Chapter Twenty-Five
Tense and tight-lipped, Elliot waited on the sidelines as his mother angrily took to task the woman working behind the desk in the cemetery office.
“How do you let the grounds get in that condition? We pay good money for them to be taken care of.”
Looking as bored as she obviously felt, the woman flipped her hair and snapped her gum. They must’ve dealt with this kind of situation often, and she had a stock answer prepared. “Mrs. Hansen, like we’ve told you already, we have no control over the health of the shrubbery. We have a watering schedule, and that’s what we follow.” She lifted a shoulder, her nonchalance indicating she was done with the conversation. “There’s nothing more we can do, except replace the bushes.”
“We spoke about this during the summer, but you did nothing. You can replace them, but I don’t think I should have to pay.”
“Sorry, but that’s not possible. We can give you a ten-percent discount.”
“That’s not fair.”
“That’s the best we can do.”
“I want to speak to the manager.”
Elliot’s heart sank.
“I’m the office manager, and I’m telling you that’s all we can do. You’ve come here every year complaining about one thing or another. No one gives us as much hassle as you do.”
At this point Elliot didn’t like her tone and decided to step into the conversation. His mother wasn’t acting rude toward the woman. She was upset, and rightfully so. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable for my mother to ask that the bushes she paid for be taken care of. That’s why it’s called perpetual care.”
“And I’m telling you that we don’t control the life of the plants. Your mother is being ridiculous.” She mumbled something under her breath, and Elliot gritted his teeth.
“What did you say?”
“I said she’s crazy. You don’t think we see her sitting for hours by the grave? Talking to herself? It’s one thing when we have mourners come by for a year or so after the death. But come on. She needs to get over it.” She tossed her pen down on the desk. “It’s been almost thirty years. It’s not normal to do what she does. She needs help.”
At his mother’s gasp, without thinking, Elliot leaned forward. “Don’t you dare speak like that to her. She lost her child. That’s my sister you’re talking about. No parent should ever bury their child. That’s not something you can get over. Ever. If you can’t feel sympathy for the people who come to you at the worst moments of their lives, then you need to get another job. We’ll find our own damn bushes and fix the problem ourselves.” The door markedEmployees Onlyopened, and an older man with black-rimmed glasses pushed up on his forehead stood frowning. Ignoring him, Elliot spun around to find his mother standing in shock. “Come on, Mom. Let’s go.”
He took her hand, and they walked out, letting the door slam shut behind them. They walked in silence toward Claire’s grave and stopped by the bench. She pulled out a tissue from her purse and huddled in the corner. Elliot’s heart squeezed. He’d never seen her so defeated. So vulnerable. He sat next to her, and the quiet rose between them. An airplane droned overhead from the nearby airport, and Elliot squinted into the sun, staring at the birds fluttering in the branches of the trees lining the pathway.
At the sound of hurried footsteps, he glanced over his shoulder to see the man from the office walking up the path. He sat up straighter and wondered if he’d come to kick them out.
“Mrs. Hansen.” He puffed a bit and stood in front of them on the grass. His mother laced her fingers together.
“Yes?”
“I’m Rick Donaldson, the manager of Cypress Hills. I want to apologize for my daughter. The way she spoke to you was out of line.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you coming over here to tell me.”
“She’s been spoken to and will send you a personal letter of apology. Everyone who comes here is suffering, and there’s no time limit on how long someone is supposed to grieve.” He turned to Elliot. “You don’t often see children stand up for their parents.” To his mother, he said, “It’s nice to see close families, and you must be very proud of your son.”
She nodded, and her breath hitched.
“I’ll leave you two alone, but I just wanted you to know we’re going to replace those bushes at no cost to you. Have a nice day.”
“You too,” she murmured.
He walked away, and Elliot stared at his mother.
“Thank you for standing up for me.”
“What she said…it was a terrible thing. I’m glad they’re going to replace the bushes.”
Their conversation sounded as formal and stilted as if they were strangers meeting for the first time.
