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There was a knock on the door. It was Jack. “Everything okay in here?”
“Yeah, sorry. I was working on my dad’s eulogy. What’s up?”
“I need the keys to the van for the flowers,” Jack said.
“I was thinking about that, Jack. You know that my dad wasn’t a flower fan, which is pretty strange for a funeral director. Anyway, I think we should skip transporting the flowers to the cemetery. Agreed?”
“This is a funeral director’s funeral, correct? Probably the most famous funeral director that’s ever been in this city, county, and state. And there are going to be hundreds of people there. Boy, this is advertising as much as anything else, so we’re doing this one by the book. Flowers and all. I’m taking every goddamn flower I can find to the mausoleum today.”
“I didn’t think about it that way, Jack. Thanks. I forgot about the marketing aspect.” I stood up and tossed him the keys. He caught the keys with his left hand and headed out to the back lot.
A few seconds later, Robby texted. Check your email.
I scrolled to the email app on my phone and saw it immediately. It was from Sarah at PopC. They want us in for a meeting on Monday morning. Who sends an email on Saturday? But holy crap. A meeting meant we were down to either the final two agencies or we got the project.
I texted Robby back. OMG.
Can you make the meeting? Robby texted.
Are you crazy? Absolutely.
I’ll respond back and get a time. CU in a bit.
I sat back in my chair and smiled. “Not bad, huh, Pop?” I said out loud. Getting the PopC account would change everything.
Don’t count your chickens, I heard him say to me. You can get excited when the deal is done. Dad must have told me not to count my chickens before they hatch a thousand times growing up. Whether it was cross-country or math competitions or school, Dad was adamant on me never getting too excited until the task was over.
I read through my notes on Dad’s eulogy one more time. I cut out a couple small sections, knowing I’d probably ad lib a bit as well and I wanted to make sure I didn’t go too long. Nothing worse than a funeral mass that never ends.
People were starting to mill around outside the visitation area. In the front, Jack was hard at work lining the cars up behind our limo and securing the magnetic purple funeral flags to the tops of the cars. After one of the longest weeks I’d ever had, the funeral was finally here.
As I walked out the office door, I ran into Uncle Dan. He was talking to a couple of my distant cousins whom I only saw at funerals and weddings about the new development going on downtown.
“How you holding up?” he asked.
“I’ll be glad when the day is over.”
With quite a few facts still shaky in my head, I pulled him aside. “In the past few months did you notice anything strange about Dad’s health? I’m trying to figure out if he was hiding some health issues from me and the heart attack was just the last straw.”
Dan scratched his head. “You know your father. He kept his well-being to himself. So, no, I didn’t know if he was having any doctor-related issues.”
“When was the last time you two got together?”
“Not sure exactly, son. A few weeks ago, I presume. Coffee or breakfast or something,” Dan said.
“Thanks,” I said. At least this confirmed my suspicions. Uncle Dan had a perfect memory when it comes to meetings with anyone. He could tell you to the day the last time he met with any one of his clients. That he was fuzzy about seeing my father the last time spoke volumes.
“Any thoughts on whether you want to keep the business or not?” Uncle Dan asked.
Who asks a question like that the morning of your father’s funeral? “I’ve been thinking plenty about it. If you were me, what would you do?”
“That’s not for me to say,” he said. “But considering your own business and the state of your father’s business, I’d probably sell it and get as far away from here as possible.”
Dan loved Sandusky more than his kids, so his comment took me off guard. Either something was going on or he didn’t want me here. I’m becoming paranoid for no reason. I took a deep breath in and out. “That helps,” I said. “I’ll catch up with you later.” I shook his hand and walked to the side of Dad’s casket. I figured it was the best place to stand for the next twenty minutes just in case a few people wanted to pay their final respects. I saw Denise in the back of the room, and she came to join me.
Jess walked in, smiled, and approached us, giving a long hug to both Denise and then me. Then she sat in a seat in front of Dad’s casket. Jack approached a few minutes later. “You ready, Will? Denise?”
“Yes. Thanks,” I said, taking a seat next to Jess.
Jack turned to face the audience. About three-quarters of the chairs were taken, with another dozen people standing in the back. “Welcome, everyone,” Jack said. “We’re going to say the final prayers, then you can all head to your cars while we let the immediate family say their good-byes. Then we will all process to St. Mary’s Church on Central Avenue.”
Jack then led us in a Hail Mary and an Our Father, and a minute later it was just Denise, Jess, and me with Dad.
“Let me know when you’re ready?” Jack said to the three of us.
“Where’s Sam?” I asked.
“She’s right outside,” Jack said.
“Could you have her join us please?”
I held Jess’s hands while we were waiting. “You know,” I said to Jess. “Your grandfather was never one for showing emotion. But you know the first time I ever saw him cry?” I paused as she waited. “At the hospital the day you were born, he and your grandmother came to see you. I passed you to Grandma and she smiled and told you how pretty you were, then she passed you to Grandpa. He just looked at you, and the biggest tears you ever did see started rolling down his cheeks. And for the next five minutes or so, he just held you, smiling and crying. He loved you so much, Jess.”
Jess started to cry, and I began to cry. Sam entered the room and stood to the side. When we saw her, Jess and I opened our hug to invite her in, and the three of us held each other ... then we walked over to the casket where Denise was waiting for us.
The four of us locked hands and took one final look at Dad. I nodded at Denise. She nodded back. I turned my head at Jack. “Okay, Jack, we’re ready. Sam, will you lead Denise and Jess out to the limo please? I’ll be there in a second.”
Without saying a word, Sam took Denise and Jess by the hands and led them out the door. I took two steps back and let Jack do his job. Jack removed the casket key from his right jacket pocket, inserted it into the back of the casket, and turned it multiple times to the right. Dad’s legs began to lower. Then Jack did the same on the left side, and Dad’s head sank down into the casket. He pulled forward the cloth hugging the outside of the casket and pushed it inside. Then he removed the flower arrangement from the top right side that said, Beloved Father and Grandfather, and placed it on the chair to the right. Jack pushed down on the casket side above Dad’s legs while I locked it with the key. We moved to the head of the casket and paused.
“Abraham. You were a good and decent man and a great friend. You will be missed,” Jack said. Then he motioned me over. “Would you like to do the honors?”
I loosened the lever above Dad’s head and gently began to close the casket over his head. “Love you, Pop,” I said, shutting the cover, and pushed down hard while Jack sealed it with the key.
“Okay. I’ll see you at the church,” I said and headed to the limo, walking past six of the Sandusky Alliance board members, minus the Traynors, who were waiting to push Dad’s casket into the hearse.