Grandmama's Mansion

The Roses Atop A Coffin

Red, purple, blue - every colored rose except black, but the saddest part was black would have been the most fitting. Sniffles and tears of pale bodies covered in black overwhelmed me with sadness. Bony branches of dead winter trees served as umbrellas to our snow covered heads. The winters wind blew, chilling my bones. You could see other head stones in the distance, representing other people's sniffles and tears. 

The roses were lying on top of two coffins; one belonged to my beautiful mother, who never laid a finger on anyone. Her deep blue eyes were enthrallingly beautiful, and were highlighted by her blond hair she always wore big and curled. She went above and beyond to protect me; the only side of her that wasn't nice came out when someone hurt me. In my eyes, she was an angel, but that kindness went beyond my father and me. She dedicated her life to helping others by becoming a paramedic. Numerous awards hung on the wall declaring to the world how many people she saved from death's evil grip, and yet she couldn't be saved herself. 

The other coffin belonged to my father. He was a well-known lawyer who provided great riches to our family, and he was equally as kind. His short brown hair and golden brown eyes fit his lawyer persona. He was always very matter-of-fact, but in a kind way that most lawyers couldn't pull off. Through hard work he founded Astrid Law, a law firm that became the largest firm in North Carolina. And now it's probably in the hands of some tyrant in a suit, like the rest of the lawyers. 

I stood between the coffins as they were slowly lowered into the ground, each one of them hanging from a single chain - six feet down. 

My parents were only six feet away and yet I couldn't save them. I couldn't do what my mother did for so many. I wanted to reach out and give them one last kiss, just one, but no, that would be too easy. Seeing the workers slowly bury my parents, I had to look away. I couldn't bear the thought of them covered in filth and bugs. To think that eventually insects would slowly tear away at their flesh, eating them down to the core disgusted me and tore at my heart. Every second I thought about their death, my chest ripped, until finally, my heart broke. 

"No! Don't do it!" I shouted at the workers, tears pouring out of my eyes like a faucet. One stopped to look back at me, his eyebrows knitted together, and his mouth frowning showing his sympathy, but he kept stabbing his shovel into the earth beside the two deep holes in the ground, pouring clods of dirt over the roses. Seconds later, I met Grandmama's stare. Her eyes were squinted and her nose was wrinkled. She was furious. 

She just became my legal guardian, and neither of us was happy about it. The funeral was the first time I had seen her in my life. The few hours I'd been with her were enough for me to know I was not going to enjoy my last year of being a teenager. Besides my first impression of her, she left my mom with several nice whipping scars on her back, and I must say it scared the hell out of me. I mean, whipping your child? I could hardly believe it. Even with how rude she'd been to me, I couldn't fathom the thought. I had hoped she became nicer with age, but my hopes fell quickly. 

I was almost seven when I first noticed the scars on my mom. She had hung her work shirt on the shower curtain to dry but left it in there when she was getting dressed. I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth when she ran in, wearing pants and a bra. I saw the scars left by whips as she left the room. On the way to school, I asked, but she told me, "Don't worry your little head about it," but I was too curious. I asked about it quite frequently and she never told me. I eventually grew tired of asking. The week after I turned seventeen, I saw the scars again when we went swimming in our backyard, and asked. Finally, she explained everything to me. From then on, I didn't like Grandmama. 

Saying what I said was a disgrace to her. Everything in her presence had to be perfect, everything aside from herself that is. In her eyes, I should have just watched, not shedding a tear like she did. She looked perfect on the outside due to her vain ways, but inside, she was far from it.