Tag Archives: death

The tap was dripping, like how Oscar always left it – 22nd December 2002

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Sunday 22nd  I went Christmas shopping with my mates at the Trafford Centre on Monday evening. I bought some boots, jeans and a top. Everyone was dreading the funeral the next day because we knew it was going to be really upsetting.

We all met at Floyd’s house at 10am on Tuesday morning and made our way over the road to the church. I stayed with Lizzie because we were the only girls and we knew we were going to cry. I’m very glad she was there too. We all sat at the back of the church. When we opened our hymn books there were photos of Oscar inside. That set most people off, including me.

I’d just managed to control myself when the coffin came in. It was lucky it didn’t arrive earlier because the organ was playing You’ll Never Walk Alone and Oscar was an Everton fan. Instead, Oscar came in to Hotel California. His dad told everyone what had happened and how Oscar had stopped treatment because he saw how much it was hurting his family. It was really sad. His little brother then spoke and said how, on the day Oscar died, he went into the bathroom and the tap was dripping, like how Oscar always left it.

Apparently Oscar said he didn’t want any tears but there was no way anyone could help it. They played Always by Bon Jovi as he left the church which is going to make me think of him whenever I hear it now.

We all filed round the back of the church to watch the burial and then went back to Floyd’s. There had been so many people there, including some teachers. Everyone felt totally drained afterwards and every time someone asked if I was ok, I got upset again.

I went back to Huddersfield and just wanted to curl up on the sofa and watch TV but Jen and Archie saw I was upset and wouldn’t leave me so I was forced to go out. Ben was being really nice to me, saying how he’s had to go to loads of funerals. He put his arm round me too. He told me that his housemate John thinks I’m cool.

I went to uni on Wednesday. Jen had a placement interview for Kirklees Council and got the job. I stayed at Jonas’s on Thursday night but when I got back to the house I found that Archie had gone to uni and locked me out I was back early too because he’s asked me to be so I could sign for his DVDs.

Archie’s started to get pissed off with Jen for being loud and jumping all over him all the time. We had a course night out on Friday but not many people made it. It was ok though. Archie and Kenny kept saying I was cute and stuff. Jonas came over afterwards and stayed at mine. I feel really good with him again now but unfortunately we had to part for the Christmas holidays.

I was Floyd’s house party tonight. There were loads of people I didn’t know there. Lizzie and I made a cocktail containing gravy granules, vinegar, sugar and paprika and many other substances, and managed to get about 10 people to drink it! Cat was one of them and got very pissed off with us. Oops! This 23 year old lad from The Green Dragon helped is.

Bye!

Singing Welsh hymns as they drank wine – 7th August 2001

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Tuesday 7th I had a really good dream last night. It was about Will Fernley (a lad I used to fancy a few years ago) and he really fancied me and I was just about to snog him when I woke up. I have no idea why I dreamt about him cos it’s not like I’ve seen or spoken to him recently.

It was Grandma’s funeral today. 😦 Everyone met at Auntie S’s house and went in a long line of cars to the church. I was meant to go in a car with some lady but I wanted to go with Mum cos I was already upset and the lady had annoyed me by telling me and Abby to do another button up on our cardigans cos she could see the red tops we were both wearing. It wasn’t really obvious or bright or anything. She looked really grim and old in her dress anyway which came all the way up to her neck with a hideous scarf wrapped round it.

When we got to the church, I’d just manged to compose myself and then I saw the coffin surrounded by flowers which upset me again.

The family had to sit in a back room for a bit and we were told where to sit and stuff. When we got in the church, I was sat between Abby and Rhian. There were loads of other people there too which was nice.

The whole service was nice but very upsetting. It doesn’t seem like a year ago since I saw Grandma and she was trying to remember which was me and Abby but the length of our hair and stuff. It was only a year ago when we caught her eating trifle when she thought no-one was looking!

The minister said some funny things in the funeral that Grandma had said which made us laugh e.g. how she called the Laurandy Day Care Centre ‘Para Handy‘.

Half way through, I noticed Auntie S’s friend, Mr M, at the other side of the church wearing the most awful, unrealistic wig I’ve ever seen! So, every time I thought I was going to cry, I just looked at him!

There’s a poem in the funeral service card called ‘I Remember, I Remember’ which Grandma liked but couldn’t remember so my Great Uncle Arthur found it for the funeral.

As she was carried out of the church, they played a tune which Mum later told me was a lullaby [I think it was Suo Gân] that Grandma had once suggested singing to me when I was a baby to get me off to sleep. Apparently it worked!

The family and a few others then followed the hearse through Wick to the cemetery. There were a couple of ambulances there when we arrived so we thought something must’ve happened but we soon found out they were there for the burial because Grandma used to be a nurse. That was really nice of them, I think.

Grandma is buried with Granddad and my baby cousin Iain who was stillborn. My cousin Jessica pointed out that if we ever want to find the grave then there are 3 graves on the same row with foreign writing on them.

After the burial, everyone went back to Mackay’s Hotel. I sat on a table with our cousins Ifan, Jessica and Rhian, and Abby. I was talking to Ifan and he said he’d heard I’m “nearly married to an architect”. He’s at uni doing architecture now so someone must’ve told him. He’s going to study at Brighton in September to finish his course. He said me, Rhian and Abby can go and visit him.

This evening, everyone gathered at Auntie S’s. The Welsh people are cool. The one’s who didn’t go home early and stayed for a bit are my dad’s cousins, including his favourite cousin Beti. They’re funny! They spent most of the night singing Welsh hymns as they drank wine….. lots of it!

I met Rhian’s boyfriend Marc. He seems nice but then he didn’t say much really. The family across the road then lit a huge candle and said it was for Grandma.

Bye!

P.S. We found a good quote in Grandma’s autograph book. It said, “Tis better to be small and shine than great and cast a shadow”. I’m going to tell Sarah that one due her being slightly vertically challenged!

I need hugs! – 1st to 4th August 2001

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Wednesday 1st Urrggh!! I had a horrible afternoon. I went round to Jake because some family friend was there so he couldn’t leave. I only expected to stay for a bit but they ended up having a barbecue. The idea was fine until I realised I had to sit round a table with the entire family plus friend. I just felt sooo out of place and couldn’t wait for it to be over. They were all having conversations about things I didn’t know about and people I’d never heard of and when they asked me a question, they always picked a moment when I had a mouth full of burger or something. There was some very nice cake though.

This evening I went round to Henry Rockwell’s house for a small gathering. There was very little alcohol so Sarah and I went to Vicky Wine [Victoria Wine – an offie that doesn’t exist anymore] to get some supplies. Penny Jensen was working and told us Aled had just been in and informed her that Oscar’s in hospital cos he’s got leukaemia. That’s awful! I used to be really good mates with him. She said it’s a common form and can be cured so I really hope he’ll be okay.

Rocky’s was a bit boring cos Jake left early and his old nextdoor neighbour turned up. Isaac told me at one point that with Lizzie and Karen were making fools of themselves flirting with Sam and Nip at Denny’s, Emma had asked him if they were pregnant!

After Rocky’s we all went to Simon Bell’s (a complete knobhead from school who went off the rails then found God and who has now latched on to our group of friends) cos he promised us a barbecue. We didn’t get one so we went home.

Bye!

Thursday 2nd I woke up this morning to Mum sat on my bed. She hardly ever does that so I knew something was wrong. She told me that my Grandma L died at quarter to midnight yesterday. 😦

[I love this photo of her.]

I didn’t get upset straight away cos it wasn’t really a shock seeing as she’s been really ill and I was warned it’d happen. However, it didn’t take much to upset me. As soon as Mum mentioned funeral arrangements, it set me off crying. We were planning to go up to Wick next Tuesday but we’re going on Sunday now.

I will miss her.

I went to the Trafford Centre with Jake and bought some Roxy Quiksilver combat-style pants to cheer me up.

Bye!

Saturday 4th

Jake and I have been together a year and 6 months today!

Cat had a barbecue today. It was pretty good cos loads of people turned up. We just ate lots, talked, went on the internet and watched Shrek. I got pretty upset when I had to leave and say goodbye to Jake because we’re going to Scotland tomorrow. I just didn’t want to leave him and have to go to a funeral and he was being really nice which didn’t really help, it just upset me more!

Jake explained to Cat and Gethin about Grandma cos they saw me get upset. I got lots of hugs off him and he told me he loved me and said he’ll miss me. I’ll miss him too. I need hugs!

Bye!

I can’t get any of it out of my head – 13th June 2000

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Tuesday 13th First thing this morning, Bhakti came into our common room looking for Jake. He wasn’t in at that point so she came and spoke to me. She asked how he was and I had to say I didn’t know. She asked about the funeral and I had to say I didn’t know.

She seemed to think it was yesterday because he’d told her they were having it on Monday cos it’s his mum’s birthday. I told her that it’s probably next Monday cos that’s when her birthday is – on the 19th. That’s the only thing I could tell her, although if I hadn’t know when his mum’s birthday is, I wouldn’t have been able to tell her that either. She told me that people were asking for his address so they can send him cards and stuff. Also that his grades will go up by one too.

I get the feeling that people think I’m awful for not knowing anything about the situation and that I should but I don’t ask cos I don’t care. The truth is I do care but I don’t know anything because he doesn’t tell me and I don’t ask because I’m scared of him resenting me for making him talk about something that he doesn’t want to talk about.

I think most people know what’s happened now. At 2nd lesson, just before Jake arrived, Freda told me she’d heard about his mum cos Miranda’s been invited to the funeral. This filled me with panic because if Miranda’s going and hasn’t even been going out with Robbie that long, what if Jake asks me??

I wouldn’t know what to do if he asked me to go. I’d feel awful saying no if he wanted me to be there but, if I went, I know I’d probably get upset by it and I’d also feel really uncomfortable because Jake’s kept me out of that part of his life really. I’d feel like I had no right to be there, as if I was intruding. Hopefully he won’t put me in that position. I’ve also got a Sports Studies mock exam on Monday but I could hardly use that as an excuse cos it seems so unimportant compared to someone’s funeral.

Sarah doesn’t think he’ll ask me because he’s kept me separate from it all so far but as soon as I told Hayley when the funeral is, she expected me to be going along without him even asking me. Abby says that if he asks me I “have to go” really. I’m so confused about what I should do.

I keep telling myself to forget about it for now and worry about it if he does ask me to go but then if he did and I hadn’t thought about it, I’d be stuck for words again. I’d planned the sort of thing I’d say to him when he told me she’d died but when it came to it though, my mind went totally blank. I just don’t know what to do.

He was being okay again when he came in. Bhakti found him and started talking to him about funerals and stuff so I left them to it because, again, I felt like it was a conversation that I shouldn’t have been listening to. I don’t know if that was the case though.

At the end of lunch, I asked if he was staying for the rest of the afternoon. He said no and that he wouldn’t see me until Friday. He didn’t say why and, yet again, I didn’t want to ask for fear of making him tell me something he didn’t want to.

In all my lessons after that, I felt like crying and if someone had raised their voice to me, I probably wouldn’t have been able to help it. I’ve kept crying a bit all evening at various times, mainly through the frustration of not being able to concentrate on revision because of all this and because I keep thinking about it all. I can’t get any of it out of my head.

At some point this week, I can see myself just crying uncontrollably because everything’s building up. I also remembered before that Jake’s going away in a few weeks for a month and I’m hardly getting to see him now. That’s really selfish, isn’t it? He’s got good reasons for not being around so much.

If I do snap, I really don’t want him to be around or anyone to tell him because I don’t think he realises this is all affecting me quite so much (although this is probably nothing compared to him and his family) and I don’t want him to have to worry about me as well or him to think I’m stupid for getting upset cos it’s not a member of my family that’s died recently.

I can’t get my head round all this. There’s no way I’m going to pass any of my exams so I don’t know how the heck Jake and Robbie are managing.

Bye!

I didn’t know what to say – 8th June 2000

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Thursday 8th Sarah, Gethin, Jake and I all went to the Trafford Centre this afternoon, mainly because Gethin wanted to go in Starbucks again! That’s where we ended up spending most of the day! We did wander round the shops for a while and when we were in Topshop, the lads raced over to stare at the shoe section as soon as one of them spotted a pair of cowboy style boots!

Neither of them can explain why they’ve got a thing for cowboy gear! Gethin asked Jake if he’d prefer a totally naked girl or one with cowboy stuff on to try and explain. Jake said it was totally different but eventually said cowboy stuff cos then lads can use their imagination too! It still didn’t explain the cowboy stuff though! There was also a poster of a model in a cowboy hat and bikini which they wanted to take down and put in the car to take home with them!

Jake dropped us all off at home on the way back and left me until last. By then I was still getting phone calls from Hugo as I had been doing all afternoon. I didn’t think anything of it cos Jake had his phone switched off and Hugo usually rings me if he can’t get through to Jake’s phone. I also didn’t think much of the fact the Jake wouldn’t let me answer it cos I know he doesn’t particularly like me talking to Hugo, probably for fear that he’s going to tell me stuff I don’t need to know!

Anyway, just as I was about to get out of the car when he pulled up by my house, he explained why he hadn’t wanted me to speak to Hugo. He told me that his mum died this morning and that he wanted me to hear it from him first rather than Hugo.

I was just totally shocked because he seemed so cheerful today and I didn’t think it would happen quite this soon either. I didn’t know what to say. I think I just said, “Has she?” first of all because I couldn’t quite believe it. He just said how he doesn’t really like talking about it so I said, “Fair enough” or something and gave him a hug cos he asked for one. We had a quick snog but his watch beeped and made us laugh so I went home.

It’s still not really sunk in. He just told me in such an “Oh by the way…” type way too. That was one of the last things I expected him to have told me after such a good day out. He also told me that he wasn’t “mega-upset” or anything.

I spoke to Hugo briefly this evening. He said he’d spoken to Jake who’d told him I looked a bit “shell-shocked” when he told me. Hugo also said that he hadn’t expected it either and that Jake’s probably not “mega-upset” because he knew it was going to happen and it was just more the when that was worrying him because of exams and stuff. Hugo also reckons it’s a bit of a weight off Jake’s shoulders too.

Apparently his sister, Clara, and their dad are most upset and they left it a while before telling Robbie because he had exams today. I think Hugo said that they’re not sure when they’re going to have the funeral because of all the exams and stuff but he was breaking up so I didn’t quite catch that bit.

Hugo repeated that Jake doesn’t tell many people about it because he doesn’t want them to think he’s doing it for attention. I wouldn’t think that but I know what he means. I’ve hesitated when deciding whether to tell people certain stuff before now for the same reason.

It took me ages to get round to telling my mum tonight. For a start, I didn’t know when or what to say to her so I just said it during Eastenders. I thought she was going to cry but she managed to control it and kept asking how Jake was. I had to say I didn’t know cos I really don’t. She kept saying how she felt sorry for them all, especially his dad.

I felt guilty telling her cos I don’t feel like I should cos it feels like it’s not my place to say cos it’s none of my business but she wouldn’t have found out another way soon, and if she’d have found out from someone else in the future somehow then she’d wonder why I hadn’t said anything now. I sort of had to tell her really.

I also told Abby because she’s known what went on before and if I hadn’t said something, Mum might’ve done. I’m assuming Dad knows too. I don’t think any of them’ll say anything to anyone.

Sarah rang me before and starting asking if I know why Hugo had been trying to phone so much (he also rang her, probably to get hold of me). I didn’t tell her at first cos, again, I didn’t feel like I should and also I didn’t want her to think I was trying to get attention if she thought I was upset (which is why I can see why Jake thinks that). She asked again later in the conversation and also if I thought something bad had happened so I sort of had to tell her then. I felt a bit guilty again.

She sent me a message before saying she’d had to tell her mum because she’d looked upset when she’d finished talking to me and her mum wanted to know why. Her dad probably knows now too but she says they won’t tell anyone else and neither will she.

Hayley phoned before. I didn’t tell her. Apparently Andy’s seeing another girl. I can’t say I didn’t expect it!

Hugo rang again just now. I’ve been on the phone to him for about 45 minutes! He can’t half talk, that lad!! We were just talking about Jake again as well as other subjects such as Hugo having a squirrel in his exam room! He also told me that Jake’s said he’s snogged about 20 people! That was one of those pieces of information I could’ve done without knowing!

I keep getting upset a bit at various intervals, although I feel like if Jake doesn’t seem that upset (which he probably is) then why should I be?

I think I need to get some sleep.

Bye!