Still Around

         He sat staring expressionless while the coffin was lowered in to the dark, damp hole.  He was thinking about the lessons he had learned from her while he was growing up. His mother was the most insightful person he had ever known.

         He remembered how when she got sick, she remained calm.  “Why do you look so glum?” she asked him.  “I’m the one leaving, not you. And besides, I'll still be around. You’ll see.” 

         One evening, they were sitting around the table looking at photos. She started the conversation by saying “Now this is what I want you to do after I’m gone.”

        “What do you mean mom?” he asked.

         “Jimmy, we all have to die sooner or later.” she said. “You are the beneficiary on my insurance policy. I want you to take what’s left after the expenses and buy yourself a small home.”

         “But mom, I want you, not the money.” James huffed.

         “I know Jimmy, I know.” she said. A tear fell from her cheek as she sat and watched him pout. Being her only child, she was afraid that there would be no one to comfort him. “Please promise me that you will continue to see Patty. She is such a sweet girl. She will help you through this. She loves you dearly.”

         “I will mom. I was going to ask her to marry me, but when you got sick...”

         “Please ask her before I go." she interrupted. "I want to know that she will accept. It would make me feel much better about this. I really wish you wouldn’t have waited. I thought about not telling you that the doctors found cancer, but that wouldn’t have been fair to you.” she said.

         “I am glad you told me, and I will ask her this weekend.” James replied.

         “Good. Then there is one more thing I want to go over with you.  What I want to wear for the funeral.  I want to wear that fancy blouse I have.  The one covered in rhinestones, glitter, and sequins. And I want the blue slacks and those wingtip cowboy boots. I am gonna liven the place up when I get there.” she said with a big grin on her face.

         James pictured the scene and laughed.

         “What’s so funny Jim?” Patty asked. “This is your mother’s funeral. I don’t see anything funny!”

         “Sorry.  I was just remembering something.” Jim said.

                                       * * *

         Three weeks passed when Jim packed to leave for a business trip the next morning.  He showered and crawled in bed.  As he lay there waiting for sleep to overcome him, he thought about his mother and how she would give him insight on upcoming events. She once told him to go to the local carnival.  He thought he was too old to go, but she insisted.  That was the night he met Patty.  She was there with her niece playing the carnie games when he ran right in to her. He apologized to her and asked her if he could buy her dinner the next evening.  She accepted and that was that.

         As he fell asleep, he dreamt that he was at that carnival again.  His mother was there. She wore the same clothes that she was buried in.  He felt strange to see her again. She told him “Be careful. I feel uncomfortable for you.”  He heard bells ringing because someone slammed the sledgehammer and sent the weight in to the bell at the top of the twenty foot pole.  He turned to see who it was and when he looked back she was gone.

         “Mom.” he yelped.  He awoke with tears in his eyes.  He glanced at the clock to see that he was an hour late rising. It seemed like a few seconds since he heard the bells ring in his dream, and thought it must have been his alarm clock going off, but he wasn’t ready to wake yet.

         He quickly shaved and dressed.  I am going to miss my flight, he thought.  I really have to hurry. It departs in an hour and a half.  Ten minutes later he was in his car headed for the airport.

         Traffic was extremely heavy that morning and he thought he would be lucky to make the flight. Seventy minutes later, he was finally parking.  He hustled from his car and headed for the terminal when he saw ambulances and fire trucks gathered around the entrance.

         He headed for the main entrance when a police officer stopped him.

         “You can’t use this entrance sir.” the officer stated.

         “But I am going to miss my flight.” Jim said.

         Pointing to another set of doors further north, the officer said, “I’m sorry but you will have to use the next entrance.”

         Jim began running for the doors.  Entering the doors, he heard on the PA Last call for Flight 1521 Orange County California. Gate closing in 5 minutes.  Knowing that he would never make it, Jim turned around and headed back to his car.

         As he approached his car, he reached in to his pocket to get his keys and cell phone.  Fumbling with the key, phone and luggage, his keys dropped to the pavement.  He threw the luggage and phone on top of his car roof.  Reaching down to pick up the keys, something glimmered catching his eye.  Looking over, he saw that it was a few turquoise rhinestones lying on the ground next to his tire.

         On his way home, he phoned the office to have them reschedule his flight and meeting for the next day.  In an effort to unwind, he switched on the radio to his favorite country music station.  They were playing an old Glenn Campbell song, Rhinestone Cowboy.  In the middle of the song, the DJ cut in: “This just in.  Flight 1521 headed to John Wayne Airport in California with one hundred and fifteen passengers on board went down twenty minutes ago.  There are expected to be no survivors.”