“Reece is bringing him to the
airport”, she replied. “Jasmine, Ronnie,
and I will follow tomorrow.”
“Good. Marc is meeting us there, as are James and
Hunter. They’re all coming out
together. Ok. We need to get ready to get off of the ground
here because once he’s here, and Malachai gets here with Isaiah, Eli, and B, we
need to take off and get there. I’ve
still got to coordinate with other funeral home.”
“They should all be pulling up
soon. Reece drove Malachai and the boys
over as well.”
“Good. Now, I’m going to let everyone go so that we
can take off. I’ll see everyone in a
couple of days.” They all hung up and
Jake settled into his seat, reading the article in Rolling Stone that had been
released that day.
“THE VOICE DIES AT 85
“David Draiman, front man for legendary rock band Disturbed and Kennedy
Center Award recipient, passed away today at the age of 85 with his wife Brie,
known to most of the world as The Rock Star of Massage for her strides in
methods to reduce old scar tissue, at his side.
Mrs. Draiman was 82.
“Sources say that the Draiman’s have been rather ill the last several
months, though no one will confirm. After
having been retired for ten years Mr. and Mrs. Draiman fell off the map, having
retired to Israel immediately after Disturbed retired in 2044 after 41 years in
the music business. Mrs. Draiman had
retired two years previous.
“No one really knows how their ten children and countless grandchildren
are taking the sudden blow. A
spokesperson for the family has said that they all plan to take the necessary
time to mourn the loss of their matriarch and patriarch.
“No autopsy is being performed, sources say. They are being transported from the family
home in Colorado Springs, CO to their family plot in Jerusalem, Israel.
“Brie was also the only living blood survivor- aside from her
children with Draiman- of Master Gunnery Sergeant Matthew J. Cartwright, a hero
from the Utopian Occupation as well as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before
the Occupation took over. She was also
the niece of Transitional President Gail Cartwright- Richardson, who was later
elected to two full terms as the President of the United States.
“There will be a memorial held in Chicago for all four members of
Disturbed and their wives. The people
holding this memorial have no relationship with the band or their
families. They were lifelong fans that
only want to pay their respects. No word
yet on whether or not there will be a memorial held for the band jointly by
their children.
“We at Rolling Stone would like to express out condolences to the
Draiman family in their time of loss.”
Jake shook his
head as he pulled up a book to read during the flight. When they landed on Jerusalem, they would
have a little more than two days to get their parents to their final resting
place. It was going to be a disaster, he
was sure.
He would need
time before he sat down with everyone to plan any sort of memorial for
Disturbed. He knew that it would be a
necessity to hold one so that the fans would have an opportunity to say their
own goodbyes to the band as a whole.
He knew that
if they did one, he would be the one to speak for their father. He was the new patriarch after all. It was his job. Not only that, but he had so many things he
wanted to say to his parents to tell them that he loved them and that he was
grateful for them and their undying support of him.
Tears welled
up in his eyes as he thought about it and he didn’t bother trying to stop
them. He needed to cry. He’d just lost his parents. It was only natural, wasn’t it, for a person-
male or female- to cry just a little when their loved ones died? He glanced up and looked around the cabin as
the door shit. Everyone was sitting
around and comforting each other. B was
holding Eli as he sobbed over the death of his grandparents. Jax was holding Miri as she cried. Ira sat with Levi and they talked and
cried. Isaiah and his girlfriend sat off
in a corner so that no one could see Isaiah cry but Jake knew what was going
on. With as much testosterone as there
was on that flight, there wasn’t a die eye in the cabin.
Jake looked
over at his wife, who was staring at him,
“You’re not as ok as you want everyone to believe, are you?” she
asked. He just shook his head as he laid
it on her shoulder and sobbed. She held
him as he silently let out his liquid pain and finally took a little time to
start mourning the loss of his mother and father.
---------------
While they were in the air, Jake
got a message from Marc that he was with James and Hunter, and they were one
their way. He had everyone he needed to
unload the caskets from the plane. If
they were needed for the funeral itself as well, it would happen. He, Malachai, James, Jeremiah, Marc, Damien,
Isaiah, Elijah, Hunter, Ira, Anthony, and Levi would carry the ornate wooden
boxes that held the bodies of the matriarch and patriarch of the Draiman family
to their eternal rest.
He thought long and hard about
what was going to happen after the funeral.
He knew that there were countless Synagogues throughout the US and
Israel sitting Shiva out of respect for his mother and father. He knew that there was a military memorial being
planned for them both because they were both staunch supporters of Democracy
and vocal about the resistance against the Utopian government. His father had even earned the moniker “The
Voice of the Resistance”. They would
receive military honors including a 21 Guns Salute and the flags would be
delivered by an officer in the United States Marine Corps. There were candles being lit and burned
everywhere that his father had traveled to during his life, not just for him but
for the fact that the last surviving member of Disturbed has passed on. The world would move on after all of the
memorials were held and the last notes of the last prayer at the funeral
finished ringing through air. But how
would they, as a family, get through this tragedy? It was a hard thing to consider.
Delilah touched his hand
gently. “What are you thinking about?”
she whispered.
“How we’re all going to get
through this after it’s all said and done”, he said solemnly. “I mean, there are countless memorials and
things like that being held, and even now we’re on our way to finally bury
them, but what comes after that?
Malachai and Jordan have their music that they can throw themselves
into, but what about the rest of us? I’m
a doctor. I can’t spend all of my time
at the office. Jeremiah can’t spend all
of his time at the college. You, Maddie,
Jona, and Damien can’t spend all of your time at the clinic. Marc’s got the movie he’s shooting that he
can devote himself to, but at some point we all have to come back to reality
for a while and the reality of the world is that Mom and Dad are dead. What should I do?”
“I think it might be best if we
all kind of disappear for a while. Those
of us that can, should all need to stay as low profile as possible. Malachai and Jordan can write, but no
recording until we’ve all had enough time to really mourn and grieve. Marc can’t really go underground because of
the movie, but he can control the number of pictures are taken on set. Makayla can cut back on the number of jobs
she takes. Those of us that have
businesses outside of the house can cut back on the number of hours we
work. Even Jeremiah can cut back on the
number of classes he teaches. We’ll
still all get together for the holidays and you will do what you’ve been doing
every Hanukkah and sing those beautiful prayers as we light the candles at sunset
and when you do we’ll all think of your parents when it’s that time of
year. When birthdays roll around, we’ll
think of them and miss them. We’ll take
our time, but we’ll get on with our lives.”
He took her hand and sighed. “When will it be the right time to end our
period of mourning and have a memorial for them? When should we get back to real life after
we’ve sequestered ourselves in our bereavement?”
“You’ll know. And when it’s time, I’ll be right here to
help you push on and do what I have to so that we can have a normal life
again. Your parents wouldn’t want us all
to mourn forever.”
“I miss them so much,
Delilah. They’re bodies are lying in the
cargo hold beneath us and it’s only been a few hours, but I miss them already.”
She nodded, trying not to fall
apart again. “I miss them too,
Jakey. I really do miss them. They were like my parents. I loved them every bit as much as you did.”
He nodded. “I know, Lilah. We knew this was coming. We all knew.
We just didn’t have any idea when.
I wish it hadn’t been now. I was
hoping that they’d make it to next year, but between the two of us, I knew that
wouldn’t make it to Thanksgiving. I hate
this damn gift. It’s no gift. All I see anymore is tragedy. The only messages I get are sad ones. I don’t have the strength for anymore of
this, Delilah. I just don’t have it.”
“That’s what I’m here for,
Jake. I’ll do what you need me to do and
I’ll hold you up when you feel like you’re going to fall. That’s my job as your wife.”
He nodded. “Should we do a large memorial for
Disturbed?”
“Not immediately. Give it some time. You’ll know when the time is right.”
---------------
Once they were on the ground they
were met by Jessi. They all huddled together and hugged after her brothers were
off the plane. They all held each other as Jessi cried. "Jacob, you have
no idea how freaked I was when you called", she cried. "Abby had told
me earlier that she had a dream where a younger version of Grampa sat down on
the bed and talked to her. He told her not to be scared or sad, but that he and
Gramma had to move on. She told me that he told her that they would look in on
her from time to time, that they were proud of the young woman she was becoming,
and that they loved her. I told her that she had to be mistaken; that Gramma
and Grampa were fine. Then you called and fucked my world all up. I had to
apologize to Abby when I told her what happened. Do we know how they
died?"
"They just stopped breathing",
Jake said. "The coroner only did an external examination because I told
him that autopsies would take too long and that they wanted to be buried
according to Jewish law. Based on what he could tell, it was peaceful."
"How sick were they?"
"We don't really know. I
know they were keeping things from me about how bad they really were the last
few months. They found a doctor there and they were seeing him regularly, but
they wouldn't tell me what happened when they got back."
She nodded. "At least
they're in pain anymore, I guess."
"Where are Dave and
Abby?"
"At home. She was too upset
to meet up here."
They all nodded. "We're all
upset", Malachai said.
"When are you guys bringing
the caskets off of the plane?"
"Once James, Marc, and
Hunter are here. Anthony flew out as soon as Meagan was told that Mom and Dad
had died. He's on the plane with Levi and Ira", Jake said. "As soon
as everyone is here and dressed properly we'll have the pilot open the cargo
hold and we'll bring the caskets off. I've requested a private viewing for
tomorrow before the rest of Mom and Dad's wishes are carried out so that
everyone can have a little closure."
"That sounds good to me. I
think it will help everyone to see them", Malachai said. "I know it
will do me some good. Is the funeral the next day?" Jake simply nodded.
"Ok. I hope I hear from Miranda soon then. Callan's trying to get
emergency leave for the funeral."
"It will be good to see
them", Jessi said. "I never got to really hold the baby."
A car pulled up carrying Marc,
James, and Hunter. They all got out of the car and went to join the four other
siblings that were already present. "Hey everyone", Marc said
solemnly. "How are we all holding up?"
"We all have moments",
Jeremiah said.
"Who all is here?"
James asked.
"The five of us boys, mine
and Jeremiah's families, the Masons and the six oldest grandsons. Everyone else
will be here this evening local time", Jake said. "The plane is going
back as soon as everyone is off and we've retrieved the caskets." He nodded
toward the two hearses. "Dad goes in the one on the left; Mom goes in the
one on the right. I hope everyone has a suit handy. We all need to get dressed
and get our parents off of that plane." From that moment on they were all
business. Those that needed to change did so after those that didn't. The cargo
hold on the plane dropped open as Jake told everyone which of their parents
they would be unloading. It sounded so nonchalant in his head but it was what they
were doing. They were just another step closer to laying their parents to rest
for eternity. In the back of his head he wondered what it was like on the other
side. Were they happy? We're they with the rest of the family? What kind of
trouble were Dad and Uncle Matt getting into? Was Uncle Ira involved too? Was Mom
in the kitchen alongside Grandmamma making dinner for all of those hungry men?
He knew he had a while before he joined his folks on the other side, but he
couldn't help but wonder as he gripped his father's casket and hoisted it onto
his shoulders in a synchronized movement with his brothers, one son, and two
nephews, leading the way with Marc down the ramp out of the parking lot and
into the back of the hearse that was waiting across the parking lot.
---------------
The path they walked down lead them to a place that looked very
familiar to her. The field was emerald green as the wind blew the salt filled
air into their nostrils.
The house in the distance, however, was familiar to the both of them. It was the same house she had grown up in. It was the same house they had visited over 40 years before and he had gotten the semi-third degree from her father.
They looked at each other with huge smiles on their face. "So is
this what you saw in your dreams when your family would visit you?" he
asked.
"This is it." She took a deep breath in, breathing in the
briny air that carried just a slightest hint that it was soon to rain. "Do
you smell that, David?"
He smiled. "I do. Question is, do we keep them waiting a little
longer and play in the rain, or do we let them know we're here then come
back?"
She laughed out, wrapping her arms around his neck. "They're
expecting us. And as fun as it would be to stay out here and play in the rain
with you we should go say hi to everyone.
But, we can race to the door after the rain gets good and started.”
“You’re certain that the rain is going to start?” he asked as his arms
slid around her waist.
“It always rains for some reason, but it’s not that cold stuff that we
used to get. It’s warm.”
Thunder rumbled over head as the rain moved across the ocean and onto the cliff where the field lay.
She
smiled. “You ready to run?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You could try to convince me to stay here so that we can have a little
fun in the rain.” Her lips were inches
from his.
He laughed as the first droplets fell on them sporadically. As the rain got a little heavier he kissed
her, tasting the salty rain on her lips.
“I hope you’re ready to run to the door.
As soon as the rain picks up, we’re counting off.”
She laughed and released her hold on him. “I’m ready if you are. I haven’t felt this good in years.”
He let go of her waist and they got ready to run. As soon as the rain got heavy, plastering the
curls to her head, she counted them off and they took off running. They laughed as they ran through the storm,
playfully trying to knock the other off balance so that they could win. When they reached the door they were both
drenched and laughing jovially. “Haven’t
had that much fun since we had to stop traveling as much as we used to”, he
laughed. He brushed her wet hair out of
her face and kissed her softly. “I love
you”, he whispered.
She smiled and kissed him again.
“I love you too. Now, shall we
announce our arrival?”
He knocked on the door. Moments
later it opened to her oldest brother.
“David. Brie. It’s about time”, Matt said. “Come on.
I’ll show you to your room then we’ll introduce David to Ira.”
Brie looked at her brother.
“Matthew. This is the house we
grew up in. I think I know where my room
is.”
“Ok. Thought I’d be nice.” He stepped out of the way after giving his
baby sister a hug. “Oh, it’s good to
finally have you both here. I knew it
wouldn’t be long.”
“It’s good to finally be here”, she said with a bright smile. After he released her to greet David, she
moved on to her parents and finally to the brother she had never known. After hugging him in greeting, she introduced
him and her husband. “David, this is my
brother Ira. Ira, meet David Draiman.”
“David”, Ira said, extending his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you finally.”
David nodded. “Same here. I’ve heard great things, I have to say.” He laughed.
“Well, I’ve seen great things from you.
You… what possessed you to have ten, dude?”
David shrugged. “I have no
idea. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with
two more after eight.”
“Well, I admire you. They all
love and respect you a great deal.”
“I worked hard to teach that. We
both did.”
“Well, you should see Jake. As
he instructed everyone on who was going where, he thought that telling them
which of you they were ‘unloading’ was nonchalant and disrespectful.”
Brie laughed. “Why does that
sound like something Jake would think?” she asked, looking at her husband.
“Because he’s our son and he worries about everything. I think he fears one of us haunting him or
something.”
“Something tells me the boy has nothing to worry about”, Mitchell,
Brie’s father, said.
“He’s going to do a great job keeping everyone together”, Bekah, Brie’s
mother said. “He had two great mentors
in the two of you.”
“Not that talking about my nieces and nephews isn’t fun, and I love all
ten of them dearly, but I think
David and Brie need to dry off and the three of
us guys should go find some way to get into trouble.”
Brie laughed. “What did I tell
you, David? Never a dull moment.”
“Just wait until Skyler joins us”, David laughed. “You think it’s going to be bad with just
Matt, Ira, and me? Skyler’s my partner
in crime.”
She looked at her parents and shook her head. “You have no idea what you’re in for when the
Masons join us on this side of the veil.”
“Oh, I have an idea”, her father said.
“And I welcome it. I can’t wait
to meet Skyler and Kaylian Mason. They
seem like they will fit in here just fine.”
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