“I hopped back into the car and drove to the local supermarket. In a few minutes I had picked up some bread and cheese and a bottle of good wine. I stopped next door and bought a knife, plate and a decent glass and headed back to the grave. Dad may be gone but that did not stop me from having lunch with him. I spread a towel on the ground and pulled the cork on the wine. Three hadeda’s flew overhead making a racket as they came in for landing. I looked around for the monkeys but they were lying low. I poured myself a glass of wine and tipped a little onto the soft dirt alongside the grave. “For you Dad,” I said. “Cheers.”
Most of the bottle was gone when the monkeys arrived. I was just dozing off in the warm sun when I heard them chatter. They were in the trees beyond the graveyard staring down at me with their large, inquisitive eyes. I tossed the remains of my baguette their way and gave my Dad the remains of the wine. I felt at peace. The noise in my head had subsided, replaced by calm.”
Grabbing the World by Brian Hancock
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