Recollection

Tomorrow will be 13 years since Robby died. I went to a funeral at Christ the King church last week. It's the first time I've been to a funeral at that church since Robby's 13 years ago. I can't really remember his funeral. I don't remember seeing anyone at the church. All the faces in my memories of that event are blank. Angie tells me about it, but I don't remember it. I wish I could. I do remember sitting in the limo outside the church, waiting to go to the cemetery. Angie and I were in the back seat. They put Robby's small casket on the seat in front of us. We had to have one of the pallbearers ride on the seat next to it so it wouldn't tip over at a stop sign. Weird.

I do remember the visitation though. Angie and I arrived at the funeral home early, so that we could spend some time with him before visitors arrived. I think the regular staff were on spring break or something, because the people taking care of us seemed to be very incompetent. We asked if we could go visit him now, and they told us that we could. As we walked up to his casket, and got close enough to see him, we could see that the top of his head had been stitched on, and was in plain sight. It was horrible to see. Angie screamed and cried and we immediately turned around and left the room. I guess we probably knew that he had an autopsy, but never really thought about what they actually did. We were surprised that they didn't try to hide it. After Angie's dad chewed every ass he could find, they finally wrapped a blanket around him in such a way that the stitches were hidden. When we finally got to see him, I remember touching his hand. Angie told me not to, but I did. It was stiff and cold. Not real. I can still feel it in my fingers.

There were lots of people at the visitation. It was strange to me, the number of people that came and knelt by his body that had never seen him alive. I'm thankful that they were there. I remember wanting to leave the whole time. I haven't been back to that funeral home since (Hamilton's on 9th), and don't really want to go back.

Peace-
Matt