Forever Yours, Elliot

Chapter 7 - Flying Four Feet Off The Ground

Being the only child, of a man and a woman who were also only children meant that my family had always been tiny.My father’s parents had died before I was born. My mom’s Dad died when I was 8 and we drove down to Kentucky for the funeral. I remembered it clearly because mom hadn’t seen her parents for years, she was so heartbroken and I hated seeing her like that.

Either way, the only ‘close’ family I had now, was my 75 year old grandmother, who had dementia and had no idea who I was. I’d have to advise the nursing home, but I knew they would say it was best that she just didn’t know.

I had second cousins, and great aunts, the sisters and brothers of my grandparents. People I had never spoken too. I decided to wait until a reasonable time to start calling my “relatives” and instead showered, dressed and then called a funeral parlour. The police officers had stated that my parents would be brought back to a hospital here, and that a Funeral director could come and collect the bodies. Bodies.

I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I waited for someone to pick up the phone.

I spoke with a nice man who explained that there were packages that entailed the director organising everything, by coming and talking and collecting a budget. I made an appointment for the next morning at 10am. Afterward I called a few numbers out of my parents address book and let my family know, then all of moms friends and family. Lastly I called the sous chef, Robbie and 2IC Jane and asked them both send everyone home, shut up the restaurant and come over.

By lunchtime they arrived, and they both looked confused as to why I was asking them over.

I invited them in and sat them down.

“I’m sorry to have to ask you to close the restaurant, but uh, this is kind of important” I said, my voice was threatening to crack again, I swallowed the ball of emotion in my throat, and told myself I had to be strong, there was to much to do, too much to organise, for me to fall apart.

“Unfortunately my mom and dad were killed in a car accident on Friday night” I said as calmly as I could, the words were torture to say, and my eyes brimmed with tears again. I pulled on the cuff of my hoodie and wiped the tears away. I had to be strong.

I looked up at my parents most senior staff. Although they were both only 23, they’d been at the restaurant since it had opened 5 years ago. They saw my parents more than I did.

Jane began sobbing uncontrollably, her shoulders sagged and she put her hands in her head.  I leant forward on my own seat and wrapped my arms around her.

“I know you guys were close” I whispered, Once I had felt jealous that she had seen them every day. Once I had wished I had that connection with them still, but the disconnection I felt with my parents seemed to both help me combat this with grace, or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

“This is some kind of sick joke right Elliot?” Robbie choked, his hand grabbing mine from janes back. I pulled back from the hug and looked at Robbie. He looked angry, his eyes awash with disbelief.

“I wish it were, I really do” I replied sadly, looking down. “Then I could have changed things”

“Oh god. I think I am going to be sick” Robbie exclaimed, racing outside.

Robbie and Jane stayed for a couple of hours, and I offered for them to come back tomorrow to meet the funeral director, they knew a side of my parents I’d only seen now and again when working for them of the last couple of summers. I explained that I wasn’t sure what would happen with the restaurant now, but that for now they should take over my parents jobs, and that everything else continue as normal.