Maple

Ch22

Alexander

I still couldn't believe it. It was the third day since I'd woken up, but I still couldn't believe it. Mother and Father died a year and half ago. Maple died on the way to the hospital to see me. It was all too distant, impossible. The last thing I remember was that we were on our way to Maple's recital, then I wake up in a hospital and they tell me that I was in coma and that my entire family was dead.

It felt life someone ripped my heart out and forgot to replace it. Grandmother was the one who had told me. She had come in, hours after I had woken up, with red eyes and a fake smile. She had hugged so tightly I thought I would break. Then, her and Uncle Tim had sat down and broken the news, both of them crying.

Maple's funeral was today. I didn't want to go, but Maple's doctor, Lisa, had insisted. She said that Maple had come to visit me almost every day since the accident, the least I could do was go to her service. Maple had bought me presents, too. She was always kind like that. There were lots, for lots of different occasions, but there wasn't one to congratulate me on waking up. Because Maple was dead, and my parents were dead.

Grandma did buy me chocolates though. I ate them while crying. I was going to live with grandma now. She said her and Uncle Tim would take care of me. But I didn't want to live with them. I wanted to live with Mom and Dad and Maple, but that was impossible now.

They had all left me behind.

David

If anything, the funeral made me feel worse. Mom had come with me, and Max and his parents and Meggs and hers. Maple's grandma and her Uncle came pushing Alex in a wheelchair. My heart dropped when I saw him. His eyes looked dead, like he had died along with his family. No eight-year-old should suffer through so much. I wondered if he'd hate me if he knew that Maple had died in my place.

The man who was driving the car that hit Maple was also there with his wife. Any thought I might have had of feeling angry at him disappeared when I saw his face. Never had I seen a man carrying so much guilt. The man wouldn't be driving anything, anywhere, anytime soon. The priest read a few words, but no one was listening. The women were crying, the men were holding back tears.

Music was playing as we were throwing in handfuls of dirt. To my surprise, Miranda and her two friends showed up and threw some dirt in. Then Miranda walked up to me, Max and Meggs.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, before rushing back to her car, her two friends hot on her tail. Maybe Miranda was not such a bad person after all. Maple's neighbor and her landlord came too, and Dr. Lisa and Dr. Leonard, and Mr and Mrs. Ray, and a few regular customers at Ray's. Officer Chloe also showed up, looking grief-stricken. Even some teachers from school came, lead by the principal.

"She was such a nice girl" they said. "I'm sorry for your loss."

I wondered as I threw in a handful of dirt, if Maple knew that so many people would mourn for her. As the cemetery cleared up, only me, Max, Meggs and Maple's family were left. Our parents were talking in the corner, regularly shooting us looks of pity.

"Alex" Maple's grandma said, leaning down to look him in the face, "Please throw in some dirt."

Alex shook his head.

"Why not?" she asked. "Maple would be sad."

"No, she wouldn't!" he yelled, "She can't feel anything because she's dead!" Tears swelled in his eyes. "Why did she leave me? Why did they all leave me?"

My heart burned, my own eyes tearing up. Meggs was sobbing again, Max holding her and trying to sooth her. Alex turned to look at the half-covered coffin.

"How could you?" he screamed, tears rolling down his cheeks. He stood from the wheel chair, taking a few unbalanced steps towards the grave. "Why? I never did anything wrong. You waited all this time for me, why couldn't you wait another day?"

We were all crying, his grandmother trying to hold him back, his uncle frozen by the wheel chair. No one said anything because inside, we were all asking the same questions.

Why did you have to go, Maple?