On Tuesday 5th February 2002 my mother's funeral was held. As the hearse pulled up outside my house the neighbors had gathered to pay their respects. As I walked to the gate I noticed a black cat called Barnie who was a stray that I fed accompanied by an old black mongrel that I also fed., sitting side by side on the front garden. Why had they both turned up together? Strange as it was I drew comfort from them being there.
The journey began to the Crematorium. I had asked that we pass by Aston Hall park as mom had had happy times there. Just as we were slowing driving past I looked out of the window. What I saw was not the present but a time long ago in the past.
I first saw a man and a woman walking down a path. He wore a top hat, had a tailcoat and gray trousers. He wore a waistcoat with a flowered pattern embroidered with fine silk. He carried a silver topped cane. His hair was silvery white and curly, with large bushy side whiskers. She had a lace necked gray dress with long sleeves. Her hair was black and parted down the middle taken back off her face.
I looked to one side of them where another path led. Two black horses drew a black lacquered carriage with a coachman dressed in black. As we passed by some small trees I saw a girl dressed in a rough brown dress, she was peering around the tree. Passing by the main gates I saw a large lady also dressed in brown with a white apron on. She had a handkerchief in her hand waving at me. She seemed to be crying. As we went past the gate onto Trinity Rd everything came back to the present time.
I have only told a few close friends what happened that day. I would like to understand what happened how and why. I would like to add that the pathways the man, woman and carriage were on do not exist today.
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