The Funeral No One Talks About by Frank Delgado

I remember the long caravans of cars from Texas, Nevada, and Arizona, making that lonely journey with a mandated to bury one of their own. There in front of the altar in a white a casket supported on bass rods inside Santa Tomas Church laid Hilda for her Velorio, for her wake. 

 It was hard for Chelo letting go of her little sister. Seventy year was not long enough. 

Chelo had been like a mother to Hilda. As a child she helped her dress, as a teen she make sure Hilda’s makeup was not too thick nor sexually suggestive. 

The priest called forward those who wanted to view Hilda for the last time. 

 Chelo rose from the front church pew, weak and shaken. Her eye red from sobbing. She was the oldest of her sibling and felt the burden to remaining strong, to give the others family members strength. 

Now she would see Hilda for the last time and bid her farewell. Chelo lumber to the casket. She cried out, her eyes fill with tears,“Hermanita ,hermanita why, why did you have to go ?” 

She wiped her tears and looked down at Hilda, so peacefully sleeping. 

“No no, no” she said shaking her head side to side in disbelief. “Mi Hemanito , Hilda that's not you! You never wore red blush on your cheeks. Why, why did they do that to you?” 

She took out an napkin from inside her purse, moist it with salvia and tried to rub off the blush. It smeared. 

Then she press harder to wipe off the two red patches of blush that now cover Hilda whole cheek Hilda cheek sunk .

 “O , my God, O my God." she scream. 

" No no I didn't mean to." 

The crowed looked on in silence. They wanted to give Chelo a solemn moment to grieve by herself . 

 She look around to see if anyone saw what happen. It wasn’t too bad... maybe no one will notices the sunken cheek. She thought. She looked down at Hilda once more. O..o they had Hilda with long eye lashes like a whore , street walker, a street walker!

“No no you never wore false eye lashes.” she said drawing closer.

 “Its not the way you looked.” 

The crowd looked on in sympathy. She reached out her hand. Her fingers pinched one the false eye lashes and tried to pull it off. It was glue tight. Chelo tugged a little harder. It started to peel off and suddenly the eye lid open. 

The eye ball turned upward and to the right. The white implant stared cross eyed. 

Stunned Chelo jumped back. Realizing what she did,  Chelo covered her face with both her hands . 

" No, No" she cried as she ran off crying. 

The crowd stared assured Chelo was screaming out of pain for her lost. 

The next person stepped up to the coffin. He looked at Hilda laying with one white eye popping out looking cross eyed and one of her cheeks caved in. He gave her a double look, pause, though and made the sign of the cross. He slowly walked away eye cast down. 

The next person did the same. One by one the family members step up to the coffin and repeated the the double take, pause, shaking of the head , the sign of the cross and walked away. 

 To this day no one in the family mentions nor acknowledge what happen that day.