Down the Dirt Road Read Online Free Page A

“Go, Jennie!  Get help!  NOW!”
          Jennie turned and fled from the room in search of the phone but she knew in her heart that it was too late.  No one could look that grey, that dead and still be alive.   She moved in a fog, pushing the buttons on the telephone, giving her address to the operator, telling her what happened, describing the way her Daddy had blankly stared up at them from the cold, wood floor.
        By the time the sirens made their way down the old, dirt road Daddy had been gone for over ten minutes.  Momma was sprawled on top of his lifeless body, exhausted and sobbing when Doc Hansen pronounced him dead.  They would find out later that he had had a massive heart attack.  Doc Hansen said he had died instantly but Jennie didn’t be lieve it.  She had seen the sadness alongside the pain in her father’s eyes as he lay on the floor, frozen in time forever.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    3.
        It finally rained the day of the funeral.  As they stood under the blue awning watching John Marshall’ s coffin lower into the ground, the rain came down sideways.  Heavy storm clouds rolled and rumbled overhead as if in protest of the loss of such a good man.  Even M oth er N ature knew this was wrong, it was so very wro ng for John Marshall to be gone from the world.
        Jennie barely heard the minister as he spoke, his solemn tone colored with admiration for a man he described as a pillar of the community.  Momma sobbed continuously, working her way through a box of tissues and Jennie just stared at the heavy wooden box where her beloved father would spend all of eternity.  It was all she could do not to scream when they began to lower the casket.  The hole was so narrow, the casket so dark. 
        Daddy hated the dark.  Always had ; ever since the war.   He never talked about it but there was always a light burning in the Marshall house.
        How could Daddy now spend an eternity bu ried in darkness ?
        A single tear rolled down her cheek and dropped onto the chest of her b lack silk sheath.  Jennie had never actually own ed anything black.  The five and dime and the farm store in town only carried practical work clothes, nothing pretty or formal or made for a funeral.  Momma had to take her into the city to find something suitable for that day .  She hated it and would never, ever wear it again. 
        Trisha stood three rows back clutching Michael’s hand, tears streaki ng her tanned skin and sadness filling her blue eyes.  T risha had never known her own father . John Marshall had been the only father figure she had ever had.  His loss was apparently hitting her hard but Jennie didn’t really care. How dare Trisha even set foot on the memorial grounds ? It really took a lot of nerve for her ex-best friend to show up there, especially on the arm of Michael McKee.
         The minister gave a final blessing and Uncle Tommy escorted her and Momma to the grave side.  They were supposed to toss t he roses they held into the hole on top of Daddy ’s casket .  It didn’t make sense, Daddy didn’t even like roses and now he would have to spend forever smelling them.  At first she ref used to toss hers in but then M o mma turned to look at her, red-rimmed eyes full of anguish.  J ennie dropped the flower immediately.
         The rain slowed just long enough for the guests to make it to their cars.  There was a reception at the farm immediately following the service.  Jennie was in no mood for guests but this was what they were supposed to do.  They were supposed to welcome people who had been close to Daddy in to their home to join their hearts in mourning the loss of one of the greatest men ever to walk the streets of their tiny little town.  She just wanted to go home and curl up in a corner to cry but Momma said they had to do it.  It was part of the process .
         Well, to hell with the process.