“And you should have seen the way Milton’s brother’s wife was dressed. She looked like part of Aunt Mattie’s crew.” Sadie paused and looked at Buddy.

He nodded and I braced myself because I knew he was about to start up again. The more I heard, the more my stomach turned. When I was able to get a word in edgewise, I excused myself to go throw up. When I got back to the living room a few minutes later, Buddy and Sadie had gone into the kitchen and helped themselves to some elderberry wine. Buddy had removed his shoes and propped his feet up on the coffee table, so I knew they planned to stay for a while. But they had already worn out their welcome in my book. Being sick made it easy for me to politely ask them to leave so I could go take a pill and lie down. They still didn’t leave until they’d finished their drinks and made a few more unflattering comments about Yvonne and Milton’s funeral.

* * *

Our church wasn’t big enough to hold the crowd that came to pay their last respects to Odell. Before the service started, there wasn’t one single seat left on any of the pews. Dozens of folks stood along the walls and in the aisles. At least three dozen more weeping mourners who hadn’t been able to get in, stood outside in front of the church. I saw people I hadn’t seen in years, including old folks in wheelchairs I thought had already died, and babies still in diapers. It was the most extravagant event I’d ever attended in my life.

The tuxedo and solid bronze, gold-plated casket with blue velvet interior that Mama and Daddy had picked out for Odell had set them back a pretty penny. Not to mention what they had shelled out for the numerous elaborate floral arrangements. They had brought in a well-known soloist from Lexington whose fee was one of the highest in the state. She sang eight songs back to back. But the carriage with four white horses that my parents and Odell’s daddy had hired to transport his body to the cemetery took the cake.