Saying The Last Goodbye (standard:drama, 2342 words)
Author: PoetryGyrl2003	Added: Feb 04 2001	Views/Reads: 3608/2273	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A young girl is faced with the tragedy of losing the first guy she ever loved. She is torn between being angry and hurt over the ordeal. (Bring out the tissues.)

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

A golden heart stopped beating, Tired hands put to rest. God broke our
hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best. 

Alicia kept walking. She wasn't as sad anymore, she was angry. She was
angry with herself for living, angry with Shawn for dying. 

“Damn you, God! Why did you have to take him? WHY? I am no one! You
could have taken me! I loved him! I loved him! Do you understand what 
love is God? You didn't need him like I did! I need Shawn! I need him! 
You could have kept him here! GOD!” She screamed at the top of her 
lungs. 

She started bawling. God, she thought, I do need him. I need him more
than the air I breathe, more than life itself. I can’t do this. I 
can’t. I won’t. But she knew she had to. 

When she got home, Alicia saw the green light on the answering machine
flashing. She knew her mom wouldn't be home for about an hour, so the 
call was most likely from her. She pushed the play button. 

“Alicia? Alicia, honey? Are you there? Well I guess you aren't. In case
you don't know who this is, this is Shawn’s mom. Uh, Sweetie, we need 
to talk to you. I know now isn't a good time, but we don't have very 
long to make the...funeral...plans. We want your help. You were a big 
part of his life. Please, Please, Call me back.” 

She was crying before the message was through. She had forgotten that
the hardest part was yet to come. She would have to, in front of so 
many people, say goodbye to Shawn. She quickly dialed the Lane’s phone 
number. 

“Hello?” She heard a voice pick up. A voice that had been obviously
crying. 

“Mrs. Lane? This is Alicia.” 

“Oh, hello Alicia. How are you, dear?” 

“To tell you the truth, Mrs. Lane, I feel like going to sleep forever.” 

“Me too, Alicia. I can’t believe that he is gone. He was my baby...” 

“He was my baby, too.” 

They talked for awhile, concluding that Alicia was to go over to the
Lane house the next day, after school, and help with the funeral plans. 
It was going to be hard, they both decided, but Shawn loved both of 
them so much, and if they weren’t in it together, he wouldn't have 
liked it. 

When Alicia’s mom got home that night, she held her and cried with her.
Then they sat and talked like they used to. 

“You know that if you don't want to go to school tomorrow, you don't
have to, right?” Her mom asked. 

“Mom, I have to. I can’t stay home. It will give me too much time to
think. I don't want to think. When I think, I think of him, and that 
hurts. It hurts too bad.” 

That night her mom tucked her in, like she used to when she was a little
child. All night long, though, she tossed and turned, still coming to 
that picture in her head of the body being taken out of the car. It 
wouldn't leave her, she knew. It wouldn't leave her ever. 

School was a lot worse than she thought it would be. Everyone thought
that if they said the wrong thing, she would break, so they didn't say 
anything at all. All day long she heard murmurs of half finished 
phrases of people talking. She tried not to focus on each passing 
period, where Shawn would have met her at her locker. 

By the end of the day, Alicia was angry again. This time, her complete
anger was at Shawn for leaving her like this, for leaving her at all. 
Damn it, if he loved her he wouldn't have left her, she thought. She 
walked to his house after school. His mom answered the door, red eyed 
and sniffling. She had just stopped crying. 

“Alicia! Hi Sweetheart! How are you? Are you better now?” 

“I don't think I ever will be, Mrs. Lane.” 

“Me neither, child. Come on in.” 

Inside, a group of people sat in the living room talking. Alicia knew a
few of them as Shawn’s family, but some she did not know. 

“Alicia, I would like you to meet Father Chaplain, my sister Rose, and
Mr. Roberts from the funeral home.” 

She said hello and sat down. They immediately started talking about the
services. 

“Well, I think that at the calling, we should have whoever wants to come
up and speak about Shawn.” Shawn’s sister Mary said 

“Oh that would be nice. I have a very good idea, also. Alicia, this
involves you. I would like you to stand up at the funeral and speak 
about Shawn. You were the love of his life, and the only girl I ever 
liked him being with. I would be honored to have you speak at his 
funeral, and he would love it too.” Mrs. Lane said softly 

Alicia sat quietly for a few moments, and decided that she would. She
started crying. 

“I would be...proud...to.” She said slowly. 

They all agreed that Alicia would speak and then anyone else who wanted
to could say a few words about Shawn. The calling was to be held within 
the next 2 days, and the funeral would follow it the next day. 

Those 3 days passed by, in a blur for Alicia, and the next thing she
knew she was slipping herself into a black skirt and a white dress 
shirt. She drew her long hair into a clip, and called her mom down 
stairs to go. 

Arriving at the funeral, she noticed that about half the school had
shown, just like at his calling. The calling wasn't hard for her, 
because she didn't have to speak. This was going to be a lot harder 
than she thought it would. 

They all walked into the church together, and she sat down in the front
pew. After everyone had sat, the slow, sad music of Sarah McLachlan 
started playing. I will remember you. Thought Alicia. Perfect song. 

The pallbearers started in from the back of the church carrying Shawn’s
white and gold casket. They walked slowly in, and then set him down at 
the designated spot in the front. Father Chaplain started speaking. 

“Thank you all for coming today. We are here to say our final good-byes
to Shawn Derrick Lane. Shawn was very influential in the high school he 
went to, also very big in his Youth Group. He was a part of Big 
Brothers Big Sister, an organization that gives younger kids an older 
kid to look up to. Although, I did not get the privilege of knowing 
Shawn as well as most, I have heard so many wonderful things about him. 
There is someone here today that knows Shawn a lot better than I do. I 
will now let her come up and speak about Shawn. When we are done, if 
you have any comments about him you would like to make, we will give 
you time to do so then. Alicia?” 

She slowly walked to the podium. She had been crying but tried not to
show it. She wanted these people to see the special person that he was. 


“ I don't have anything written today, because this is all coming
straight from my heart. Shawn was the love of my life and he was a very 
special person. He was never cruel to anyone, always nice, always had a 
smile on his face. As Father Chaplain said, He was a member of Big 
Brothers Big Sisters, and he made a little boy that had no one, believe 
in himself. That little boy now is making good grades in school, and 
has a lot of friends. I thank Shawn for that. I don't know the best way 
to say all this, so forgive me. I want to tell you all a little story, 
though, that will make you see Shawn the way that I did. I ask you now 
to close your eyes, and then see him through my eyes. I was having 
major problems believing in myself. I had gotten so depressed, that I 
wanted to die. I had no choice, or so I thought. And then Shawn came 
along and opened my eyes. He made me believe that life was great. He 
always lived life to the fullest, knowing that it was too short. And it 
was for him. He was 16. 16 and he is gone. You all loved him like I 
did. If any of you have anything to say, please stand up now.” 

A little girl rose in the pews and in a squeaky voice said: My Uncle
Shawn was the greatest. He always gave me piggyback rides even when he 
was busy. 

An older gentleman spoke up next: Shawn was so nice to us older folks.
He always helped us shovel our walks, and rake our leaves. He never let 
us pay him a dime. 

Shouts came from everywhere just then: “He was the best darn football
player I have ever seen!” 

“He always stopped the big kids from picking on me.” 

“He made me smile after my boyfriend dumped me.” 

And then, from a small voice in the back, a little boy spoke softly. 

“I am Shawn’s little brother. He made me believe I was the coolest
little kid in the whole world. He made me smile. He never said ‘No, 
leave me alone.’ Or ‘ Go away, I am too busy.' He was the greatest guy 
in the whole world” 

By this time, Alicia was crying and smiling hard. Everyone knew the
Shawn she knew! She then it dawned on her. Shawn wasn't here anymore, 
and she got angry. Couldn't he see that everyone loved him? Why did he 
have to leave? He PROMISED her he would never leave her! AND HE DID! 

She noticed everyone filing out of the room. They were going to bury him
now. She slowly followed them out of the now silent building. She 
watched as they slowly lowered his casket into the hole in the ground. 
Tears streamed down her face. She couldn't do this. She wasn't ready to 
say goodbye, but he made her. She had to. He left her. Everyone threw 
his or her rose onto the lowering casket. Alicia walked up kissed hers, 
and whispered “I will always be with you.” As she threw it in. She then 
slowly, sadly walked away. 


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