the official cause of death, but if you are not satisfied, we can still do an autopsy.”
Norma looked at Macky. “Do we need an autopsy? I don’t know, should we? Just to be sure?”
Macky, who knew the details of what was involved, said, “Norma, it’s up to you but I don’t think so, it’s not going to make any difference one way or another.”
“Well, I want to do the right thing. Let’s at least wait until Linda gets here.” She looked at the doctor.
“Can we do that, Doctor, wait until our daughter gets here?”
“When would that be?”
“It should only be a couple of hours…maybe less, right, Macky?”
The doctor looked at the clock. “All right, Mrs. Warren, I suppose we can do that, and in the meantime, if you and Mr. Warren care to see her, I can take you back.”
Norma quickly said, “No, I want to wait until Linda gets here.”
The doctor nodded. “That’s fine, whatever you decide, just tell the nurse if and when you want to go in.”
Macky, who had said little, now said, “Doctor, I’d like to see her now, if that’s OK?”
“Sure, Mr. Warren, I’ll take you down if you want.”
Macky looked at Norma. “Will you be all right?”
“Yes, you go on, Macky, I just can’t right now.”
The nurse said, “I’ll stay right here with her, Mr. Warren.”
The truth was, Macky did not really want to see Aunt Elner dead. He wanted to remember her as she was when she was alive, but the thought of that sweet woman lying somewhere in a room all by herself upset him even more. As they walked down the hall, the doctor said, “Your wife seems to be pretty shook up, they must have been pretty close.”
Macky said, “Yes they were, very close.”
As a male orderly passed by, the doctor called out, “Hey, Burnsie, you owe me ten bucks, I told you the Cards would take it in five,” and acted as if it were just another day.
Macky wanted to grab him and choke the living daylights out of him, and out of everybody in the world, for that matter, but nothing he could do would bring her back. So he kept walking.
A Sad Business
11:48 AM
D own at the funeral parlor, after the call from Tot, Neva stood up and walked into the back office and pulled out the “Decedent, Elner Shimfissle” file and then walked around the corner to where her husband, Arvis, was applying the finishing touches on the hairpiece for Ernest Koonitz, a recent arrival. She stuck her head in. “Hon, Tot just called. Elner Shimfissle is probably coming in late tonight or first thing in the morning, stung to death by wasps.”
He looked up. “Huh. Two decedents within twenty-four hours. Not bad for April.”
It was true, considering April was always their slow month, but Neva hated it when Arvis said things like that. Granted they were in the funeral business, but she had a heart. Lately it seemed all he cared about was numbers. If a plague hit town and took out a hundred people, he would probably dance a jig. She was aware that every passing meant money in their pocket; still, she hated to see the last of the old-timers leaving, but the Warrens were her regulars, and it was a job that needed to be done. They had handled all their decedents in the past, both Norma’s and Macky’s parents, various aunts and uncles, and an occasional cousin here and there. Neva knew she should not play favorites, but she couldn’t help but have a soft spot for them. The entire family had been loyal to them throughout the years, and Neva always took special care with their decedents, treated them as she would one of her own.
Besides just plain liking them, she appreciated their business. Times had changed. Their business was no longer the only game in town; Costco out on the interstate was now selling coffins at a cut rate, and they had lost an awful lot of their customers when they moved into the building where the catfish restaurant used to be. A lot of people said that they did not feel comfortable viewing the body of their loved
Norma looked at Macky. “Do we need an autopsy? I don’t know, should we? Just to be sure?”
Macky, who knew the details of what was involved, said, “Norma, it’s up to you but I don’t think so, it’s not going to make any difference one way or another.”
“Well, I want to do the right thing. Let’s at least wait until Linda gets here.” She looked at the doctor.
“Can we do that, Doctor, wait until our daughter gets here?”
“When would that be?”
“It should only be a couple of hours…maybe less, right, Macky?”
The doctor looked at the clock. “All right, Mrs. Warren, I suppose we can do that, and in the meantime, if you and Mr. Warren care to see her, I can take you back.”
Norma quickly said, “No, I want to wait until Linda gets here.”
The doctor nodded. “That’s fine, whatever you decide, just tell the nurse if and when you want to go in.”
Macky, who had said little, now said, “Doctor, I’d like to see her now, if that’s OK?”
“Sure, Mr. Warren, I’ll take you down if you want.”
Macky looked at Norma. “Will you be all right?”
“Yes, you go on, Macky, I just can’t right now.”
The nurse said, “I’ll stay right here with her, Mr. Warren.”
The truth was, Macky did not really want to see Aunt Elner dead. He wanted to remember her as she was when she was alive, but the thought of that sweet woman lying somewhere in a room all by herself upset him even more. As they walked down the hall, the doctor said, “Your wife seems to be pretty shook up, they must have been pretty close.”
Macky said, “Yes they were, very close.”
As a male orderly passed by, the doctor called out, “Hey, Burnsie, you owe me ten bucks, I told you the Cards would take it in five,” and acted as if it were just another day.
Macky wanted to grab him and choke the living daylights out of him, and out of everybody in the world, for that matter, but nothing he could do would bring her back. So he kept walking.
A Sad Business
11:48 AM
D own at the funeral parlor, after the call from Tot, Neva stood up and walked into the back office and pulled out the “Decedent, Elner Shimfissle” file and then walked around the corner to where her husband, Arvis, was applying the finishing touches on the hairpiece for Ernest Koonitz, a recent arrival. She stuck her head in. “Hon, Tot just called. Elner Shimfissle is probably coming in late tonight or first thing in the morning, stung to death by wasps.”
He looked up. “Huh. Two decedents within twenty-four hours. Not bad for April.”
It was true, considering April was always their slow month, but Neva hated it when Arvis said things like that. Granted they were in the funeral business, but she had a heart. Lately it seemed all he cared about was numbers. If a plague hit town and took out a hundred people, he would probably dance a jig. She was aware that every passing meant money in their pocket; still, she hated to see the last of the old-timers leaving, but the Warrens were her regulars, and it was a job that needed to be done. They had handled all their decedents in the past, both Norma’s and Macky’s parents, various aunts and uncles, and an occasional cousin here and there. Neva knew she should not play favorites, but she couldn’t help but have a soft spot for them. The entire family had been loyal to them throughout the years, and Neva always took special care with their decedents, treated them as she would one of her own.
Besides just plain liking them, she appreciated their business. Times had changed. Their business was no longer the only game in town; Costco out on the interstate was now selling coffins at a cut rate, and they had lost an awful lot of their customers when they moved into the building where the catfish restaurant used to be. A lot of people said that they did not feel comfortable viewing the body of their loved
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