The Police came to my door. I acted odd. I didn't cry. I thanked them. They left me card. The Officer who was with the coroner. The coroner.Victim services. I Thanked them and closed the door. Than I phoned my sister. She never answered. I went to tell my daughter. I drove for a hour to wake up our 83 old mother. I told her. She was her baby. Of eight children , she was her baby.
The next day I went to the funeral home. Than I went to her apartment. I saw what they had done to her apartment. There was plastic glove. She had a hot water bottle with her. She had been having monthly cramps.
I looked for her. She wasn't there. I opened a window. I looked at the bed. I thought they were mistaken. Her apartment didn't look like her. That wasn't how she kept her house. That wasn't the clothes she wore when we meant. I kept looking at the big wet spot on her bed. That's where she went to sleep . Than I knew, it wasn't her, she must of had a friend take over her apartment. Than I left.
I went to the funeral home and I told them my story.
They left the room. They asked me to sign a paper to release the body from the hospital. I said I'm sure its not her. They said she had been positivly Id'd. I signed a paper.
I went home . I called family I hadn't talked to in years. I said the words.
I got up that day, Two days later. I looked in the mirror. I saw her. She went to brush our teeth. I don't remember the rest of the day. or night. The next day sisters and brothers appeared. From all across Canada. I cried.
I cried as waves engulfed me. Still dead they have the right person? I took down clothes. I signed papers. I cried. I went to her place and looked. Looked. Looked. Why? What happened? Where are you? Why was there going to be a funeral? I thought how mad everyone was going to be. Leaving there jobs when I had mistakenly told them she had died. What was wrong with me. They came with me. I never had closeness with my family. But they came. They slept on couches. They slept on floors. Where not rich people. But they all came. She died Feb 25/09. The officer told me Mar 2 or 3. i'm still not sure. I won't look at the calendar.
We went to the funeral home March 6. I'd never arranged a funeral before. And than I walked into the viewing room