The Church Roof Short Story

The Church Roof.

I always use to stare at the roof of this church. I caught myself doing it right now. It’s just a habit. I feel the slight nudge of my brother’s elbow as my uncle begins his eulogy. “Jack Lee” that’s all he got out before his chin started quivering and the tears rolled down his cheek.

A week earlier my uncle, father and I had come back from the Hospital in time to watch the rugby test between Australia and England, usually you can’t hear the commentary during these games due to the live commentary of the viewers sitting each side of me. The English score a try and there is uproar in the living room as usual. Then something unusual happened, the loud confusion was interrupted by profanity and then silence.

My uncle and father

The letter I wrote was not that of a ‘goodbye’ letter but a thankyou for everything he had done for me.

My uncle was now joined by his two young children at the top of the church steps who could not understand why their father was so upset, grasping and hugging at his legs so innocently in an effort to console their mourning father. I failed to move as I heard my name mentioned in the eulogy, my stare into my uncle’s eyes only increased with focus.

“Jack received a letter on the day before he passed from Angus who is here today”. A feel a swelling knot in my throat and my head falls into my hands as he continued to say “As Jack felt very personally of this letter, he only shared its existence with me, as I finished reading the letter I looked back up at jack who was looking directly into my eyes as he faintly said to me, ‘Angus is a good

Moments after the service at the local golf club where the wake was held, watching a slideshow of Jacks life. I feel a large hand grip my shoulder, his eyes are intense and unblinking and he sighs in an effort to beat back the tears.
“Jack saw a lot of himself in you, and I know for a fact he appreciated the letter you sent him, we all do”. Before I could reply my uncle pushed a letter toward my chest and waited for me to grasp it and as soon as I did he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Intrigued I look for a space in the cramped crowd to read the letter. I glance outside and see a patio looking out over the closest fairway and I stroll to it to be alone. The on the back of the letter was an admin form for Orange Base Hospital, I turn over the page to see Jack’s handwriting spilt over the page as if it every word written was an