On a bright Sunday day

Funerals are so difficult. Home burials are the worst!It is really a tragedy when you start to think about what happened. The feelings of grief and loss are overwhelming.

Angela - I think was struck by the horror more than me. It was all I could do to console her. 

It happened while Angela was out in the blistering heat. The sun was saturating the earth with its long rays. The rain had finally vanished from view. But with the suns rays-came the sweltering heat.  The humidity was unbearable. To be outside was a cry for something dreadful to occur. And it did.

Angela was overcome with heat--blinded by the sweat pouring from her brow as she undertook the arduous task of yard work. She had just finished edging the entire yard and weed eating several miles of weeds – now overgrown from the abundance of rain. She began to work on trimming up trees which had turned into wild shrubbery. And then it happened. I heard a cry – a cry for help. She had committed one of the worst sins man can commit. Murder!

It was fresh from the package. The blade on the long handled pruning clippers was new and sharp-ready for the endeavor of cutting, slashing and destroying.  They had found their way into the hands of a fatigued person- Angela. She was so immersed in the task. She could finally see the shrub morphing into a tree- when everything came to an abrupt end.

One small life snuffed out- before it’s time.  The acicular edge of the clippers found their way around the small neck of a little gecko. His body lay lifeless on the ground. Angela’s cries of shear terror and angst echoed against the house and resonated in the silence that fell.

There just was no consoling her. I had her identify the location of the listless body. I asked Angela to retrieve a small gardening shovel as I examined the situation further. His little body lay in two pieces still connected by a small piece of flesh. His poor little head dangling.  She came back with the shovel. I edged him in carefully. 

Angela set off to scout a location for us to bury our once little yard tenant. She took off the backyard.  There- along the fence she found a nice location- full of shade and a perfect view of both the backyard and the neighboring park.  We dug a small hole and lay his body to rest. With much care we place rocks atop his little grave to forever mark his spot.

 

Angela plans on immortalizing him with a plant.