James Family Loss

 

In memory of the author LJ's real life Granny who passed on in December of 2002.

 

It was mid December. Kayin and Eiji had already arrived at the James household a couple of weeks ago to spend time during the holidays. While they were Christmas shopping at the mall, Tabia and the guys knew something was wrong when they received a cel phone call from LJ's mom to meet them at the Green Meadows Nursing Home right away.

 

Word had it that LJ had taken off from work early that fateful day, to spend some time with her sick grandmother. While LJ slept in a chair next to her grandma's bed, a couple of nurses making rounds had discovered that her grandma had passed away in her sleep. When LJ awoke and was informed of her passing away, she screamed in grief and was so devastated, she had to be escorted out of the room.

 

The James family household was packed full of visitors, both family and friends, coming to give condolences over their los. Now LJ sat on the sofa, while her cousin Tabia held her hand for comfort. LJ's eyes had a down cast look to them, the shock of her grannie's death washing over her.

 

Standing a short distance away from the two women, were Kayin and Eiji. They both were keeping a close eye on LJ out of concern for her well being. She hadn't spoken a word since leaving the nursing home and she was taking the death of her grandmother pretty hard.

 

Tabia noticed new guests had arrived in the already crowded house.

 

Pippi Longstocking was talking to LJ's mom, she had brought something with her and was now hugging Mrs. James over her loss. "I'm so sorry, Mary," she said sadly, "If there's anything I can do..."

 

"Thank you, Pippi," came Mrs. James's choked reply.

 

Capri Danae Monroe, NT Dawson, and Indianna Who followed suit and soon afterwards, came to the living room where most everyone sat.

 

Pippi looked at the grief stricken LJ sitting in front of her. She had lost someone very close to her and right now, she needed all the love and support she could get. Pippi knelt down to where LJ sat, while Tabia smiled and nodded at her. Kayin and Eiji did the same as well.

 

LJ became aware of warm arms embracing her, and Pippi's kind, sad voice near her ear.

 

"Oh, LJ, I'm so sorry."

 

LJ hugged Pippi in response, mouthing the words "Thank you." but no sound came out of her mouth. A couple of tears went down her face, she was trying her darnest not to lose it again like she did at the nursing home.

 

Capri was next. She put her hand on LJ's temple and looked sadly down at her. "I'm very sorry fer yer loss. If there's anythin I can do...?"

 

LJ slowly shook her head, and sniffled, blinking back the tears. Her lower lip trembled slightly.

 

Tabia put a supportive arm around her cousin, rubbing her back, trying to comfort her. "Its ok, hon." She told her.

 

Indy gave a concerned look at LJ while standing next to Kayin and Eiji. "She and her Grandma must've been very close."

 

Kayin nodded, not liking to see LJ in so much pain like this. "Yes, she thinks its her fault that her grandma died. The nurses had to keep telling her it wasn't her fault, there was nothing she could have done. She had been very sick for a long time."

 

"What!?" Indy gave Kayin a puzzled look. "Why would she think it was her fault? I don't understand."

 

"She was in the room when her grandmother died." Eiji said.

 

"Oh, my..." Indy was in shock. "Poor LJ."

 

In the meantime, it was NT's turn. She gave LJ a hug, trying not to cry.

 

LJ hugged NT back, fresh tears streaming down her face.

 

NT stayed there a while, hugging LJ, and patting her on the back.

 

When Misery Chastain got a chance, she did the same as NT."My condolences." she said, not knowing what else to say, but hoping her touch would communicate the rest.

 

Robbie Collins came up behind Mis, he squeezed LJ's hand and looked sadly at her. "I'm very sorry. If you need anything...?"

 

LJ lay her head on Tabia' shoulder and sobbed.

 

"Its okay." Tabia said, holding LJ. Tabia was handling it better than her cousin, but her eyes started to water a bit as well.

 

Indy felt helpless. She had never seen her friends like this before, and it was also making her relive the time she learned of her own parents' deaths. "Why?" she whispered to no one in particular, eyes welling up. "And this time of the year too..." She put her face in her hands, trying to keep her composure..

 

Finally, Robbie approached her and touched her on the shoulder. "Indy..." he whispered, indicating a gap in the croud of people where Indy could get in to offer her condolences.

 

Indy blinked, and held her breath as she approached LJ. She hugged her tightly, and just managed to choke out, "I'm sorry..." Despite all effort, she began shedding tears as well. "It's not you're fault, any more than it was mine when..."She couldn't finish.

 

Tabia and LJ hugged Indy warmly and wept.

 

Indy couldn't say or do anything more, so she just let herself cry, and continued to hug her friends.

 

Capri, who had overheard Kayin saying LJ had blamed herself, knew there was something she had to do about that. Once more, she came over to the sofa where the distraught LJ was sitting. She waited patiently until the friends disengaged.

 

Robbie stepped in to take Indy aside, the Who woman just couldn't get a grip on herself.

 

Capri took a seat on the other side of the sofa from Tabia, and put an arm around LJ. "There, there, LJ," she said quietly, rubbing her back, "She led a good, long life, an' left this world peacefully. An' best of all, she wasn't alone when it happened. You were there, even if ya weren't watchin 'er that very second...You were there, an' that's the best an' only thing ya could'a done. Ya can't hold back from God what's his, an 'e decided to call 'er home while all was right with 'er family...an' while you were there so she wouldn't spend 'er last moments alone on this earth. I wasn't there when either o' my parents died, an' though they're in a better place same as yer Grandma is, it wasn't God what caused 'em to die in the first place. I've never been able to shake it off, that I wasn't there to save 'em er even jus' tell 'em goodbye, er even 'ave 'em watchin me sleepin before they went...Neither went peacefully either, an' that is the hardest thing to cope with. Indy's probly dealin with a lot o' the same kinds of feelins 'cause o' what Une did to her family. But it was no more yer fault when yer Grandma went any more than it was mine er Indy's when our parents 'ad their lives cut short. You an' yer Grandma were so lucky to have each other fer as long as ya did, an' that ya could be together in peace right up to when God called 'er 'ome. All too many people're not that fortunate. Don't blame yerself, love, there's nothin ya coulda done. Ya know she didn't go before 'er time, an' she knows ya love 'er."

 

LJ held Capri's words in her heart as she prepared for grannie's funeral a week later.

 

Throughout the funeral home's parking lot was a huge assortment of vehicles as the James family and their friends met up for the procession to First Baptist Church early that morning. It was a clear and sunny day, thankfully it didn't rain, which usually seemed to be the case on a funeral day.

 

Everyone was dressed in black from head to toe, women wearing dresses while the men wore suits, naturally.

 

LJ stood between her mom and Tabia, wearing a pair of sun glasses to hide her eyes. They had become red and swollen from constant crying and lack of sleep. She looked downward, not saying anything, looking solemn and withdrawn from the world.

 

Everyone was socializing, LJ's younger brother Kevin came in from out of town and brought his girlfriend along with him. Right now, he was talking with a group of young men, among them were Kayin, Eiji and Robbie Collins. Tabia's parents were there as well.

 

Pippi, NT, and Capri were offering kind words of support to Mrs. James and her family.

 

Indy kept glancing over at LJ, out of concern, and finally approached and stood next to her and Tabia. She took hold of LJ's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. But it was hard to feel strong, seeing what this was doing to her Friend. It was making her relive the misery of losing her own parents. That memory caused her eyes to water a bit.

 

Tabia looked at Indy. "Are you ok, hon?"

 

Indy nodded. "Yeah, as much as can be expected." Her voice shook, but she quickly wiped her eyes with her hand and smiled at Tabia. "I'm all right. LJ, are you ok girl?"

 

LJ managed to look up at Indy and she nodded in response.

 

Tabia looked at her cousin, taking hold of her hand. "You have to be strong, hon, for your grandma and most importantly, for yourself. She wouldn't want you to grieve over her like this."

 

"Yes, I know." LJ replied in a low, weak voice. "She knew her time was near for at the hospital before she died, she made me promise that I wouldn't scream and act out at her funeral."

 

Tabia nodded in agreement. "I understand."

 

Indy took a tissue from her purse, and dabbed at her eyes.

 

Just then, a black sports car pulled along side them. A young woman wearing a short black dress came out of the passenger side, carrying a small potted plant.

 

"Hey, she looks familiar." remarked Tabia.

 

"She should, that's Orisha." said Indy.

 

Orisha came up to Mrs. James, hugging her. "I'm a friend of LJ's and I'm sorry about your mom's passing." she said.

 

"Thank you..oh..." Mrs. James smiled at her in surprise, taking the pink carnations Orisha had given her. "The flowers...they're beautiful! They were her favorite...oh, thank you so much.." She embraced the young woman again. "But how did you know?"

 

"LJ told me." Orisha grinned at her, she went up to where the girls were standing, and gave hugs to them all.

 

"Glad you could come..." Indy said.

 

Tabia nodded in agreement.

 

"Yeah...when Indy told me the news, I had to come." Orisha put her arm around LJ, rubbing her back.

 

"Hey, who's that guy?" Tabia asked, indicating with a head movement. Orisha gave her a puzzled expression.

 

"That's Orisha's friend Jack...You mean you didn't recognize him? They're always together you know." Indy whispered to Tabia.

 

A tall man had gotten out of the driver's side of the sports car, coming toward them with a large tray of food.

 

"Guys, uh...that is Jack." Orisha said.

 

"Say what?!" Tabia did a double take on the young man who was now standing in front of them.

 

Jack Sisco, the zoid pilot, heard the exchange of words, and smirked at them in amusement. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me already!" He said in that deep voice of his. He wasn't wearing his trademark black and green headband, so this was the first time the girls had ever seen him without it. His purple black hair hung low over his eyes, and Tabia and Orisha thought he looked so mature and sophisticated in his black suit and tie. It was hard for them to believe the guy was still a teenager.

 

Indy pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest. She was unimpressed with Jack, but she was relieved he didn't come in his usual getup, and she thought his purple hair unattractive. it screamed Attention Seeker, looked unkempt and could use a trim, but Indy said nothing. Jack just didn't have the same stunning effect on her as he did on some of her friends, in particular, Tabia and especially Orisha.

 

"Sorry about that, Jack." Tabia said sheepishly. "Its just that you look so different."

 

Indy sniffed, rather annoyed by Tabia's sudden meekness in Jack's presence.

 

Jack gave Tabia a roguish grin in response. "Uh, well...don't get used to this look 'cause it's not gonna last long. As soon as the funeral is over, its right back to the leather pants and muscle shirt for me."

 

"Oh, brother." Indy replied, rolling her eyes heavenward. "I don't know him."

 

Tabia and Orisha spluttered and laughed. Even LJ managed to crack a smile.

 

"Hehe, looks like we made LJ smile!" said Orisha.

 

Even Indy couldn't keep a straight face now. She grinned and chuckled at LJ, happy to have brought some cheer to her friend. The past few days had been hell for her.

 

Tabia took the food from Jack and put it in the mini van, along with the rest to be transported to the church.

 

But Indy sent Jack a rather cold glance, then looked away.

 

Orisha noticed this. It puzzled her and made her feel uneasy. She couldn't possibly imagine what Indianna Who had against Jack. She could understand LJ, who was in mourning, but even before this, LJ had been friendlier to Jack than Indy ever had in the few short chance meetings among them all. Orisha thought about trying to get Indy alone later to talk about it, because she could tell something was definitely not quite right.

 

Mrs. James came up to the girls. "Its time." she told them.

 

On cue, everyone went to their cars. Jack opened the door to his sports car for Orisha since they were to ride together. Pippi, NT, Misery, and Capri were riding with Robbie while Indy had opted to ride with Kayin, Eiji and Tabia's parents in the mini van. The immediate family were to ride in the black limo provided by the funeral home.

 

As Indy turned to leave, she felt a hand on her shoulder and realized it was Mrs. James.

 

"Indy, I would like very much for you to ride with us."

 

Indy looked at her, not knowing what to say. But she was practically family so it was only right for her to ride with them. Her eyes suddenly welled up, her chin quivered a bit, and finally she nodded and smiled at Mrs. James through her tears. "Thanks so much." She managed to say.

 

Mrs. James took a moment to embrace Indy in a comforting hug, shedding tears of her own.

 

Then The limo driver opened the door for Indy to step in and she sat right next to LJ while Tabia sat on the other side. Once everyone was seated, the doors were closed and the limo got behind the vehicle that carried the body of LJ's grandma.

 

A long line of cars followed behind the limo, with their head lights on, as a police escort lead the procession across town to the church...

 

The sound of a police siren accompanied by flashing lights caused all traffic to stop at a stand still. Both motorists pulled their cars to the side as the funeral procession made its way across town. An onlooker or two waved, most just looked. Christmas shoppers stood on the sidewalks in front of stores, observing. While driving through a neighborhood, a young boy who was washing his mother's car, had enough sense and respect to stop what he was doing to look on.

 

On the way to the church, they made a quick pass by the house where LJ's grannie had lived, the last trip she would make there before going to her final resting place. The long line of cars waited a short distance down the road as the hearse and the black limo stopped in front of the house for a minute of reflection. Momentarily, it started to make its path toward the church. The procession soon arrived at its destination, it would be another hour before the funeral would start.

 

The idea was to have family visitation before hand, to let out any pent up feelings of grief so there would be no emotional outbursts during the funeral. That was the wish of grandma, no one was to act a fool at her funeral.

 

The limo driver instructed everyone to stay in the car while they got everything ready.

 

Indy looked at everyone in the car, the ride was a silent one, no one had spoken during that time.

 

LJ and her mom were taking it the hardest, they both wept silently, not making a sound. LJ kept her head down most of the time, not bothering to look out the car window, her expression well hidden by the sun glasses.

 

Indy opened her purse and took out some Kleenex, offering it to LJ and her mom. They both nodded their thanks to the Who woman and in turn, used it to wipe the tears from their faces. Indy cried along with them, but that didn't prevent her looking out the window.

 

When they arrived at their destination, the first thing Indy could see was a small group of young men standing nearby who would serve as pall bearers for the funeral. among them were Robbie, Kevin, Kayin, and Eiji. Right now, they were talking with the pastor who was to preach the funeral's sermon. They took their places along side the white coffin while others were taking flowers inside the huge cathedral like church. Even Jack was on hand helping out, showing a side of him that was very rarely seen. After everything was in place, the limo's doors were opened for the family to exit out. They took their places in line standing next to each other to form a procession inside the church while the pastor lead the way, reciting the 23rd Psalm:

 

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures."

 

Indy was between Tabia and LJ, as they walked hand in hand, the three of them walked behind Mrs. James. The church was already crowded with people and they watched as the family walked in, the words of the preacher ringing throughout the church.

 

"He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul."

 

Indy kept her chin up, trying not to think of the memory of the funeral for all who had died in Lady Une's explosion, among the casualties, Indy's parents. Yet, the pain was still there.

 

"He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake."

 

Ushers lead them to their seats in the front row of the church. Pall bearers placed the white coffin on its place in front of the altar, while flowers and other decorations were placed around it.

 

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,"

 

The flower arrangement on top was taken down, so the lid could be open. The inside material was laid out for better viewing of the body inside.

 

LJ stared at the display in front of her, her eyes took on a glassy look. Indy put her arm around her friend. LJ, not saying a word, lay her head on Indy's shoulder as she wept silently.

 

"For you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me;"

 

Indy mouthed the words as the pastor continued his words of comfort to the grieving family.

 

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Amen."

 

At that point, everyone filed in line, to pay their respects to both the family and the departed.

 

As in a trance, LJ seemed not to notice the many hands that touched hers or the people who hugged and offered words of support and sympathy toward her.

 

Indy noticed how out of it LJ appeared to be but she kept at her friend's side, offering a reassuring arm around her shoulder for support.

 

Many people took the time to view the body, for LJ's grandmother was beautifully dressed in purple with white lace gloves.

 

Tabia heard the sound of crying behind her and turned around to see little cousin Crystal sobbing uncontrollablely. She looked so cute wearing a purple and black dress.

 

Crystal's mom was trying her best to comfort the little girl, holding the 5 year old in her lap with her arms around her, rocking her back and forth. "Shhh, its ok."

 

Tabia reached back and took hold of one of Crystal's tiny hands. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

 

"I want my grannie." she said, between sobs, her eyes full of tears. The reality of what was happening was hitting her hard.

 

"Awww." Tabia murmured.

 

Poor Crystal was too young to know that grannie had passed away and today was her grannie's funeral 'til now. Tabia wanted so much to comfort Crystal but her mother appeared to have the situation finally under control.

 

Meanwhile, most of the men were sitting in a section to themselves. They looked so much alike, in their matching black suits and ties, socializing cheerfully with each other. Jack was among the crowd, appearing to be the tallest and youngest of the bunch.

 

After everyone had taken their seats, the funeral began.

 

True to her word, LJ didn't act out in grief. She managed to keep her promise to her grandma about any emotional outbursts.

 

A flood of fresh tears came when NT went up to play "Jesus Cares" on the piano. LJ let the music wash over her as it flowed right from NT's tender heart to her own.

 

Later, at the grave site, LJ still kept herself together, tho, at one point, she sobbed a bit when the body was lowered into the ground.

 

When the people returned from the cemetery, they were seated at tables in the church's dining area and served portions of food and drink. There was plenty for everyone, more than enough to go around.

 

Pippi volunteered to help with the serving of the food while Capri had opted to make coffee.

 

Indy was seated next to LJ. She watched as her friend picked at her food absently, not really eating anything. She understood this, for she didn't feel like eating either.

 

Something else was wrong. Indy looked around her and noticed how people were socializing. She raised an eyebrow at the sound of uproarious laughter coming from the other side of the room. A glance in that direction told her it was the Amohs, Roy and Kayin, laughing over something one of them must've said.

 

The other men in the group, except Robbie, were laughing as well. Next to him, Eiji looked the most reserved of the bunch. Who could blame him? He was drinking a can of soda and probably didn't want to spew it all over the place. Kevin and Jack were laughing so hard, they appeared to have trouble breathing. Embarrassed and disgusted, Robbie suddenly stood up and excused himself from their table.

 

LJ suddenly pushed herself away from the table and stormed out of the room.

 

Indy decided to follow her, fearing the worsed.

 

Orisha had heard the loud laughing at the young men's table, and was ashamed to see that Jack was a part of it. Then she saw LJ leaving, followed by Indy, both apparently quite upset.

 

Fearing the worst, Orisha stood up abruptly and made her way across the room to where the men were. But Mrs James had also walked over and had the men follow her out of the dining area and into an empty hall.

 

Orisha followed, looking on, she intended to tell Jack off herself.

 

When Mrs. James was through, and the boys went on their way, Orisha came up to her, looking embarrassed and ashamed. "I'm sorry about that, Mrs. James. I had no idea Jack was going to act that way."

 

Mrs. James turned to her. "It isn't your fault, hon, you're not responsible for his actions or those of certain others."

 

Outside, mean time,The limo driver saw LJ heading toward the car and opened the door for her to get inside. He was getting ready to close the door when he saw Indy right behind her, so held the car door for her as well.

 

Once inside the car, Indy questioned her. "LJ, do you want to talk about it?"

 

LJ looked at her friend, her eyes flashing with both sorrow and anger. "I had to get out of there before I lost control with them...laughing like that. My grandma's dead and they're acting as if this is some sort of happy event or something." She cursed under her breath and sobbed.

 

"Oh, I know, like sheesh, how thoughtless - argh! That's low!" Indy understood her rage. It angered her too that the men were carrying on like that, at a funeral of all places. It was very disrespectful toward the memory of LJ's grandma. Indy comforted her friend the best she could, giving her a kleenex to wipe away the tears.

 

After some time, when LJ had subsided, Indy happened to look outside her car window and was taken aback by what she saw. "Well, what the..?"

 

A group of men, a dozen or so, had completely surrrounded the limo, peeking anxiously inside. The tinted windows made it hard to see the occupants inside the car. It was probably better that way.

 

"Oh brother. What the heck do they want?" Indy growled.

 

Kevin was gently tapping on the glass by this time. LJ pressed a button on the door, to let down the window.

 

"Heya, LJ." said Kevin while the rest of the guys peeked in sheepishly. "We came to see if you were alright."

 

Indy groaned. Of course LJ was not all right, she looked about to explode. But at least these guys had the decency to realize something was wrong and try to make it right. It was the least they could do, though Indy wasn't sure LJ was ready to talk to them just yet.

 

LJ folded her arms across her chest and snorted, an indication that she was mad at them.

 

Mrs. James had just berated the bunch over their behavior and when they realized that LJ had gone back to the car, they felt bad and wanted very much to apologize to her.

 

Indy could tell it wasn't gonna be easy. "Serves them right, though." She thought to herself.

 

"LJ, we're sorry for upsetting ya." said Kayin.

 

LJ tcked in response and rolled her eyes.

 

Indy shuddered inwardly. She was glad not to be on the receiving end of whatever explosion would happen if the men outside pushed things now or did something else wrong.

 

"What can we do to make it up to ya?" Pleaded another cousin.

 

LJ glared at the men. The sound of the limo's door locks could be heard opening, and she stepped out of the limo. She stood with her hands on her hips. "I have a few things I want to say to each and every one of you." She spoke in low tones but the icy edge in her voice could be heard.

 

The guys knew, right then and there, they were in for a major tongue lashing, and braced for it.

 

Indy had stepped out of the limo as well. now she stood watching, leaning against the car with her arms folded.

 

Eiji and Robbie stood at a safe distance, observing what was happening.

 

"Glad I'm not them." Eiji said.

 

Robbie nodded.

 

A couple of young boys, around ten years old, came out of the church and stood next to Eiji and Robbie, watching LJ address the large crowd of men surrounding the black limo.

 

"Hey, what's going on?" One of them asked.

 

"You may wanna sit back and watch, for things are about to get pretty interesting." Eiji remarked.

 

Robbie nodded in agreement, and explained. "Some of those guys upset a girl with their bad behavior today."

 

"What did they do?" the young boy asked.

 

"They were telling jokes and laughing very loud." Robbie replied.

 

"Oh, I saw that. I wondered what they were laughing about." another boy put in.

 

"What the joke was, isn't important," Robbie addressed the children. "There's nothing the matter with talking and maybe a few little chuckles among friends at a funeral lunch, but this is not a party, and not the time or place to tell jokes and laugh like a pack of hyenas...That's why the girl is upset. The woman who died, was her grandma." Robbie saw the confrontation before him about to go into full swing. He put his finger to his lips, motioning the children to keep quiet for now.

 

LJ decided to start with the Amohs first, since they were the loudest of the bunch. "I can't believe the two of you acting like a bunch of loud mouthed, inconsiderate jerks with no common sense! What the heck do you think this is, some sort of damn party?! Laughing and chuckling it up! Have you two forgotten you were at a funeral for crying out loud or did you fail to realize that aspect?! I'm ashamed of you, ashamed my friends act like that!"

 

Roy and Kayin couldn't help but not say anything, the shame of their actions taking hold of them. Kayin gritted his teeth in frustration.

 

Indy gave LJ a look that said, "That's telling them!" but remained silent as her friend raged on.

 

"And the same goes for you, Kevin!"

 

"But...but..sis..."

 

"But, but nothing! You have disgraced our grandmother's memory by your behavior and embarrassed our family by acting like a jerk at her funeral!" Kevin was at a total loss for words, not knowing what to say.

 

LJ turned her attention to Jack Sisco. "And yo-o-u!!" Coming up to the tall mercenary, snarling in his face. "Just who the hell do you think you are, huh?! I'm not impressed by you and I know Indy isn't either. You are Orisha's friend but I would appreciate it if you'd get off your high horse and stop acting like a pompous jackass! I wish she hadn't brought you here in the first place!"

 

Indy clapped.

 

"Say what?!" Jack said in disbelief.

 

"You heard me! Trying to act like the big, bad zoid pilot who's adored by his fans, at a funeral of all places. That's pretty pathetic and inconsiderate - or did your over inflated ego prevent you from knowing that? Well, guess what? I'm not buying it, so why don't you take your arrogant attitude and save it for the fangirls who are easily impressed by such displays of bravado."

 

Jack said nothing but growled to himself, instead.

 

Indy exploded at him next. "She's right, you know! the way Orisha and Tabia act around you, and you with that air of superiority as if you're entitled...is enough to make a person vomit!" she took a step toward him, shaking a fist, eyes narrowed and flashing. "you just walked in on us like you owned the world. First thing out of your mouth wasn't 'My Condolences' or "I'm here for you LJ' or "I'm sorry about your loss' OOOOOHHH, NO! It was "You've forgotten me already?" and then something about your tacky outfit! You didn't even have the damn decency to care that this girl here's just lost her Grandma! Well, next time you show your face at something like this again, you better straighten out a heck of a lot more than just your appearance!" By the time Indy was through, a tear had rolled down her right cheek, and one was just starting to on the left.

 

Now it was out. If jack had wondered why he got such a cold shoulder from Indy, he didn't have to wonder any more.

 

The boys standing next to Eiji and Robbie were snickering 'til Eiji hushed them. "You better be quiet or they may start on you next." He told them but in a light hearted way.

 

Orisha had also come out of the church, and she saw it all. Her heart sank. She'd just assumed Jack was welcome along with her, and that he would behave. If she'd known this was going to happen, she would've come without him. Much to her dismay, she had to admit that LJ's and Indy's anger was warranted. There simply was no denying the things they said were true. This also explained the looks of dislike Indy gave Jack earlier that day, as well as her distant attitude on previous occasions.

 

After LJ was finished confronting the rest of the offending parties, the men headed back to the church, looking so down in the mouth, Eiji almost felt sorry for them. Well, almost.

 

As they walked past him, Eiji couldn't resist saying something to them. "So, how did you like that can of whoop arse LJ put on ya?"

 

"Shut up, Eiji!"

 

"Hehe, suit yourself." Eiji said as he took another sip of his soda, obviously not affected by the comment.

 

Robbie tapped Eiji on the shoulder. "I'm going to check on the girls to see if they are ok."

 

Eiji nodded in agreement. "Yes, but the guys may be in worse shape than her, after the verbal beating she gave them."

 

"It won't hurt them to grow up a little." Robbie replied, and went on his way to help his friends.

 

Robbie stayed out there with the girls, talking softly to them, and drying their tears, and finally they were able to keep their composure well enough to go back inside.

 

Mrs. James met them inside, and gave both girls a hug at once.

 

Robbie searched out Jack, who had gotten it from both girls, not just LJ. Though Robbie did agree with what the girls had said, he had been surprised at the intensity of Indy's part in the confrontation, and felt it was necessary to try to explain what he thought was behind it.

 

If Jack was baffled by it, that was little wonder, since he didn't know Indy well. She had been as good at being aloof with him as he managed to maintain his cool and aloof demeaner around his fans.

 

As the funeral drew to a close, everyone went to their cars to leave the church, saying their good byes.

 

Orisha hugged LJ, a bit disappointed over Jack's behavior. She had a long talk with him about his attitude.

 

Orisha must have reached him somehow for he apologized to LJ soon afterward.

 

LJ was a bit hesitant at first, but she soon realized he was being sincere, and she accepted his apology.

 

Luckily, there was no hard feelings between anyone, for soon afterward, Kevin, Kayin and the rest of the family did a group hug with LJ. She couldn't help but put ill feelings aside and forgive them all.

 

After all, her grandmother would have wanted it that way.

 

LJ carried a flower with her, a reminder of what had happened that day.

 

Everyone in the limo, except for LJ and the limo driver of course, had fallen asleep. Tabia and Indy were resting comfortablely next to her in blessed peace.

 

LJ looked out her car window, thinking pleasant thoughts to herself, smelling the pink carnation in her hand. Right now, somewhere in heaven, her grandmother was smiling down on her.