The Cherokee felt empty to Paige as she drove along behind Andrea and Sabine. They had wanted her to rest and leave later that evening but she just couldn’t. She couldn’t stay here. She might come back one day, or if the world changed back again, she might have her ashes scattered here over Henrik, but for now, she had to move.
Sabine had rigged a way for them to lower Henrik’s body. Andrea and Sabine had prepared Henrik while she had prepared a marker for his grave. Once they had him in place, Sabine said a few words in Latin.
Requiem æternam dona ei , Domine
Et lux perpetua luceat ei
Requiescat in pace.
Amen.
Paige had taken a few steps away while Andrea and Sabine put the first layer of dirt on Henrik. She couldn’t do it without wanting to fall down in the hole with him and let them cover the both of them. Once he was out of sight, Paige came back over and helped shovel the rest of the earth over Henrik. When they were done, Sabine spoke again.
Eternal God,
we praise you for the great company of all those
who have finished their course in faith
and now rest from their labor.
We praise you for those dear to us
whom we name in our hearts before you.
Especially we praise you for Henrik,
whom you have graciously received into your presence.
To all of these, grant your peace.
Let perpetual light shine upon them;
and help us so to believe where we have not seen,
that your presence may lead us through our years,
and bring us at last with them
into the joy of your home
not made with hands but eternal in the heavens;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The walk back to the vehicles was cold and slow. Part of Paige didn’t want to leave him here, but she didn’t know a more fitting place. Part of her didn’t want to leave him at all. For a fleeting moment she considered joining him. She felt abandoned and alone, even in the presence of her friends. She knew they had to leave and leave now or she never would. This was an argument with Sabine and Andrea.
“We are tired and worn out from everything, Paige, especially you! You should rest!” Andrea begged Paige.
“We are a day behind schedule. We have people coming to help us and we need to be there on time.” Paige replied.
“I think they will understand being late a day, considering the circumstances!” was Sabine’s retort.
This went back and forth for some time until finally Paige looked at the two of them, her expression changing from one of defiance to one of grief and tears. “Don’t make me beg. I have to leave now! If I don’t, I might never leave.”
That had done it. The three of them had finished packing the vehicles and set out, Andrea in the lead with Sabine navigating. They didn’t want to leave Paige alone but she insisted repeatedly. She told them she had better get used to it now instead of waiting. This didn’t set well with Andrea but Andrea figured it was a fight for later.
Paige was thinking on all this as the miles rolled under their wheels. They had a day’s worth of mileage to make up and a day’s less time to do it. She had some tunes playing softly on the radio to soak up the silence as they moved down the road. Four days, four days to go.