Day 5: May 7

Challenge: the story is set during a funeral

I sat in the second row, staring at the back of my Aunt Loleta's permed, ginger head. If I tilted my head slightly to the left I could see the bouquet of gardenias clutched in the white, wrinkled fingers of Aunt Lorrayne.

Mother smacks my knee with her black silk gloves she's clenching in her fist. I straighten and look back at the droning Minister.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep in my scowl. He's talking about Aunt Lorrayne as if he knew her when this fool only looks thirty. He spoke earlier of her love of T.S. Elliot and Journey; as if he had been the one she introduced them to when he was still in diapers.

I look to Aunt Loleta and I see the muscles in her right arm flexing as she clenches her hand into a fist. She, just like I, knew Aunt Lorrayne wouldn't have wanted us to sit here in black with netting covering our faces.

I look down at my polyester covered knees and pick at the fabric of my cheap dress. Aunt Lorrayne always said it made me paler than normal and should I ever be caught in it again she would smack some sense into me.

I smile before another whack to my knees has me looking up. The Minister is staring at me with a gentle smile and Aunt Loleta is turned in her seat to face me.

"Get up, Jenica," Mother hisses at me and I realize it's my turn to speak.

I stand and smooth my dress, sneaking by Mother to the podium. The Minister steps aside and I look over the crowd of sombre faces. I stop at Aunt Loleta and she gives me a smile and a barely noticeable nod.

I clear my throat and smile at the crowd. I can hear sniffles every now and again and I almost roll my eyes. "I woke up this morning, prepared to put on the dress Aunt Lorrayne made for me with this day in mind," I start. I see Mother shift out of the corner of my eyes. "It's light green, and she had asked me to wear it because she hated when I wore black." I look at Mother. "Mother wouldn't allow me to leave the house with that "monstrosity" on."

People look at each other and shift nervously.

*Sorry for the late and short post. Today was a strange day. Tomorrow will hopefully bring this story to a conclusion; I'd like to see how it's going to end.*