Her Mother’s Grave

Chapter Twenty-Two

JOSIE – SIX YEARS OLD

Her mother shook her from sleep, pinching Josie’s shoulder so hard that pain shot all the way down her arm. Josie opened her bleary eyes to see her mother’s face floating above her in the lamplight. “JoJo,” she whispered. “Wake up.”

Josie felt her body stiffen. Slowly she sat up in the bed and looked at her mother. Strands of her mother’s black hair floated around her head. Frizzies, her mother called them. They only appeared when it rained. Wet black streaks ran down each of her cheeks. She was crying.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

“Mommy?” Josie said.

Her mother’s soft, sympathetic smile punched fear into Josie’s heart faster than if she’d held the shiny knife to Josie’s face again. “Wh-where’s Daddy?” Josie asked.

Her mother shifted on the bed and took Josie’s hand. “Baby, I’m so sorry… your daddy did something very bad tonight.”

Josie stared at her, confused. “What happened?”

Her hand gently stroked Josie’s forearm, causing the hairs to stand to attention. Josie suddenly wished her mother wouldn’t answer; each word of her reply was like a barb in Josie’s skin.

“Your daddy left us tonight, JoJo. He’s gone forever and ever. Do you know what it means when someone dies?”

Josie didn’t answer, but she sort of knew. She knew that when people died they went to a place called heaven. That’s what her daddy and her gram said. Heaven was really, really good, except that you didn’t get to see your family anymore.