The call came about 10:30pm on a Wednesday night. I picked up the phone and said hello. There was a deep voice that told me to give it to one of my parents. I gave the phone to my mother and sat near her. A few moments later my mother burst into tears, I didn’t know what was happening so I took the phone and ran to my room. I asked the man what he had said. (I honestly wish I hadn’t though). The man on the line told me that my uncle had passed away from a heart attack.

The tears streamed down my cheeks as I lay in my bed. I could hear my mother still crying and my father making phone calls. In the morning everyone awoke very early because we were going to visit my aunt and attend the funeral. It took us 7 hours to get into Canada and another 2 hours to get to my aunt’s house.

As we pulled into my aunt’s driveway I saw about 4 men measuring the grave. My mother and father got out of the jeep and greeted my aunt. I went straight to the guest room I was staying in and changed my clothes.

It was about 5pm when the guests started to arrive for the funeral. When the casket arrived everyone followed it into the graveyard. The graveyard was in my aunts’ backyard it had a lot of other gravestones there, just waiting to be accompanied by my uncle. As I looked around I saw the trees, they looked like they were bending over the grave stones as if they were protecting them from the harsh winds. When I looked at my uncles’ casket it was a smooth rich black with silver lining. The inside of it was red, with soft velvet. As I walked toward the casket I saw my uncle with his arms crossed over his chest and his hair neatly combed back.

When the viewing time wound down and I got my note and placed it inside the interior pocket of my uncle tuxedo. The note said that I would miss him greatly but I promised to be strong threw the whole thing.

After the funeral I saw my aunt sitting next to the grave. I brought over some flowers and put it next to my aunt. She told me that she always had much love for how strong I was threw the toughest things. I told her I appreciated that. She got up and left me with my uncle for the last precious moments I had before I left.

Two minutes later my mother called me inside so we could leave back to Guilderland. I got in the jeep and said bye to my aunt. I was sad that I had to leave my uncles grave stone but I knew that however far I went I would always have his love in my heart.