mother’s tummy and his arms around her waist. He opens his puffy eyes when he hears me come in, but he doesn’t move. I put my hand on Mimi’s shoulder and startle her. She hadn’t heard me come in.
“She’s gone.” Her face is covered with tears.
I stand behind her with a hand on each of her shoulders.
“She looks so peaceful now,” Mimi says, and she’s right.
Death has wiped away the tension from Josette’s face, and she looks rested, skeletal but almost carefree. I nod, which is stupid since Mimi can’t see me.
“Do you believe in heaven, David?” she asks me, putting one of her hands on mine.
I entwine our fingers and consider lying to her to make her feel better, but I decide against it. “I’m not big on faith. But you can find comfort in the fact that she’s no longer in pain.” Despite the fact that I mean it, my words sound hollow, even to me.
We remain there immobile for a couple of minutes. I want to give Mimi some of my strength to make it through today. I want to be with her tomorrow too and the day after that as well.
One of the men at the door steps in to get my attention.
Still holding Mimi’s hand, I crouch next to her and whisper, “I think it’s time to go.”
She shakes her head and seems unable to get up.
Toussaint stirs. There’s a strong resolve on his face. He gets down from his chair and stands by the head of the bed. Tears pour down his face as he kisses his mother’s cheek. “ Adieu , Manman .” He walks around the bed, and I make space for him as he comes to Mimi’s side. Toussaint pries Mimi’s hand away from his mother and puts it to his chest. “ Ale , Mimi.”
I pick her handbag up from the floor, and the three of us walk out of the room while the men come in to take away the corpse. I hug Mimi and Toussaint, keeping their faces against my chest while I watch Josette’s body being put in a body bag. She’s so light that they lift her onto the gurney with no effort. Only when they wheel her away do I let go of them.
“I’ll take you home now,” I say.
Mimi’s car keys are dangling from the side of her bag on a lanyard. We walk to her car in slow motion.
“No,” Mimi says, “I need to go to the funeral home.”
“You want the one next to the hospital?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “My church.”
I get behind the wheel, and I’m surprised I don’t have to adjust the seat much. I love that she’s tall.
We arrive just before the noon service to a full church. Toussaint and I stay in the back while Mimi walks toward the altar to talk to
That’s when it dawns on me. How weird is it for my mother to live next door to Uncle Tony? What does she thinks every time she sees him? Does she ever imagine he’s Dad? Does she ever feel jealous of Nancy? I feel like an insensitive jerk for never having thought about this before.
The sky is grey. There’s thunder and lightning but no rain. The air is charged with electricity. Fireworks to welcome Josette to the next world.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Two men with a gurney are standing by the door of the hospital room when I arrive.
“Give me a few minutes,” I tell them.
They nod silently. What a sorry job they have.
I knock on the open door before I enter. It’s a double room, but the other bed is empty. The hospital staff must have moved the other patient. Mimi is sitting on one side of her sister’s bed, holding her hand. She’s talking to Josette in Créole. The words don’t mean anything to me, but her tone is desperate, as if Mimi is begging for forgiveness. She talks fast. Is she telling Josette all the things she never had the chance to say when she was still alive?
Josette wasn’t an easy person to talk to. On good days, she was high as a kite and unable to comprehend what anyone said. On bad days, she was down in the dumps and wouldn’t listen to anyone.
Toussaint kneels on a chair on the other side of the bed, his head on his mother’s tummy and his arms around her waist. He opens his puffy eyes when he hears me come in, but he doesn’t move. I put my hand on Mimi’s shoulder and startle her. She hadn’t heard me come in.
“She’s gone.” Her face is covered with tears.
I stand behind her with a hand on each of her shoulders.
“She looks so peaceful now,” Mimi says, and she’s right.
Death has wiped away the tension from Josette’s face, and she looks rested, skeletal but almost carefree. I nod, which is stupid since Mimi can’t see me.
“Do you believe in heaven, David?” she asks me, putting one of her hands on mine.
I entwine our fingers and consider lying to her to make her feel better, but I decide against it. “I’m not big on faith. But you can find comfort in the fact that she’s no longer in pain.” Despite the fact that I mean it, my words sound hollow, even to me.
We remain there immobile for a couple of minutes. I want to give Mimi some of my strength to make it through today. I want to be with her tomorrow too and the day after that as well.
One of the men at the door steps in to get my attention.
Still holding Mimi’s hand, I crouch next to her and whisper, “I think it’s time to go.”
She shakes her head and seems unable to get up.
Toussaint stirs. There’s a strong resolve on his face. He gets down from his chair and stands by the head of the bed. Tears pour down his face as he kisses his mother’s cheek. “ Adieu , Manman .” He walks around the bed, and I make space for him as he comes to Mimi’s side. Toussaint pries Mimi’s hand away from his mother and puts it to his chest. “ Ale , Mimi.”
I pick her handbag up from the floor, and the three of us walk out of the room while the men come in to take away the corpse. I hug Mimi and Toussaint, keeping their faces against my chest while I watch Josette’s body being put in a body bag. She’s so light that they lift her onto the gurney with no effort. Only when they wheel her away do I let go of them.
“I’ll take you home now,” I say.
Mimi’s car keys are dangling from the side of her bag on a lanyard. We walk to her car in slow motion.
“No,” Mimi says, “I need to go to the funeral home.”
“You want the one next to the hospital?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “My church.”
I get behind the wheel, and I’m surprised I don’t have to adjust the seat much. I love that she’s tall.
We arrive just before the noon service to a full church. Toussaint and I stay in the back while Mimi walks toward the altar to talk to
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