over the rainbow

It’s the first anniversary of Dad’s death. We’ve all arrived in our cars. Some of us brought things to read. Lizzie arrives a little late. Rick and Deb bring a bottle of wine and a candle. Mom has an excerpt from dad’s journal. I have glasses and a corkscrew. We gather around the grave. Rick pours everyone a glass. Liz says, “Wait!” She runs to her car and puts on this recording of Over the Rainbow, and opens the window and turns up the volume. We stand around and toast and drink. We read our little things and laugh. Uncle George says a prayer. Rick pours the last of the bottle into the dirt at the gravestone and says, “This is for you, Pops.” We leave the bottle on the stone. Over the Rainbow is Mom’s favorite song, and Liz thought she’d like this arrangement. Of course, we all talked too much to really appreciate it then, but Liz plays it again for me afterward, when we’re following Uncle George to another part of the cemetery, so he can say hi to Grandma and Grandpa. Then we go to Armands, for lunch.