Chapter 22: Affirmation of Life

Skip's funeral was scheduled for eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning. My brother Mike, who was living at home while he was attending our local junior college as a freshman, took the day off from his classes to attend the services, since he knew a lot of the seniors. He drove me to the church, and we got there a few minutes early so I could meet up with the team.

Coach Neville was gathering everybody just outside and I walked over to join my teammates. I saw Molly, Heather, and Evan go into the church with a large group of seniors, and I gave Molly a quick, small wave.

"Is everybody here?" asked Coach. "Okay, good. Kevin, John, and Sean, I have a request."

He looked for the three of us. Kevin Soranno was the senior midfielder who played directly in front of Skip on the field, and John Pennington was our starting keeper, also a senior.

"The Horvath family has requested that you three teammates serve as pallbearers today. Unless you have a strenuous objection, I have accepted already on your behalf." Coach looked from one to the other of us, receiving each assent in turn. I was surprised and humbled to be included in this group. "All right, good. Someone will signal you when it is time for you to perform your duties. Shall we go in, gentlemen?"

With that, he led us all in to the sanctuary for the beginning of the service.

The next couple of hours were some of the saddest I have ever experienced. Skip's family was nearly inconsolable, and Maggie Wiggins, Skip's girlfriend, was a wreck. Most of the girls, and many of the boys, were sniffling and blowing their noses all during the service. Suddenly, we were not nearly so invulnerable as we were just a few days ago.

Toward the end of the church service, a representative from the funeral home quietly motioned the pallbearers forward, and the three of us, along with Dr. Osgood and two of Skip's cousins, took our positions by the closed casket. At a signal from the funeral director, we grasped the shiny brass handles and wheeled Skip slowly down the center aisle of the church. When we reached the front steps, we were instructed to lift the casket up and carry it down the steps to the hearse.

I have never lifted anything quite so heavy as that casket and its contents. Later, at the cemetery, we lifted the casket back out of the hearse and onto a wheeled cart, and it was not nearly so heavy. That first experience with such a burden was very surprising, and startlingly difficult.

After the brief graveside service, the funeral director announced that the family had reserved a banquet hall in town for the afternoon, and invited everyone to join them in a celebration of Skip's life. Lots of kids from school, and many of the faculty I saw there, were opting not to attend the luncheon, but the entire soccer team was planning on going. Michael agreed to drop me off at the banquet hall, and I said I would call him if I needed a ride home.

The mood at the banquet hall was noticeably lighter. It was crowded with Skip's extended family, with family friends and co-workers of his parents, and with the kids and teachers from school who were closest to Skip. There was a large buffet set up against one wall, and there were lots of tables to seat from four to twelve people. Coach Neville commandeered a couple of large tables for the team, and there was plenty of room for everybody.

We all got in line for the buffet. Skip's family had set up bulletin boards on tripods by the first table of salads, and had pinned pictures of Skip, baby pictures and more recent ones all jumbled up, for people to look at while they were in line. We recognized a lot of us in the pictures, and spent a good deal of time chatting with friends, pointing out pictures, and remembering good times that had been recorded by somebody's camera. Molly came over to be with me in the line, and we grabbed plates as we got up to the first table. We made our way through the salad and bread table, to the entrees and vegetables, filling our plates. There was a dessert table also set up, with separate plates, so we opted to go back to sample the desserts later. We carried our plates over to one of the team tables and sat down next to Eric and Keisha, Jorge and Kristina, and some of the other players.

The banquet hall had been reserved for the afternoon and evening, and since there was no real hurry to leave, we didn't. After everyone had eaten their fill, Coach Neville called an impromptu team meeting, inviting anybody in the room to sit in if they wished. Skip's parents were in a corner with consoling relatives, but his sister Ashley, a freshman at school and a good soccer player in her own right, sat in with us, looking for a comfortable place to feel like she belonged. Kevin and John scooted over and made room for her between them, and she pulled her chair in close to listen in on the meeting.

"Can I have everybody's attention, please," called Coach Neville. He waited a moment for the kids at the tables around him to quiet down. "Thank you. Okay, as you know, we have dedicated the rest of this season to Skip and to Theo. We still have some unfinished business, however. First thing, we need to elect a co-captain to serve in Skip's absence. I would like to suggest that we consider Mr. Pennington, currently serving the team as defensive captain, for the position."

"So moved!" called out Kevin, sitting at the same table as John.

"Okay, I have a motion. Do I have a second?" asked Coach.

There was a general shout of "Seconded!" from the whole team, and John Pennington was elected Team Co-Captain.

"All right, next on the agenda is our new lineup. Trent," he said, turning to Trent Abbott, a junior who started as our left midfielder, "I would like you to start in Theo's forward spot." Trent nodded, pleased to be moving into more of a scorer's position. "Starting in Trent's midfield position will be Mr. Eric Johnson."

The team's collective eyes turned to our table and to Eric, who seemed to be blushing under his dark skin. Keisha was smiling broadly, patting him on the back. There was a smattering of congratulations from all around toward him, and then everybody quieted down. There was still one position, Skip's, to be covered.

"Starting at the right defensive position," announced Coach, "will be Sean Porter."

There was another smattering of applause, mostly led by Eric and Molly, and I felt a lot of hands patting me on the back and shoulder. The announcement was not a real big surprise to anybody on the team, but it kind of cemented the fact that we didn't have Skip to rely on in the backfield anymore.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please," called out Coach one more time. The shuffling of chairs and the clatter of glasses and cups stopped once again. "I would like to remind you all that we still have half our regular season to go. And, if we are very fortunate, we will advance into the sectionals and the playoffs. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, and there will be a lot of adjustments in our game that we will need to work hard on, but I know that you all will pull together to make this team work." He lifted his glass of water and held it out in front of him. "To Skip, and to Theo."

We all raised our water glasses.

"To Skip. To Theo." We all took a sip and sealed our bargain.

Coach Neville closed our team meeting, put on his coat, and stopped by to pay his respects to the Horvath family before leaving. A few others left, but a lot of Skip's friends decided to stay, taking advantage of a homework-free, practice-free day.

A little later, small triangles of sandwiches, snacks, and cookies were brought out and set up on the buffet tables for those of us who had stayed. There was a small garden area out the back of the banquet hall, with a gazebo tucked in a corner, half hidden from the sliding doors of the patio area. Molly and I grabbed a plateful of food and slipped through the door to watch the sun go down from the patio. We brought out our jackets, since it cooled off quite a bit as soon as the sun started getting low in the afternoon sky.

As we were sitting at one of the garden tables on the patio, I thought I heard voices coming from the area of the gazebo, though in the gloom I couldn't see anyone back there. I got up and tiptoed down toward the back, trying to be quiet and careful in the dark.

As I got closer, the sounds separated into two voices. Eric and Keisha were sitting on a bench inside the gazebo, away from the glare of the lights from the patio door. They had their arms wrapped around each other as they talked softly, their hands busy moving under their unbuttoned coats. I ducked back behind a tree and made my way back to the patio, where Molly was waiting. I put my finger to my lips and motioned for her to follow me.