The Plague of Popularity

The morning of my father’s funeral arrived far sooner than I had expected. I woke up wrapped in the arms of Gerard and I smiled. I meant it when I told Reggie that as long as Gee was here with me I’d be fine. Donna let him stay at my place; I couldn’t just abandon my house—my house, my things.

After mindless shuffling around and finally being dressed in my best black suit, Gerard and I heard the honk of Donna’s car out front and made our way outside. I was sad, not crying, but I was sad. I wonder if my mother was going to show her face today—I hoped she did. I could rub it in her face she gets nothing.

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I always hated funerals, my father worked with a lot of older men whose father’s died and I’d be drug along to their funerals. The thing that I hate most isn’t the fact that someone’s dead, no sometimes people should be dead, not to be mean, but most of the men suffered a lot before they finally died. No, I hate the preacher, pastor, whatever the hell he’s called that stands up in front of everyone who knows the person being buried and talks about them as if they knew them too.

It was more than apparent today, however, that I was going to be just like this religious man, using empty words about a man I never knew. I glanced around and noticed my mother did have the nerve to show her face, let alone be clinging to the arm of my soon-to-be step-father.

If it weren’t disrespectful to my father I’d yell out what a whore she really is. I can’t deny that Donna’s been happier than I’ve ever seen her since Don’s been gone; so have Gee and Mikes. I put on the waterworks, just for show of course, like I said; I didn’t really know my father.

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I threw in my handful of dirt as well as my white rose and watched as his casket was lowered into the ground. It wasn’t until the workers removed things and started to really pile the dirt in that I lost it. I just sank to the ground, ruining my Armani suit—my father wasn’t coming back this time.

I felt a cold hand grasp my shoulder, I glanced up—regretting doing so the moment I took in the person standing above me.

“What did you do?!”

I just sneered.

“What did you do Frank?! Why is my name missing from everything?”

I stood up abruptly and dusted myself off, not looking in her direction at all.

“Don’t you walk away from me like that young man!”

I slowly turned to face her, fear etched across her face.

“Mother, you’re left with nothing because my father and grandfather realized how worthless you truly are and don’t want you polluting their money. Oh, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding, don’t plan on seeing me there.”

Her eyes told me a different story though; she knows, she knows deep down she’s winning. She knows she’s crashing my world, she’s just waiting for the moment I crack—secretly, so am I.