I knew her only briefly. Though she was my wife's aunt and lived in the same vicinity she kept to herself and we weren't close, but the body was there. Lying quietly in repose. I listened to the crowd and nobody was saying anything about the woman lying at the front of the room. The discussions were about trips to Florida, and being laid off, and about how so and so had cancer. There were a few pictures but nobody seemed to be looking. It was seven o'clock time for the deacon to offer a service for the departed. He stepped up to the podium. "I didn't know her", was his first words, then he offered a chance for people to stand up and give a few words on her behalf. The room was still. The service ended within fifteen minutes later. I looked once more at the body. She was eighty-four and the chidren, granchildren and great-grandchidren had nothing to recollect about that life. What did she do all those years? I turned away and my wife and I walked across the street to a Starbuck's.

If she had children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, then the answer to what she did all those years is answered. It is no small thing to create and nurture life. I will have accomplished less when I die. Nicely done. You captured the scene precisely and thoughtfully in a few well-chosen words. The only thing I would change (because I'm in the U.S.) is to put the comma inside the quote marks (that's a style thing), and, perhaps, add a comma: "I turned away, and my wife and I walked across the street to a Starbuck's." The latter only because, when I read the sentence allowed, I want to pause after the word "away." Death can be difficult to write aboout without turning maudlin, and you gracefully avoided that. Thank you for sharing this.

I am in the U.S. and I have trouble with punctuations at the end of quotes. It looks strange to me both ways. It was much easier in high school when everything was handwritten. I could cheat and put the punctuation directly under the quotation marks. :)

I should proof my own work. "allowed" should be "aloud." Sigh. Proof before post. Proof before post. Proof before post. Or at least edit after post.

Oh yeah, that sentence makes more sense to me now.

A problem with writing off the cough.....One should read what was writ. Tell me aboout it...snicker snicker.