if any of us are closet regular church-goers. I was an altar boy until my father died. I’ve avoided all religious buildings since his funeral. I even find excuses not to attend weddings.
I’m not sure if the rituals have changed during the past couple decades or if it’s because the priest speaks in a foreign language, but the entire ceremony is alien to me. I have no idea what to do and when.
The coffin is moved out of the church by four men from the funeral home. The coffin itself must weigh twice as much as Josette did. Mimi follows. Toussaint holds her hand and scans the scarce audience, pew by pew. Is he sad about how few people attended? The church was full for my father’s funeral. At the time, I’d thought I couldn’t care less, but in hindsight, I wonder if that’s true. How would I have felt if only a dozen people had cared enough about him to show up and stand by his family?
Toussaint’s face lights up when he sees me, and when he passes my pew, he grabs my hand. I enter the short procession with the little boy wedged between Mimi and me. From the corner of my eye, I see Sally catch Slider’s hand, and they fall in behind us. We follow the pallbearers into a tiny cemetery. As we go, I see that Kim, Vic, Suzy, and even Paul, the club’s Haitian maintenance guy, have stepped in behind us. That’s when I feel for Slider. I’ve only been on the undercover job for a few weeks, and I already like this weird bunch. They’re a family. Slider’s been with the Knights for more a long time. How does he keep his loyalties straight?
The rest of the ceremony is short, and when it’s all done, I walk Mimi back to her car. I hug Toussaint, and he holds me very tightly.
“I promise you’re gonna be all right, buddy,” I tell him. I’m not sure he believes me, but I know I’m right. The pain doesn’t ever go away, but its weight lightens with age.
When he lets me go, I blink hard. Holding the damn kid almost made me cry. He vanishes in the backseat of the car, and I turn to Mimi.
“Do you want company?” I ask her.
She doesn’t answer but touches my face and shakes her head. “Thank you, David. Thank you for being here with us today.” She opens her car door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’re coming back to work tomorrow?”
“Yes. Tell Slider he should stop searching for a replacement. I’m a sure thing even after the end of summer.”
“But what about college?” I ask.
“That’s one of the things I’ll have to figure out.”
I catch her hand and kiss her palm before letting her go. After her car drives away, Slider comes toward me.
“Mimi asked me to tell you she’s staying on,” I tell Slider.
“Yeah, I figure she’s gonna need to make some serious dough now that she’s got a kid to raise.” Slider watches Sally come toward us after hugging Suzy, who waves at me.
Sally’s a hugger, so of course she hugs me. I think that makes Slider cringe a little. He can deny it all he wants, but if he doesn’t care about her, I’m the Pope.
“Do you think it would have made a difference if we had found her earlier?” Sally asks.
Slider rolls his eyes as if her question was absurd. “Josette was hell-bent on destroying herself. This wasn’t her first overdose. Saving her this time would just have postponed the unavoidable.”
“You’re right.” Sally shrugs. “I know this is going to sound horrible, but I wish she had waited another two weeks. We’re smack in the middle of finals, and I have no idea how Mimi will manage with the kid and all.”
“Do you know when her next exam is?” I ask.
“I’m not sure. We only have two classes in common. I know she already got an extension for a term paper she was supposed to turn in last week. Our other final together is next Wednesday.”
“And you, brat,” says Slider, slapping Sally’s butt. “You’ve got one tomorrow, so I’m gonna drop you off at home so you can prepare before tonight’s
I’m not sure if the rituals have changed during the past couple decades or if it’s because the priest speaks in a foreign language, but the entire ceremony is alien to me. I have no idea what to do and when.
The coffin is moved out of the church by four men from the funeral home. The coffin itself must weigh twice as much as Josette did. Mimi follows. Toussaint holds her hand and scans the scarce audience, pew by pew. Is he sad about how few people attended? The church was full for my father’s funeral. At the time, I’d thought I couldn’t care less, but in hindsight, I wonder if that’s true. How would I have felt if only a dozen people had cared enough about him to show up and stand by his family?
Toussaint’s face lights up when he sees me, and when he passes my pew, he grabs my hand. I enter the short procession with the little boy wedged between Mimi and me. From the corner of my eye, I see Sally catch Slider’s hand, and they fall in behind us. We follow the pallbearers into a tiny cemetery. As we go, I see that Kim, Vic, Suzy, and even Paul, the club’s Haitian maintenance guy, have stepped in behind us. That’s when I feel for Slider. I’ve only been on the undercover job for a few weeks, and I already like this weird bunch. They’re a family. Slider’s been with the Knights for more a long time. How does he keep his loyalties straight?
The rest of the ceremony is short, and when it’s all done, I walk Mimi back to her car. I hug Toussaint, and he holds me very tightly.
“I promise you’re gonna be all right, buddy,” I tell him. I’m not sure he believes me, but I know I’m right. The pain doesn’t ever go away, but its weight lightens with age.
When he lets me go, I blink hard. Holding the damn kid almost made me cry. He vanishes in the backseat of the car, and I turn to Mimi.
“Do you want company?” I ask her.
She doesn’t answer but touches my face and shakes her head. “Thank you, David. Thank you for being here with us today.” She opens her car door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’re coming back to work tomorrow?”
“Yes. Tell Slider he should stop searching for a replacement. I’m a sure thing even after the end of summer.”
“But what about college?” I ask.
“That’s one of the things I’ll have to figure out.”
I catch her hand and kiss her palm before letting her go. After her car drives away, Slider comes toward me.
“Mimi asked me to tell you she’s staying on,” I tell Slider.
“Yeah, I figure she’s gonna need to make some serious dough now that she’s got a kid to raise.” Slider watches Sally come toward us after hugging Suzy, who waves at me.
Sally’s a hugger, so of course she hugs me. I think that makes Slider cringe a little. He can deny it all he wants, but if he doesn’t care about her, I’m the Pope.
“Do you think it would have made a difference if we had found her earlier?” Sally asks.
Slider rolls his eyes as if her question was absurd. “Josette was hell-bent on destroying herself. This wasn’t her first overdose. Saving her this time would just have postponed the unavoidable.”
“You’re right.” Sally shrugs. “I know this is going to sound horrible, but I wish she had waited another two weeks. We’re smack in the middle of finals, and I have no idea how Mimi will manage with the kid and all.”
“Do you know when her next exam is?” I ask.
“I’m not sure. We only have two classes in common. I know she already got an extension for a term paper she was supposed to turn in last week. Our other final together is next Wednesday.”
“And you, brat,” says Slider, slapping Sally’s butt. “You’ve got one tomorrow, so I’m gonna drop you off at home so you can prepare before tonight’s
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