miss your friend. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks.” Realizing all over again that Miss Elizabeth was gone, I sniffed and wiped my eyes. “I was able to pull the council meeting together, but I’m kind of a mess when I’m not being the mayor.” I took out my candle and searched my pocket for the match I must’ve dropped.
Kevin lit the candle for me with his cigarette lighter. “I used to smoke. I never got over the habit of carrying a lighter.”
I thought he’d probably drift away, like sea foam, as I walked up to the group, but to my surprise, he stayed with me. We found a spot near the edge of the crowd, and I took a moment to glance around. The candlelight illuminated the tears and anger on the faces of the people I’d grown up with.
It was hard dealing with Miss Elizabeth’s loss. Maybe it would be easier if there was someone to direct our anger at. But so far, there was no one. I guessed it was too much to expect the guilty party to come forward and turn themselves in. All we could do was wait.
“Our good friend and neighbor, Miss Elizabeth Simpson, would not want to see us standing here feeling bad about her death,” Reverend Lisa was saying. “She’d want us to go out and tell people about her and her life here in Duck. She’d want us to carry on. That’s what we have to do, folks. We have to put on a smile Miss Elizabeth can see all the way in heaven, because we all know that’s where she is.”
“We don’t know that.” Suddenly Miss Mildred’s voice filled the silence after Lisa stopped speaking. “Why do we always assume people go to heaven, even bad people like Lizzie?”
“She’s overwrought,” whispered a woman beside me. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”
The group moved aside as Miss Mildred’s frail form continued past them until she was standing beside Lisa under the streetlight. It created a halo around her white hair but left her face in darkness. “Lizzie wasn’t the good person you all think she was. She took Johnny Simpson from me. She was fast with the judge in the Duck beauty pageant. She took things from me all of my life. She was my sister, but she did evil things. I don’t think God wants her in heaven.”
Lisa smiled and tried to gloss over Miss Mildred’s harsh words. “I’m sure we could all judge the people we love. We know their strengths and their weaknesses, don’t we? But in the end, Miss Elizabeth was a good person who didn’t deserve to die alone out there on the beach.”
The group of mourners agreed with her, and Lisa started singing again, probably hoping she could change the mood and help Miss Mildred out of the awkward situation she’d created.
“She doesn’t sound like she loved her sister the way the rest of you did,” Kevin commented.
“She’s old and she’s in shock,” I reminded him. “They feuded and fussed like all sisters. But they loved each other.”
“You’re right. I wish I’d had a sister, but I was an only child. What about you?”
“I’m an only child too. I wish I would’ve had a sibling when I was growing up. Even a brother would’ve been okay.” I joined the others in singing, putting my whole heart into “Amazing Grace,” and smiled as I heard Kevin’s baritone beside me. Chief Michaels was right. Kevin might be from somewhere else, but he belonged here in Duck.
I watched as Mary Lou took Miss Mildred’s arm and led her back out of the crowd, toward home. Miss Mildred was tearful and seemed confused. She went with Mary Lou, but she wasn’t happy about it. The two ladies were swallowed up in the darkness as they left the park, and the group came together again. I was glad Mary Lou had rescued Miss Mildred. I guessed that’s what she did best—rescuing. Kind of like how I found things.
The singing ended and was followed by an emotional moment when we were all supposed to blow out our candles at the same time to signify the passing of Miss Elizabeth. But before anyone could
“Thanks.” Realizing all over again that Miss Elizabeth was gone, I sniffed and wiped my eyes. “I was able to pull the council meeting together, but I’m kind of a mess when I’m not being the mayor.” I took out my candle and searched my pocket for the match I must’ve dropped.
Kevin lit the candle for me with his cigarette lighter. “I used to smoke. I never got over the habit of carrying a lighter.”
I thought he’d probably drift away, like sea foam, as I walked up to the group, but to my surprise, he stayed with me. We found a spot near the edge of the crowd, and I took a moment to glance around. The candlelight illuminated the tears and anger on the faces of the people I’d grown up with.
It was hard dealing with Miss Elizabeth’s loss. Maybe it would be easier if there was someone to direct our anger at. But so far, there was no one. I guessed it was too much to expect the guilty party to come forward and turn themselves in. All we could do was wait.
“Our good friend and neighbor, Miss Elizabeth Simpson, would not want to see us standing here feeling bad about her death,” Reverend Lisa was saying. “She’d want us to go out and tell people about her and her life here in Duck. She’d want us to carry on. That’s what we have to do, folks. We have to put on a smile Miss Elizabeth can see all the way in heaven, because we all know that’s where she is.”
“We don’t know that.” Suddenly Miss Mildred’s voice filled the silence after Lisa stopped speaking. “Why do we always assume people go to heaven, even bad people like Lizzie?”
“She’s overwrought,” whispered a woman beside me. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”
The group moved aside as Miss Mildred’s frail form continued past them until she was standing beside Lisa under the streetlight. It created a halo around her white hair but left her face in darkness. “Lizzie wasn’t the good person you all think she was. She took Johnny Simpson from me. She was fast with the judge in the Duck beauty pageant. She took things from me all of my life. She was my sister, but she did evil things. I don’t think God wants her in heaven.”
Lisa smiled and tried to gloss over Miss Mildred’s harsh words. “I’m sure we could all judge the people we love. We know their strengths and their weaknesses, don’t we? But in the end, Miss Elizabeth was a good person who didn’t deserve to die alone out there on the beach.”
The group of mourners agreed with her, and Lisa started singing again, probably hoping she could change the mood and help Miss Mildred out of the awkward situation she’d created.
“She doesn’t sound like she loved her sister the way the rest of you did,” Kevin commented.
“She’s old and she’s in shock,” I reminded him. “They feuded and fussed like all sisters. But they loved each other.”
“You’re right. I wish I’d had a sister, but I was an only child. What about you?”
“I’m an only child too. I wish I would’ve had a sibling when I was growing up. Even a brother would’ve been okay.” I joined the others in singing, putting my whole heart into “Amazing Grace,” and smiled as I heard Kevin’s baritone beside me. Chief Michaels was right. Kevin might be from somewhere else, but he belonged here in Duck.
I watched as Mary Lou took Miss Mildred’s arm and led her back out of the crowd, toward home. Miss Mildred was tearful and seemed confused. She went with Mary Lou, but she wasn’t happy about it. The two ladies were swallowed up in the darkness as they left the park, and the group came together again. I was glad Mary Lou had rescued Miss Mildred. I guessed that’s what she did best—rescuing. Kind of like how I found things.
The singing ended and was followed by an emotional moment when we were all supposed to blow out our candles at the same time to signify the passing of Miss Elizabeth. But before anyone could
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