Page 1 of João
the last one
GISELE
The last one.
Mary Magdalene’s Garden Cemetery glimmered green and gold under the sun’s gentle rays. A strong current of AC cooled my heated neck, drying the droplets of perspiration courtesy of the mad dash from my office at the hospital to my car. It served me right; I over-scheduled myself with a hospital chair board meeting, then a conference call with the recently formed advisory board for the Gifted Athletes Center of Broward, which I was now a member of, straight into my church choir duties. Even though it wasn’t a hot day, the urgency to get everything done made me glad to wear my church robe over the damp spots on my outfit.
Seldom did our church choir sing during a burial, but this particular child of God had left a sizable donation to the vestry for us to sing graveside, and well, the work of God sometimes called us to collect that money to keep the lights on.
Did people really believe those gestures would give them entrance to the ever after? Actions always spoke louder than money or words could. There was no need to be a Christianto get into heaven, no matter how heretic that sounded, but I wasn’t the person in charge of making said decisions. For a long time, I thought I would be part of the renaissance of our home church, to reform our little congregation to truly be about acts of service and giving our community the support they needed versus keeping up with appearances and the latest church tea.
How wrong I was.
“Well, that was a heavy sigh. Did you arrive? We can continue chatting about the expansion in our next meeting, girl. You’re always doing so much,” said Celia, still on the line for a quick sidebar after our conference call.
“Thanks, Ci, just made it on time, thanks to Leila. I need the minute, though, and y’know I love chatting with you. I’m so glad we’re taking things off Gabriel and Mason’s plates through this advisory council. They’ve done such good work and don’t deserve to be overwhelmed by it all.”
“And you, ma’am, also deserve not to be overwhelmed by all your many responsibilities….so are you really going through with it?” Celia whispered.
“Girl, yes, I just have to gather my courage to take the last step.” My hair brushed against my shoulders as my head moved from side to side, then reached back into my car for my purse.
“Good for you. Life is too short to be somewhere you don’t feel welcome anymore,” Celia chimed in as I reapplied lipstick, ignoring the clenching in my stomach.
“Yes, yes, you’re right.”
“And maybe you could start dating again. I heard that volunteer… What’s his name, Tariq? He is single and ready, and that man’s fine as he?—”
“Not you also trying to set me up! I haven’t met a person after…after everything who has sparked even one ounce of interest for me to leave my spinsterhood. The day I meetthatperson, I promise I’ll start dating again.”
“But you still want to marry, right?”
The question lingered in the air as I studied the area where the burial would happen. Some of the family were already gathered there and my fellow choir members were forming on the other side of the departed’s final resting place. From what Father Weaver told us, this man had very specific requirements for his ceremony.
Maybe they were meant for his family’s comfort. That’s what I chose to believe, anyway.
“Gisele…”
“Sorry, Celia, I’m going to be late if I don’t get going, but to answer your question, yeah. Just at my time, at my pace. With all that’s changing soon in my life…there’ll be time to find that person… to walk the path I want to walk.”
“Girl, not every man for you needs to come from the church; look at me and my wife. I mean, you were so close…”
As if I needed that reminder right now.
“I know. I know, Celia… It’s a strong preference, not a requirement if y’know what I mean.”
“I hear you, but remember, some of the best candidates are the ones you take a risk on.”
I had already taken risks with my previous candidate and ignored where we weren’t compatible, and I had nothing to show for it. No, I gained nothing lingering in the negative. There was no space for that here.
“Thanks, C. I’ll see you this weekend?”
“Okay, okay, I get it. I’m prodding too much. It took me two years to crack your code, so I know when I’m doing the most. See you this weekend!”
“Alright, girly.” I smiled at the dashboard as if she could see me.
Exiting the car, I placed my car key in my slacks pocket, needing only my vestment. I draped it quickly on and powered through the gravel path toward the burial grounds.
Soft grass cushioned my steps as I moved closer to Julio João Souza’s final resting place. Intricate gold chairs circled the hole in the ground where a polished top-of-the-line casket sat open, waiting to be put to its proper use. Flower arrangements of all sizes filled the space with warmth and color in the otherwise chilly afternoon. An enormous frame boasted the deceased’s final photo in a sharp suit, his intractable gaze sizing up every single person who came to pay their respects.
