Friday

It was Pete’s funeral at the parish church. The church was full – people were standing at the back. His friends from town were there and his new friends from university. Everyone was crying. Doreen and Dave walked down the aisle together as they had when they got married there 22 years ago. Doreen’s legs shook then. They shook with excitement and anticipation. Today they shook again, they didn’t want to carry her to the front row. Dave held her arm tight to stop her falling. Doreen hardly heard any of the service, her mind was bearly there. She didn’t hear the funny and moving speech from his best friend Sam, didn’t hear his old English teacher from college talk about how he would be remembered for his parts in college shows and his smiling face; hardly noticed the hymns sung through tears.Pete’s cousins, his uncle John and 2 of his friends carried him out of the church. Outside the police were putting out bollards ready for tonight’s Christmas light switch on.