The Graveyard

As I walked up the stony graveyard path, I looked up and saw two beautiful, small blue birds flying together as if hand in hand. I took that to be a good sign for things to follow. I was not a stranger to this graveyard, having been there several times with my partner Alice. This time was different however. This time it was just me and my brightly coloured floral bouquet that I brought to sweeten the deal.

Knowing that the grave I was gravitating towards was halfway down on the third row to the right, I respectfully looked at all the unkept headstones on my way. Some had moss and slime from the rainy weather covering them.

As I reached the third row, it was nice to see a grave that was well kept, the headstone was immaculate. It was one that I immediately knew was visited regularly.

I walked up to the plot and placed the flowers on an empty space. It was hard to find one as there was every colour under the sun filling the grave area. The headstone itself looked like marble, as did the ridges that held in the multi coloured pebbles that were on top of it. I didn’t have many graves to visit in my lifetime, thankfully, but this was a special visit, a rite of passage you may say. I stepped onto the thin line of concrete and blessed myself. I took in a deep breath, staring hard at the two portraits on the headstone itself and began to say what I had come to say.

‘Martin and Lilly, today I come here to ask for your daughters hand in marriage. It may come as a bit of a shock to you both, Lilly especially, as I know you had doubts and worried about your daughters sexual orientation. I know I had met you a handful number of times before your passing Martin, and felt your presence in the house constantly when I went to visit Lilly.

‘Alice is a wonderful woman! She is a credit to you both! I know people are born into a family, then there’s a family that chooses them, and a family they choose. I was lucky to be born into a wonderful family, not without its rocky peaks, but I always felt loved and wanted.

‘I know you took Alice in when she was four years old. When I learnt about that fact, I was taken aback at how incredibly selfless that was! The first day I met you, Martin, you explained that Alice was one of many to cross the threshold of your beautiful home, yet only one of two that became permanent fixtures. He described you, Lilly, as a woman with such a big heart, that when you had your own six kids, you felt you weren’t finished raising children, so you both became a safe haven to dozens of young people for years afterwards. I understand Alice didn’t have a supportive family that she was born into, but instead had the both of you, a family who chose her! I would love if I could have your blessing as to being the family she chooses!

‘Alice is such a loving, caring woman, who puts others above herself every day! I love her with all my heart and, even though I understand that you, Lilly, had reservations when she came out, I know both of you just want her to be happy in life! I would love it if you could give me the opportunity to ask her to marry me.

‘Even though you have passed, I still wanted to do due diligence and ask you, her parents for your blessing before I asked Alice to be my bride. I promise I will make her feel loved, cared for and wanted, every single second of her life going forward. I will brush her false teeth every night when we are old and decrepit and not let her go out in public unless her wig is on straight! I see all of that for us both in the distant future, but for now, all I want is a sign that its ok to marry your daughter. A simple gesture and I’ll know that you approve of our match!

‘Thanks again for giving my love a loving and supporting home for the past twenty-seven years, and I promise I’ll give her one for the rest of her life!’

I closed my eyes, the tears flowing freely. Alice and myself always admitted to be two soppy bitches, but we loved that about each other! What’s life without emotion?

I stayed by the gravesite for a couple of minutes, purely to regain my composure, before passing the other people who lay at rest in the peaceful graveyard. I looked at each and every name that I could, hoping they were finally at peace.

As I re-entered the grey stone path, the crunch of them under my feet like a child eating rice krispies, I slowly approached the gate that I entered through. There on the top of the painted black steel, was none other than the small, blue birds that I had seen flying earlier. Unlike stereotypical birds, they didn’t fly away as I approached the gate. I stopped dead in my tracks and nodded at them. To my surprise, they nodded back…..I had gotten my signal.

Emotions heightened, I sat in the car and cried tears of joy for my future, until there was none left! I blew my nose several times, and, just before I was to drive off, I spotted a bin in which to put the tissue. As I was heading back to the car, I looked up, and there they were…. the two small, blue birds, flying into the distance, as if they were hand in hand.