Unforgiven - Complete

Chapter Twenty-four

The now sizeable crowd gathered stepped back, allowing the pallbearers to prepare to carry Tasha's casket into the church. She was borne by Tasha's five older brothers and her eldest nephew, Christian.

As per the Romanian tradition, Tasha's casket entered the church feet first before anyone else, Christian and her brothers depositing it in the center of the church. Mr. and Mrs. Ozera followed, along with their large extended family then the rest of those gathered. When the casket was set to rest, it was opened and remained open for the service. There was a bowl of boiled wheat with honey called coliva placed near the head of the coffin with a candle burning in it. As they walked inside, Rose noted many of the Romanian mourners were carrying horseshoe shaped wreaths they referred to as crowns. These were placed near Tasha's casket.

Everyone remained standing other than Mrs. Ozera and a few of the elderly. Looking over to where Tasha lay, Rose noticed she had one of the floral 'crowns' on her head and a cross in her hand. Rose tried not to look too hard; it was confronting seeing someone her age lying there – looking more peaceful and serene in death than she ever had in life.

It was weird seeing Christian and his uncles wearing towels on their arms, and looking around, the crosses in the church were draped with them, too. Rose gave Dimitri a questioning look, and he just shrugged, and she made a note to ask her Tata about it later to see if he knew what that was all about!

When the 'service' proper started, it was magnificent. The singing was amazing. Even though it was all in Romanian, it was strangely beautiful, and it seemed to be led by a couple of guys who were really great singers. The singing part went for about half an hour, during which Tasha's sisters were handing out candles to everyone and handkerchiefs to the men. The candles were lit – each person lighting theirs from the person beside them.

There were a few priests in attendance; one of the priests spoke about life and death and how everything from God must eventually return to God. After that, another priest spoke a little about Tasha – mostly the facts of her life.

Once the priests were done, those gathered went to say their farewells, some touching Tasha's hand and some of the closest even kissing her or the cross she held. Others, like Lissa, and then Rose and Dimitri when they passed, just whispered a farewell and continued walking.

Once everyone had said goodbye, the coffin was closed, Tasha's sisters started gathering up the crowns, and they lead the procession out of the church, Christian and the other pallbearers carrying Tasha out to the hearse closely followed by the rest of her family.

Outside Lissa said that because the cemetery was some distance away, only the closest family would be attending the burial.

"Mrs. Ozera has asked me to help with the guests at the reception while they're busy at the cemetery," she explained proudly after she'd given a loving hug and kiss to a very stressed looking Christian before he climbed into a car with some of his aunts and uncles to follow the hearse to the graveyard. "They'll be back in an hour or so."

The hearse and the mourner's cars departed, the younger people rejoined their parents, walking somberly back to the school. Lissa bid Rose, Dimitri, and her mother farewell once she got there, immediately heading to the canteen area at the side of the gym to start helping to make the hundreds of cups of tea that would be served over the course of the afternoon. Joined by Christian's aunts by marriage, everyone seemed to appreciate the significance of Lissa being asked to assist at such an important family event.

At a table nearby, Christian's uncles by marriage were filling a table with shot glasses of pălincă. The Romanian version of vodka, this was apparently always served at funerals, although St. Vlad's administration had insisted were it going to be being served at Tasha's, someone must be checking IDs to make sure no one under twenty-one indulged. Not that it stopped some of Christian's younger cousins trying!