I originally intended to submit this for the Halloween story contest, but I missed the deadline. I did manage to submit another story, 'Some Like it Warm', that's much longer than this one. I hope you read both, and please rate them and leave comments. I always reply to constructive comments. Thank you!
She Came Back
"C'mon, Dad, it's time for the service." Dressed in mourning black, Jane Lewandowski stood in the door of her father's room, and her heart broke. Her father sat on the edge of his bed, only half-dressed, staring into space. The happy, vital man she had known her entire life was gone, reduced to this husk who couldn't seem to make a decision or muster the energy to do anything.
Jane bustled into the room her parents had shared for the entire 40 years of their marriage. Everything in it reminded her of the happy couple her parents had been and the happy home they had created for their daughters. Her mom's sewing kit and tennis trophies, the plaque her dad had been given when he'd retired from teaching and coaching at the local high school, the post cards they'd collected on their travels, and her and her sister's school artwork and graduation photos.
Her sister. Well, Jane reflected, everything hadn't been perfect after all, had it?
"Here, Dad, let me help you," she said as he looked up at her vaguely, uncomprehendingly. She helped him get his shoes and jacket on, tied his tie, and led him down to the car.
The wake was always going to be difficult, but it was actually worse than Jane expected. Her family hadn't made the trip east with her. Her husband had just started a new job and had no vacation or sick days to take. Her own daughters were both studying abroad this semester, one in Venice, the other in Canterbury, UK. It would have been prohibitively expensive to fly them back to the states for the funeral.
As for her sister, Genny, she hadn't called or come home, even after she had been told about their mom's diagnosis. So, Jane was left alone with her dad in the receiving line, accepting expressions of sympathy, listening to strangers' memories of her mother, making small talk, and making sure he kept going.
She drove her parents' car in the funeral procession, right behind the hearse, her father bundled into the passenger seat. He was so quiet that she asked him, once, if he were okay. She knew it was a foolish question, but she didn't really know what else to say. He looked at her for a moment, and then said, "I finally retired, and we were going to travel. We had so many plans."
She spent the rest of the drive with one hand on the wheel, the other full of tissues trying to wipe away tears.
They were halfway through the graveside service when Jane looked up and almost swore out loud. There, striding across the cemetery, was her sister, Genevieve, making a grand entrance as always. She was wearing stressed jeans (at least they were black, Jane thought), Doc Martens, and a maroon blouse. Her long, brown hair hung to the small of her back and whipped around her in the late October wind.
As soon as Genny joined the service, her dad perked up. They hugged, and she stood with her arm around him as if she were actually a dutiful daughter. Another receiving line of sorts formed at the end of the service, as people lined up to see her and talk to her. As usual, she knew just what to say and she charmed every one of them. Also as usual, dutiful Jane stood in the background and was ignored while her little sister soaked up the spotlight.
"What's next?" Genny asked, sounding bored as they drove away from the cemetery. She was sitting in the back seat, holding her father's hand, and he was actually smiling for the first time in weeks. His little girl had always been the apple of his eye.
"Nice of you to show up," Jane said in reply. "It's only our mother's funeral."
Genny shrugged. "I'm putting on a show in Portland. I came as soon as I could." Jane just rolled her eyes. Genny was a performance artist whose shows, as far as anybody could tell, mostly involved nudity.
When they got home and started setting up the luncheon, Genny disappeared, as usual. Jane found her out on the porch, smoking. She asked her for some help getting everything ready, and that's when Genny told her that she couldn't stay for lunch. She had things to do and people to see.
Jane felt like exploding, but before she could give her a piece of her mind a car rolled up and honked. Genny threw away her cigarette and hopped off the porch. As she headed down the driveway she shouted over her shoulder not to worry, that she had Dad's keys and would let herself in when she got back.
With Genny gone, her father was back to his old listless self, and Jane shouldered the burden of putting out food, entertaining, and cleaning up. The luncheon lasted most of the afternoon, and by the time everything was put away it was almost dinner time. She and her father watched TV together for the evening, and when she went up to bed she remined him that she was flying back home tomorrow.
Jack Lewandowski sat alone for some time, TV off, just listening to the night. He got up and walked around the house, taking in the wreckage of the life he and his wife had built together. Everything had seemed so perfect. The rest of their lives was all planned out. Now, it was gone.
He ended up in the den, looking at the photo of his wife and daughters that always hung above the mantle. It had been taken when the girls were young. Gillian was in the middle, and Genny, looking just like her mom's little twin, stood next to her. Jane, of course, stood off to the side a bit, her smile looking forced. Jack wondered why she never seemed to be happy.
After a few moments, he went upstairs, took a sleeping pill, and went to bed.
Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Jack woke up. He was still groggy and disoriented from the pill, and at first he had no idea what had woken him up. The room was completely black - his wife had never been able to sleep unless the room was pitch dark - but it seemed somehow different.