The Funeral

By Sahana Yengkokpam

Is anyone close to me?

Have I ever been close to anyone?

I wondered as I saw the pure white marble gravestone in front of me

I wondered if anyone would visit my grave

If anyone cared enough about me

All the interactions I had so far felt meaningless

I reminisce about my past

About the girl who was once happy

About the girl who’s grave wouldn’t be so lonely

I wondered where the people surrounding her went

Did they leave her

Or did she leave them?

A simple question that she or rather I couldn’t bring myself to answer

My parents would visit my grave...wouldn’t they?

But they would die before me

I didn’t want to die yet

Nor did I want to live that long

I could imagine my parents crying at my grave

But would I cry at theirs?

A truly cruel being I was, wasn’t I?

As tears were filling up my eyes

A voice snapped me back to reality

“Would you like to add their year of death too?”

“no, it’s beautiful as it is” said a soft unrecognisable voice that came out from my mouth.

The memorial masonry didn’t ask any more questions about why the date of birth was the only

date that was being carved.

“The person must have meant a lot to you” said the masonry after seeing my tears.

I looked at the name carved on the gravestone again it was mine

“Yes they meant a lot to me and still do.” I replied with a slight smile

I took the stone with me to the graveyard

And marked my empty grave with it

The hole was dug

The stone was there

The coffin was being made

The flowers and dress were already chosen and prepared

Now all it lacked was the person to be buried

I laughed at my own foolishness

A funeral that was yet to come had already been planned out perfectly down to the littlest detail

I regretted every bit of my life

Wondering if it wasn’t too late

If I reached out

Would they still answer?

If this grave would no longer be lonely anymore?

By Sahana Yengkokpam