Last Rites Part 2

The next day, Annie and Joel joined me at Old Granny's house and after taking Rowan and Bella home, we all just decided to stay with Old Granny.

It was all in case we needed to protect her since last night. I was not feeling too good about how things were. It was likely the villagers were not convinced of her innocence.

Old Granny really shaken up by what happened. She had placed on a strong front last night, but in the morning, I'd never seen her look so ashamed.

Something felt different. There was a dreadful emotion settling inside the cracks of the bristle wood and the dullness of the rough stone. It was like she expressed guilt she did not need to carry.

Annie rose early this morning while Joel went out to catch something to prepare for Granny's breakfast as well as ours, of course. So, it was no surprise to hear her calling out to Old Granny before approaching her room. What was surprising was the lack of response.

"Nils" It was Annie's voice, but the call sounded sorrowful. I quickened my footsteps to find Annie with tears streaming down her face, holding Old Granny's hand in hers. "She wanted to speak to you", Annie continued.

I kneeled by her bedside. "Old Granny, what's wrong?" I asked, panicking.

Old Granny's voice was faint and even more hoarse than usual. I struggled to hear her as she spoke. "Nils," she reached her hand out frighteningly slowly and placed a dried flower in my hand. "This was taken from the Purple Mountain. This dried flower was taken from the Purple Mountain to be planted here in the village, but for some stubborn reason, it refuses to grow. All it's done has become dry. This is my family's treasure. Take it with you. I need you to return it to the Purple Mountain where it belongs."

She enclosed her hand over mine, gave it a pat. I studied the flower as Old Granny gave Annie a kiss on her hand before laying back and closing her eyes.

Her mouth fell open. I stared, and dreadful swelling raged inside my gut. My hand reached out, then my fingers pulled back in uncertainty. She was not moving. No, I could not be.

"Granny!" I yelled.

"She's gone," Annie sobbed.

"What? No!"

"She told me she needed to see you before she… before she…", Annie broke down.

I threw my body over Old Granny's and sobbed along with Annie. This was unexpected. It not supposed to happen.

The pain was horrible, but then I raised myself up to study her. This could have been me in a couple of days. I thought about how fearless she was in the last few seconds, as she knew she was about to pass. She just accepted it, no fight, as though it was welcome.

Her only concern was passing on this flower. She was not the least bit concerned about dying. After giving me this flower, it was like she could finally be set free, be at peace. What was it about this flower? I stared at the dead flower in my hand, at old Granny lying dead in the bed, and pondered my impending death.

We sat there staring, crying, lost in our grief. Annie wiped away her tears and brought herself together to say. "We're going to have to bury her."

There was no way I was going to be able to go to the Purple Mountain today, was I? I couldn't miss Old Granny's funeral. I thought about how long it would take me to get to the Purple Mountain. I had no clue which is why I wanted to leave today to make sure I got there before Day seven. Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed again. I hadn't realized how close it was. Two days. It was the day after tomorrow and I struggled to breathe. I stepped out of the room.

Old Granny's sudden death shoved reality in my face. I had no time to waste. I said to myself, first of all, she was not alone. Second, she was going to have to be without you in two days, anyway. I had to think about myself.

I continued going back and forth with myself. She can't lose us both at once. If I leave now, she'll never see me again. The threatening voice of hope whispered in my mind, but what if the Purple Mountain held all the answers?

I had to leave soon; I knew it. I looked across the distance where I spot the mountain from far away. I thought about it. I started making the steps in that direction, but the guilt consumed me as I heard Annie's faint sobs behind the house's boards.

Joel was not back yet. Maybe I could just wait a little longer until Joel gets back to slip away. I clenched my teeth against my lips, then turned around to head back inside. I couldn't leave, not yet.

"What do we need?" I asked Annie.

"Huh?" Annie looked up at me as if she hadn't seen me.

"To bury Old Granny, what do you need?"

"Um. Well, we'll need to announce it to the village. Then I'll need Joel to find a burial ground where he can dig her a nice, clean hole for us to lower her body in." She said, trying to remain composed in front of me. I could tell she was struggling. "I'll announce it," she continued, "Where in the world is Joel?" She asked herself, pacing.

"I'll go find him."

"It's okay, Nils."

"No, I want to get Old Granny buried too", I said as I turned and walked out the door.

As I stepped away from the doorway, I heard Annie say softly to herself, "Why am I losing everyone that I love?"

My heart broke hearing that. I had an urge to return and reassure her, but what could I have said?

I walked towards the woods in search of Joel. After walking sometime in the direction, I knew he often took, I saw Joel on his way back. "Joel!" I quickened my pace. "Joel!"

He finally caught sight of me. "Tree man!" He yelled back. "You're a bit late. I've already caught us, the biggest boar you've ever seen. Good eating this morning!"

"Annie needs you!"

"Is she hurrying me back so I can get cooking? Lady! Your man is tired!" He yelled out, knowing she was nowhere near and wouldn't hear him. He held a huge grin on his face. "Tell her I'm on my way"

"It's…"

"It's what? What is it?" Joel asked.

"Old Granny died this morning."

He stopped walking suddenly. "Oh no", he gasped. "Annie must be really shaken up."

"Yeah." I said while nodding.

"Okay. What does she need?" He asked.

"She needs you to find a burial ground, a clean burial ground with fresh soil you can dig to put Old Granny's body in."

He nodded. He was already on route to Old Granny's house with a huge boar slung over his muscled shoulders and held his tools in his other hands. "You want to run and get my shovel for me while I drop off this meat back at Old Granny's house."

"Sure," I said. I had walked away.

"Hey Nils."

"Yeah?"

"What about you? How are you doing?"

Truthfully, I was falling apart inside. My fear was becoming even more real, almost like it had become another human that lived within me. But I couldn't fall apart right now. I had to push on.

"I'm okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Okay. Meet you back at her house."

"Okay."

I hurried over to our house. While there, I looked around for the shovel, sighing. I whispered to myself. "Hope I make it to the mountain on time. I'll just leave early tomorrow morning. Yeah. I'll leave really early."