Eugene Shin

The Funeral

Only about 20 people came to the funeral in total. Sean panned around the room as mourners gathered into the funeral hall. It was quiet. Everyone was holding in their tears for the time being. People came up to the deceased’s wife and family and offered their condolences and sat in their respective seats. Just before it began, the wife leaned over to Sean and said, “I’m really sorry to ask this of you, but I don’t think i will be able to make my speech later. Could you do it for me?” Sean stared at his sister-in-law blankly, tired after sleepless nights of planning and the years before that when the cancer was slowly eating away at his older brother. Without a sound, he nodded and faced the front again. A silent frustration came over him.