JUNE - And the Aeternae

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THE RAVEN

St. Theresa's Cathedral, Grenville, Tennessee.

Red autumn leaves blanketed the ground as Bran's coffin was rolled out of the enormous cathedral building, families and friends all followed the coffin slowly to the grave site as it was rolled out on a coffin roller.

"Some glad morning when this life is over,
I'll fly away;
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away"

The priest began with the hymn as he read through his pamphlet.

"I'll fly away, Oh Glory
I'll fly away; in the morning
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I'll fly away."

Everyone followed up with the chorus of the hymn as the priest concluded reciting the first verse. The violist gave out a melodious tone to the reciting of the hymn as the pallbearers lowered the coffin while the hymn was being recited.

Everyone was dressed up in all black. in attendance were the Sinclair family including Dylan and Vivian, the McCarthy's, the Griffith's including Scott who surprisingly showed up, Alex Clinton, Chief police Larry Forbes and a few of Bran's family members.

Megan stood right in front of the grave as Patrick placed his hand on her shoulder, she was dressed up in a black satin gown with a black scrunchie headband holding her brown hair in a ponytail style. The priest concluded his prayers as the pallbearers began dipping their shovels into the sand and pour into the grave.

Patrick took a few steps forward and knelt on one knee, he dipped his hand into the pile of sand and poured it into the grave, just as he finished, Megan knelt close to him and did the same. Patrick smiled at her as they both stood up and pour the last sand they carried into the grave to pay their last respect.

The funeral had been concluded and the concrete job was being done on Bran's grave. Doris and Rose's mom, Nicole McCarthy were having a distinctive conversation, Patrick shot them a glance from afar and head to a an elderly woman who was having a word with the priest.

"My apologies for intruding." Patrick apologised to the priest and the elderly woman as he joined them.

"No intrusion Mr Sinclair, we were just having a chat about Brandon and what the future possibly holds for his little sister." The priest said.

"That is precisely why I'm here." Patrick responded to the Priest. The elderly woman fixed her gaze on Patrick and he noticed this.

"You must be Bran's grandma? I'm Patrick Sinclair." Patrick said introducing himself to the elderly woman.

"Yes I am. Pleased to meet you Mr Sinclair. I'm Annette Clark." The Elderly woman responded and shook hands with Patrick. Patrick was being careful as he didn't hold firm the handshake out of fear of hurting the elderly woman with a shaky hands.

Mrs Annette was a woman in her late seventies, her husband whom bran was named after had passed away during the World War II in 1945. She is the mother to Bran's father who sadly died with his wife in a car crash when Megan was an infant.

Megan was always dubbed the miracle baby as she was the only survival of the crash on the day, for an infant her age, she only sustained a minor scratch which didn't impose any serious health concerns. Mrs Annette was all alone in this dark cold world as she aged through watching everyone she loved pass away. Megan, her granddaughter was the only family she had left. Life hasn't been fair to the Clark family, Bran's mother had trouble conceiving another child which explains the age gap between Megan and Brian before her demise.