The dark, musty air blew all around Gwen on that dark, September night. It seemed too cold to be September. It was now 11:30. She had been here for 3 hours. They must be worrying about me now! Gwen thought to herself. How could this happen to her? What did she do wrong? She thought back to answer that question.
*****
After Gwen hung up the phone from John, she didn’t know what to do. She felt like screaming and cursing God as loud as she could but instead she practically went into shock and fell to her knees, starring off out the window. Zach heard the thump of her falling and he went to her room to see what was going on. “Mom, get up here!” he yelled trying to lift up Gwen. “What’s up Zach?” she asked. “Um, well Gwen isn’t moving.” She grabbed Gwen and picked her up by her shoulders. “Oh god she is going into shock. Zach, go tell your brother to get a cold glass of water and you go and page your dad!” Zach ran off and Denise continued to support Gwen and try to wake her up. “Come on honey, wake up. Don’t do this now. Come on!” Jordan quickly came with the water while Denise was slapping Gwen’s face, trying to revive her. She took the pitcher from him and dumped the water on Gwen’s head, slowly waking her up. “Mommy…..” Gwen barely got out. “He’s gone.” she breathed. “Shhhhhh. Just be silent. Now who’s gone?” Gwen shook her head and relaxed a little.
Later that night Gwen had calmed down, still not in full reality of what had happened. John had already ordered a bus ticket for her to leave the next day. Since the funeral was in two days, she would have to leave right away. She told her parents later that night and they said okay right away. She didn’t sleep that night, thinking about what to expect when she got there. The next morning, Gwen left her house at 4:30 a.m. She walked the 9 blocks to the bus depot and boarded it and left her town at 6:00 a.m. From there it was a journey back to a place where she had just left 3 months ago.
The service was very beautiful. John was a pallbearer and made a big speech. Gwen never cried, although she wanted so bad to hold Don’s hand and cry her eyes out. Angel by Sarah Machlachlan was played at the end of the service and she really wanted to cry. When all his family had put flowers on top of his grave, Gwen asked if they would open the casket so she could see him one last time. They agreed and opened it. Everyone left and Gwen was left alone with the body of Don. She just brushed the blond hair off his forehead and gripped his hand. Before leaving Gwen took the ring that he had given her off her hand and placed it on his left middle finger. Gwen kissed his forehead and whispered into his ear Don, Never Let Go! After this she dropped her white rose his family had given her on top of the closed casket. That was the last she ever saw him.
*****
Gwen stood there thinking about all this, at the gravesite where Don was buried earlier that day. Gwen checked her watch, 11:39. She read the inscription on the tombstone.
Donald Benjamin Voight
Lies Here in Peace
He was loved by all.
August 30, 1980 – September 13, 1998
Let God Keep You in His Kingdom
How could he be dead already? He was going to Michigan State for football. And now he would never graduate college or get married or have kids or watch his grandchildren play in the snow. Why? If only those two girls in the other car weren’t high on marijuana. They deserved to die not Don. All he wanted to do was visit some friends and he ended up paying the price. While she thought of this, large tear droplets splashed down Gwen’s face and splattered onto her blue dress. She was already balling her eyes out. Luckily she was alone and no one saw her. She would be too embarrassed. Just then she heard a voice from behind her that had sounded too familiar. The next thing she knew, Gwen felt the strength and warmth of John’s arms around her. She immediately stopped crying and hugged back. “You should come home. It’s really late and your bus leaves at 8 tomorrow.” John said. Gwen nodded and walked home with John, never looking back.
The next morning, John drove her to the bus station where Gwen boarded the bus back to Tulsa. Before leaving, John gave Gwen a maroon box. “Don’s parents wanted you to have this. It’s the birthday gift Don was going to give you last June but he never saw you. They thought you should have it.” Gwen gave John one last hug and got back on the bus. A few minutes later, the bus pulled away from the station. Halfway through the trip, Gwen pulled out the box that John had given her. She opened it to find a silver cross necklace. Her eyes lit up and filled with tears. She turned it over to find and inscription. It read Harmony Love Don. Gwen felt a few tears glide off her cheeks and on to her leather jacket. She brushed at her eyes and pulled the necklace out of the box, clasping it around her neck. Gwen held on to it the rest of the trip home.
When Gwen got home she didn’t even go to her house. She just dropped her jacket and her bag on her front porch and headed for the Hanson house. She lightly knocked on the front door and waited. A few moments later, Taylor answered the door. “Hey Tay,” Gwen started “Is Ike around?” He shook his head yes. “He’s up in our room. Go on up.” “Thanks a lot Tay” Gwen said hugging him. She quietly and slowly walked up the steps and slowly opened Ike’s door. She looked right at him. He was lying on his bed watching TV. “Hey…” Ike said as Gwen walked toward him. She ignored his voice and laid next to him and buried her face in his chest. Once she started sniffling, he must have understood because he just hugged her tight and kept saying “It’s okay”. She barely cried, just shed a few tears. All Gwen had to say was “He’s gone!”. “Who’s gone, Gwen? What happened?” Ike said comfortingly. “Don…was…..killed in a car accident a w…w…week ago. I just got back from his funeral.” Gwen replied through choked back tears. “Oh Gwen, I’m so sorry.” Ike said, holding her tight again. “I just don’t know what I am gonna do. I have never lost anyone this close to me before.” Ike just shook his head and replied, “It’s like what I told you before. You have to move on with life. I mean, when my grandmother died, we all had to move on. And we did and we are all fine about it now. People come and pass on. We never know when and I’m sorry it had to happen to Don at such an early age. And don’t worry about be lonely without him. You will always have me and Taylor and Zac. We’ll always be there for you.” Gwen sat up and looked a little better, brushing the tears from her eyes. “Thanks Isaac, I really need this talk.” “Whatever. I’ll always be there for you.” He looked back at the TV and said, “It’s kind of like Titanic when Jack died and Rose moved on with her life. Remember? "I’ll never let go Jack, I’ll never let go…” Ike said in his best girlie voice. “Yeah I know…” Gwen replied. “You jump, I jump, right?” Gwen and Isaac laughed really hard and she hugged him again. Taylor opened the door. “Is everything okay?” he asked. “Yeah, I’m okay stick boy!” Gwen said walking out of the room, poking Tay in the stomach as she went.
Later that night Gwen was about to go to bed when she noticed something sitting on her desk. She walked over and picked it up to find the picture of her and Don that Bridget had given her. There was a piece of tape down the middle where it was torn. Confused Gwen yelled “Madisin, get up here!”. She came in the room and Gwen asked “Do you know anything about this?”, holding up the picture. “Oh yeah, I meant to tell you. I found it lying on the floor of the plane on our trip back home. I thought that you accidentally dropped it on the floor.” Madisin replied. Gwen shook her head and said thanks, as Madisin left the room. She took the picture and put it in the picture frame over her picture of her parents. Gwen laid on her bed and starred at it for along time until she fell asleep.
I Will Remember You
Go to Chapter 9
