Under The Marigolds

Fear not death as it's a part of life, Fear what comes after.

Death, The most natural part of life, It can be confusing and painful- It can make you feel helpless and alone. All the traditions- No matter the culture or family, There is always some sort of symbolic ‘Goodbye’.

After someone you care for passes, You’re offered condolences, People send food, You comfort your family and in doing so, You learn to comfort yourself. As a child, You have no idea what's going on, Why mommy and daddy are so utterly sad.

You may ask your siblings or cousins- “What is going on? What happened to my family?”

So..What happens when the normal grieving rituals have been cruelly ripped away? When you are left without a leg to stand on, A carpet ripped from under your feet- You find yourself stuck in quicksand, Unable to move or find a stable place to stand.

For a young Amelia Lonae, She never quite knew how to cope or how to understand the feelings that beseeched her, Following her around like a shadow that clings- Unlike the kind and helpful one Peter Pan has in her favorite movie, This shadow follows her, Whispering words of pain and memories too raw to recall.

The year is 1974, Women are gaining respect but not quick enough- And there is a woman who understands. Amelia, Although young- Had a sense of self and expressionism that had yet to be matched by any man she had met, And the woman who understood, Who listened and gained the respect of a wild child- Her name was Daisy.

For the years that passed in Amelia’s life, People had come and gone- Her art expanded in talent, Her opinions louder than god- Even if she spoke as quietly and as softly as she was capable. Her own family members had passed, Leaving a void and bringing a numbness that she wasn’t sure lacked pain.

Although rock and roll brought comfort, The vibrations of the music as equally beautiful as the vibrant hues she painted with- She lacked the one thing that she knew would make her feel complete, Her people.

Amelia was lacking friends, Understanding- People to rely on.

Every once in a while, On a very special occasion- Daisy would appear. She flounced in with humor and laughs- Her jokes brought laughter and light into the home that Amelia felt had almost no oxygen.

They would laugh- Amelia and Daisy, They laughed and felt joy- They felt exhaustion and humor, They enjoyed a splash and a swim- But they weren’t the only ones.

Of three girls, The oldest being Genevive- Enjoyed her time with Daisy the most. Perhaps it was because she was the eldest, Perhaps it was because she could remember every joke, Every smile, Every detail.

Amelia can remember the pure happiness that radiated around them come every visit. She can recall the sadness every time Daisy had to say goodbye.

“The city calls me, Trains to catch.”

Now, The middle child- The mediator between the three young Lonae girls, She remembered Amelia as well, Ella had a connection that the others just never could understand. They shared something sweet, Something kind, Something beautiful. Although Ella may have been the mediator, All the girls knew she felt things on a kinder, Sweeter level.

Ella always understood- The only time Ella didn’t understand was because she didn’t want to.

Daisy, How does this friend? This woman fit into our tale? Have we not debriefed you enough on the characters in this story? The answer is simple, Daisy is family- But how? Why?

How did Daisy wind up so close to the three Lonae girls?

Isn’t the answer simple? All children have a mother.

Veronica Monice (As her maiden name states) Had three beautiful girls, With a man who can’t be as relevant to the story as he would like- Now Veronica, Although she isn’t the main character, May be the second most important person to this tale.

On the streets of brooklyn, Veronica grew up tight lipped- With a beautiful face but a look that could scare even the toughest man away. Although Veronica was capable of the strongest stink eye known to man, She was incredibly capable of making friends.

She always told her girls, ‘You can have the globe full of friends, But one or two good friends in a life time is enough for you.”

In the time between being Veronica Monice and becoming Veronica Lonae, She met Daisy. The level headed family woman, And the Wild Child with a unique taste for the odd, Became the closest friends you could imagine.

Veronica moved away, Not far- But far enough for visits from the beloved Daisy to be few and far between. Leaving three girls and a mother, Wishing for a friend- An Aunt, A family member.

For Amelia, Life could be lonely- Tea with her mother, Plants in the garden, Stargaze to fall asleep, And dream of the day she can speak to the radio- Just like that Helen Reddy song she heard only a few months prior.

Amelia has been learning all she can on Botany, For healing and gardening purposes. Its the door opening that rips her away from her studies. Her book is closed and her smile is large,She races to the beige door to greet her mother, Her small bulldog Loony following behind her eagerly.

Veronica, Sweet, Kind and absolutely radiant- She didn’t shine like Amelia was so used to. Her mother would come in, Drop her purse on their end table and hug Loony, Then Amelia- A tired smile, But a smile none the less.

Amelia pulls away, A frown playing on her features, “Mama, What's wrong?”

-And her mother, For the first time in years looks..Almost lost, “I’m about to ruin your day.”

Its Amelia’s brain that starts racing, She wonders what happened at her mother’s job that day, She’s scared, Nervous, Curious all at the same time.

“Did you get fired, Ma?- If you did we can-” Amelia starts, Already going to plan A, B, and C, All the way through Z.

“No, No, Nothing like that- I wish.” Veronica pauses, Taking a grounding breath;

“Daisy passed away two months ago, I only got the call today.”

All in a flash, Amelia can see each and every death- Every person who passed, Every funeral, All the things she had been through in the previous years. She can see herself on her knees crying in her kitchen, She can practically hear all the times her mother has announced a loved ones passing.

She feels sick, She feels scared- Amelia grips the counter behind her for some form of stability. She shakes her head in confusion and pain.

“Why would no one tell us?”

“Two months?”

“No funeral?”

After a day of mourning, The four women together and in grief- Amelia once again picks up a book- And she reads;

Marigolds: The main meanings of the Marigold flower are: Wanting to be wealthy, The beauty of the sun, Sacred offerings, Well-functioning of a relationship, Winning affection, Despair because of love, Remembering death.

Amelia came to the conclusion then and there, That she would remember Daisy in the only way she could. If there could be no wake, No memorial of any kind- She knew that she would be able to remember her Aunt in her own way- On her own terms.

-And knowing Daisy, She wouldn’t want it any other way.

After a week of small plans, Veronica and Amelia had bought enough Marigolds to plant an entire plot. A small ceremony of memorium, And even though they could celebrate Daisy’s life under the stars, Amelia could pretend that Daisy was right there, Under the Marigolds.