Last Rites Part 3

My stomach dropped with fear. I grabbed the shovel then suddenly, for some I reason, I thought of my journal. I felt the need to express myself in it. I wasn't sure how, but I grabbed it, reached in my pocket, pulled out the dried purple flower Old Granny gave me and put it between the pages. I then quickly hurried back in the direction of Old Granny's home.

On my way there, I saw Bella through the bushes around the houses.

"Bella?!" I called out.

"Nils?!" she responded.

"Yeah. Where are you?"

I then saw her step through the bushes. "Oh, hey Nils! What you doing with that shovel?"

I looked at the ground, then back up at her. "Old Granny died this morning."

"Oh, no! Oh Nils." She cried. I was enveloped me in a hug.

I held back tears. "Yeah. And we need to dig a burial spot for her. That's what the shovel is for."

"Aw Nils. What's wrong?"

I shrugged.

She released me and studied me. I avoided her eye contact. "I can't keep them waiting. Joel's waiting for the shovel so that he can head out and find a spot."

I walked away. "I'll come with you."

"I don't know if that's a great idea."

She paused, staring at me with a grown.

I said, "I don't want you to see her like that."

"I want to see her off."

I looked down, feeling ashamed for not recognizing her feelings.

"What can I do to help?" She then asked.

"Could you help us announce it?"

"Sure, whatever you need." She smiled.

"Thanks." I held my arms out for another hug, which she gave and I walked away quickly back to Old Granny's place.

Once there, I waited outside as Joel consoled Annie, not wanting to disturb them. Then I stepped in after some time when I felt it was appropriate. "Um, Joel. Here's the shovel."

He turned around to see me standing there with the shovel extended in his direction. "Oh, okay. Thank you." He said, taking the shovel. "Okay, I'll be back." He squeezed Annie's shoulder gently and left.

Quickly after, I heard a knock at Old Granny's door. I hurried to it and opened it to see Bella and her parents as well as Rowan and his parents.

"We heard what happened. How can we help?"

Annie came to the door. "Who is it?" Then she spotted them. "Oh, hi", she said, shocked.

I quickly explained myself softly. "I asked Bella to help you announce it. I hope you don't mind."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "No, I don't mind. Thank you. I really wasn't looking forward to announcing it myself today."

I perked up. Thank goodness I didn't make everything worse. "They're here to help."

She nodded and addressed them again. "Thank you so much for coming. I don't know if you want to come in. She's in here. It might be uncomfortable."

"Have you eaten?" Joel and Rowan's mother asked.

Annie shook her head. They looked at the boar carcass that lay across a log on the outside of the house.

"You can come over to ours. We'll cook that for you." Joel and Rowan's mother continued. "Grab that, will you please dear?" She addressed her husband. Along with Bella's father, they both carried the huge boar over to Rowan's place.

Bella's mother added. "I'll help you cook it if you don't mind?" Rowan's mother smiled and nodded.

"But wait." I started. "How will Joel know where everybody is when he gets back?"

"It's okay." I volunteered to stay back.

"I'll stay with you," Bella said.

"Me too." added Rowan. "And maybe you can share what's in that darn diary of yours that you're holding hostage under those armpits,"

I smiled. "Thanks. I may need one of you to help me write in it too."

"Sure, no problem." Bella noted.