I will have to make do. I will find little odd jobs I can do and we will
get buy. Yes, we will do fine.
The hole is deep enough as I roll my husband into the grave. I push
the dirt over his grave and watch as the hole slowly starts to fill up.
When that is over. I grab two branches and fashion a cross to stick in
the grave. I allow myself ten seconds to cry. Any longer and I will not be
able to stop. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. I take a deep breath, wipe the tears
from my eyes and grab the shovel. As I enter the house, I realize I still
have the Medal of Honor around my neck. I take it off, tempted to
throw it into the fire and let it melt. No, instead I take the medal off
the ribbon and put it on a chain. I then put the medal around my neck
once more and waited for my children to wake up.
As I sat watching my daughter, I made a vow. When Nora Grace
turns twenty-one, I will give this necklace to her and tell her about her
father and his bravery. I will tell her of my bravery and that the world
can be lonely and rotten, but do not let the world frighten you into
standing still. I say face the awful things of the world with your head up
high and do not let those terrible things defeat you. Let those things
make you stronger and braver. I will tell Nora Grace to pass it down to
her daughter when her daughter turns twenty one and so on and so on.
As the light of the new dawn causes the medal to sparkle, I am ready to
face the dangers of the world alone because bravery is not just
something that is given to the dead. It is also something that can be
given to the living.
Christina Pellegrino
36