Into the Garden (Wildflowers 5)

"It isn't a joking matter. We'll have to come up with something to explain how we look if someone should see us when we get home tonight," Jade said.

Just then, I felt the first raindrop. Then another and another.

"Oh no," Misty cried. "It's starting to rain again."

"Work faster," Star commanded. They did but the rain started to fall faster too. I watched how the rolled bedsheet grew more and more transparent. I thought I could see Geraldine's face clearly outlined in the wet cloth. It was as if she was emerging, pressing her face out so she could glare at me with hate and anger.

"This is too hard. It's going to take hours and hours!" Jade crabbed. "We shouldn't have started."

"Yeah, well we did," Star said, "so we have to finish it no matter what."

"My hair,"

Jade sobbed. "Look at me." She wiped her cheeks with the back of her sleeve and streaked her face with mud.

"Oh, well," Misty said, "I'll ruin another T-shirt and jeans. Don't laugh. These jeans are expensive?'

Before long, the rain became a steady drizzle. No one said much. They grumped to themselves and worked. "Isn't it deep enough yet?" Jade pleaded.

"No," Star said. "You want us to plant her so a foot pops up one day?"

"Ugh, how gross," Misty moaned. It made her dig faster, pulling out rocks and flinging them to her side.

I tried to keep the light steady. Sometimes, my hand shook so much, it made the light seem as if it was coming from a defective bulb.

"Okay," Star said nearly half an hour later, "I think it's deep enough."

"Thank God," Jade cried. They backed up.

"Don't forget, we have to cover her back up once she's in there," Star reminded them, "so don't relax too much. Who's got the Bible?" she asked.

"I'll get it," Misty said, volunteering before she was asked to retrieve it.

"I don't see why we need to read from the Bible," Jade said. "We're not clergy and it's raining harder."

"It's only right," Star insisted. "And you're already too wet for it to make any difference."

The rain began to ease up some, but by now, no one seemed to notice or care. Misty returned with the Bible and Star asked me to bring the flashlight around.

"Just shine it down here," Star said, flipping through the pages. "Granny and I went to Mary Dobson's funeral last month and the preacher read this at one point," she said holding the Bible up. Then she began, her voice softer, al- most melodic.

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for wan" she read lifting her head, "and a time for peace.

"Let her rest in peace," she concluded, "amen." "Amen," Misty said.

"Amen," I said.

Jade, who stood there with her hair down, her makeup running, her face streaked with mud, smiled softly at Star. "That was beautiful," she said. "Amen."

"Okay," Star said, handing me the Bible, "Let's finish it." She went around Geraldine and knelt down. Misty quickly knelt beside her. Reluctantly, Jade joined them and they rolled the woman who I believed to be my mother for nearly all of my life. She fell into the makeshift grave and disappeared.

"Good," Star said. "Now let's start putting the dirt back."

Jade groaned and they began. Nearly another hour later, Star patted down the ground and stepped back. She took the flashlight from me and ran it over the lawn.

"Anyone can tell it's been dug up. We'll have to plant new grass here:'

"Not tonight, I hope," Jade pleaded.