Lyra's Big Change

Chapter 5

Chapter 5   The Hardest Thing to Do 

"Now." Amanda said, looking me in the eye again. "I know you probably don't want to do this, but we HAVE to. We have to go identify his body at the morgue and pick out a casket for him."

I looked at her with what I could have imagined were the saddest eyes anyone has ever seen. I didn't want to go see my father dead, or even pick out a casket where he would be buried, it would only make the situation permanently worse.

"Okay." I said quietly.

"We will go pick out the casket first."

We pulled up to a small funeral home and went inside. I was kind of out of it so Amanda told the lady at the desk what we were looking for. We were then led into a small room containing about 6 caskets. I picked one with a white interior and a shiny black exterior with chrome edges. After we were done looking, Amanda talked to the lady again and had me sign a couple of papers. We went back to the ca and headed to a big place, what I assume was the morgue. We walked in and while we were being led to where ever my dad was, I still had a little hope in me.

"Maybe he isn't dead, maybe they have the wrong person and he is just at work right now."

"Oh sweetie, I wish he was." Amanda looked at me like she could cry, although I didn't really understand why.

"Here we are, I will leave you two alone." The man said to us.

We walked over to a stainless-steel table with a white lumpy sheet on it. Amanda lifted up one corner of it and I couldn't believe my eyes, it was my father, MY FATHER. I started crying really loudly, feeling terrible. I ran to Amanda and buried my face into her and continued to sob while she held me close.

"Ssh, it's okay, it will be alright."

"No, it won't!" I pulled away from her. "I hate this, I hate not having my house, my father, I hate everything right now."

"It will get better, I promise." Amanda said in a reassuring voice.

I started sobbing really loudly again, and OH MY GOD, did I do what I think I just did? I pulled away from Amanda and ran; I ran like there was no tomorrow. All I saw was flying colors, when I got to the car I stopped there. I really did do it... I peed my pants again! Without even knowing it. I hated everything that was happening right then. I was disgusted with myself. I was still crying a few moments later when Amanda came out of the building, jogging to get to me.

"What happened sweetie? Are you okay? Why did you run like that?" she asked, a little out of breath.

"I peed my pants again, and I don't even know how or why." I said through sobs.

"It's okay, we can go home now and you can change, ssssh, don't cry sweetheart, you can go lay down when we get home." She whispered softly into my ear as she hugged me and rubbed my back.

We got in the car and I silently cried all the way to her house. We pulled into a great long driveway with a great big house on the end of it. It was a little old looking, but it was really BIG! It looked like a mansion to me, with a balcony and everything. When I was getting out, Amanda told me to wait a minute so I sat there with the car door open. She went into the back seat and grabbed the powder, wipes and a new goodnight and then handed them to me.

"Go in and change, then you can take a nap, you look exhausted."

"Thank-you." Was all that could escape my mouth.

We walked through a side gate, and into the back yard, and WOW! Was it amazing!!! There was a huge inground pool with a shed, garden, trampoline, firepit with seats around it, and a huge deck with a barbeque and patio set. There was also a balcony in the back too. Amanda opened the back door and led me through the kitchen which was notably large too.

"You can change in that bathroom." She said to me, pointing down the hall from the kitchen.

I took the stuff into a bathroom that looked like a closet because the door was made of wood and slid like a closet door. Although, it was quite big inside. I got changed, threw the old one away, and washed my hands and left everything on the counter.

"I'm all done." I said to Amanda. 

"Okay sweetie, come on." Just when she was about to turn around, I hugged her as tightly as I could. I think it took her by surprise.

"Thank you for taking care of me today, I really appreciate it."

"I would help you any day Lyra."

She picked me up and settled me in front of her, holding my butt with both hands. I wasn't expecting her to pick me up but i just let it happen. She grabbed a bottle of Gatorade that she had sitting on the counter and managed to carry that and me up the stairs and into a HUGE room that was red and gold. She placed the Gatorade down and then me on the huge fluffy bed that was covered in a red and gold royal patterned duvet. She rolled the duvet down to the foot of the bed and covered me with a red throw sheet.

"There you go, sleep well, get some rest."

"Okay. Thank-you."

She smiled gently and walked out of the room shutting the door about halfway.

I looked around and there was a walk-in closet that was open, sliding glass doors that led to the backyard balcony and two dressers. With a night stand on each side of the huge bed, a lamp on each, then in one of the corners of the room, there was a stand-up lamp and two gold colored (the couch kind, like a loveseat,
but for one person) with a small coffee table in front of them. I was looking out the windows to the backyard when I started to drift off to sleep.