Chapter 47
Sheba allowed David to make the funeral plans for their baby. She knew it was the cowardly way, but she could barely breathe. She felt an emptiness inside that left her feeling sad. Even when she lost Uriah, she didn’t feel this much despair, and losing him had taken its toll on her.
Delilah pinned Sheba’s hair up for her.
“Thank you.”
“Sheba, you know you don’t have to thank me.”
Sheba turned her seat around. “This is what family is about.”
Delilah bent down and gave her a hug. “Look at me. I’m about to mess up your hair.”
“I don’t even care.” Sheba stood up.
David entered the bedroom. “Baby, it’s time to go.”
He reached his arm out, and Sheba grabbed his hand. Delilah left the room before them, and they followed right behind her. There was no funeral-home limousine, since David owned his own.
Sheba looked out the window as they proceeded to Church On the Way Missionary Baptist Church. A small crowd was there, only because David had insisted that he didn’t want a lot of people around.
The walk up the middle aisle seemed like déjà vu for Sheba, except this time it was her baby she was burying, instead of her husband. There he was, little David, dressed in a little baby blue suit and in a small baby blue casket. She had had no idea they even made caskets that little. Seeing him there made her weak in her knees.
“Baby, I got you,” David said as he held her up.
She cried out, “My baby,” as she fell on top of the casket and sobbed.
David grabbed her. “Come on, Sheba. There’s nothing more we can do for him. Come on. Let’s go take our seats.”
“No. I want my baby.”
Nathan walked up to them. “Sheba, little David is with the Lord. He’s no longer in pain. He doesn’t want to see his mother in pain, so come on. Let me and David walk you to your seat.”
Sheba loosened her grip on the casket and stood up. “Thank you,” she heard David tell Nathan.
She was seated. David wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Her head fell on his shoulder and stayed there throughout the funeral. Nathan presided over the funeral. He said a special prayer for the parents of little David. Sheba couldn’t recall much else as she sat in a zombie state.
The organist played “Amazing Grace” as they were getting ready to walk out of the church. Memories flooded Sheba’s mind. That was the song her mother had loved to sing. Ironically, it was being sung today. David had no idea that was her mother’s song. The pain and all the memories were too much for Sheba to bear. She cried out and couldn’t stop weeping. David had to carry her out of the church.
“I’m okay,” Sheba said over and over as he placed her in the back of the limousine.
Sheba had noticed that David had remained quiet during most of the service. She seemed to be his main concern. She loved David beyond a shadow of a doubt.
No one, not even Uriah, had ever been as attentive to her needs as he was.
David had told her earlier where he wanted to bury little David. She had agreed that that would be a good place, but she couldn’t watch as they buried her firstborn in the plot David had had dug right next to the gardenias in the garden. It was a place she had found comfort in when she was able to walk around outside the house.
She went to her bedroom but looked out one of the windows as they lowered her baby’s body down into the ground. David, who normally stood straight and tall, was hunched over. She watched as Nathan’s hand patted David on the back.
Sheba closed the curtains and slowly walked back down the hall to the master bedroom. She removed her clothes and slid under the bedcovers. Sleep wasn’t her friend. She wished she had a sedative so she could sleep. Maybe if she could sleep, she would feel better.
She heard a knock on the door. She yelled, “Come in.”
Delilah walked in, holding a plate of food. “I brought some of your favorites.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Come on. You need to eat something.”
Sheba took a small bite of each item. “Satisfied?” she asked.
“It is better than nothing.” Delilah took her plate and placed it on the side of the bed.
“Where’s David? Where’s my husband?” Sheba asked.
“He’s downstairs. I’ll go get him.”
“Tell him I need him. I can’t make it through this day without him.” Sheba pulled the covers up over her body and once again attempted to go to sleep.