The funeral
Mar. 30th, 2010 10:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhialtoMy parents and I drove over to Montrond on Wednesday and Thursday. When we arrived, Maguy and Alphonse noticed us immediately and dragged us inside. It was very emotional, we were all crying. We visited them last summer and never expected that the next time would be under these circumstances.
While my parents slept in the guest room of Rémy across the street, Maguy insisted that I stayed with them, in Isabelle's room. That was a bit weird. I didn't sleep well. I still don't sleep well.
The funeral was in the family tradition, in the local (catholic) church, and was mostly for family and friends of the family, since Isabelle (nor her parents really) are religious. To compensate for that, I suppose, the priest was apparently a lapsed one. The church was small but completely full. As far as the service wasn't boilerplate, people said nice things about Isabelle (and as far as I could follow).
Maguy was holding my hand all the time and didn't let go. It must be so horrible for her to lose her only daughter. My mother however didn't want me to get stolen so she stuck to my other side, so that we were with 4 in a bench meant for 3.
At the end, while people were exiting while passing the family and the coffin, they played a song I had brought: Maria Mena's cover of I was made for loving you. I had first heard that song a few months ago, around the time of bad health news, and I played it for Isabelle to show her my love and support and how well we were fitting together. We really were made for loving each other, I can hardly think of a more perfect partner, even being so opposite in many ways. (Isabelle often complained how unfair it was to fall ill after meeting me). Here is the rather different original by Kiss (with lyrics in the info)
(On the return trip, when we stopped at some aire on the autoroute, the radio in the toilet building was playing, and what did it play? A French version of the Kiss song...)
After the service, Isabelle and all the flowers (there were so many) were driven to the cemetery, where she was placed in the family tomb. In church it was said she was resting above her grandmother, and indeed she was in the topmost position on the right. The largest wreath of flowers of all was from "tes taties", "your aunties", the ones she always called her crazy aunts. Despite being a bit strange, they must have loved her a lot too... My parents had brought a basket with some earth and little blue flower plants, it got a nice place on top.
Maguy kept giving us food, and Alphonse kept giving us whiskey, port and wine.
We wanted to get going early on saturday morning, since if we didn't, we'd probably never be able to leave. We were planning to get maybe close to Luxembourg on the first day, but since traffic was relatively light and the wind helping a bit too, we made it all the way home in about 11 hours. It was nice to have the sunday to rest a bit with my parents, before going home again...
It still isn't over though; the solicitor handling Isabelle's financial affairs needs to be given a lot of paperwork, so I'm flying to London again sunday night (Easter) and speak to them tuesday morning, then I fly back tuesday afternoon...
I still feel strange after all this. Still it seems somewhat surreal, I still can't quite grasp that I'll never see my cute little sweetie pea again, except in the photos and the oh so sweet things she wrote on cards she sent me... She doesn't deserve this....
While my parents slept in the guest room of Rémy across the street, Maguy insisted that I stayed with them, in Isabelle's room. That was a bit weird. I didn't sleep well. I still don't sleep well.
The funeral was in the family tradition, in the local (catholic) church, and was mostly for family and friends of the family, since Isabelle (nor her parents really) are religious. To compensate for that, I suppose, the priest was apparently a lapsed one. The church was small but completely full. As far as the service wasn't boilerplate, people said nice things about Isabelle (and as far as I could follow).
Maguy was holding my hand all the time and didn't let go. It must be so horrible for her to lose her only daughter. My mother however didn't want me to get stolen so she stuck to my other side, so that we were with 4 in a bench meant for 3.
At the end, while people were exiting while passing the family and the coffin, they played a song I had brought: Maria Mena's cover of I was made for loving you. I had first heard that song a few months ago, around the time of bad health news, and I played it for Isabelle to show her my love and support and how well we were fitting together. We really were made for loving each other, I can hardly think of a more perfect partner, even being so opposite in many ways. (Isabelle often complained how unfair it was to fall ill after meeting me). Here is the rather different original by Kiss (with lyrics in the info)
(On the return trip, when we stopped at some aire on the autoroute, the radio in the toilet building was playing, and what did it play? A French version of the Kiss song...)
After the service, Isabelle and all the flowers (there were so many) were driven to the cemetery, where she was placed in the family tomb. In church it was said she was resting above her grandmother, and indeed she was in the topmost position on the right. The largest wreath of flowers of all was from "tes taties", "your aunties", the ones she always called her crazy aunts. Despite being a bit strange, they must have loved her a lot too... My parents had brought a basket with some earth and little blue flower plants, it got a nice place on top.
Maguy kept giving us food, and Alphonse kept giving us whiskey, port and wine.
We wanted to get going early on saturday morning, since if we didn't, we'd probably never be able to leave. We were planning to get maybe close to Luxembourg on the first day, but since traffic was relatively light and the wind helping a bit too, we made it all the way home in about 11 hours. It was nice to have the sunday to rest a bit with my parents, before going home again...
It still isn't over though; the solicitor handling Isabelle's financial affairs needs to be given a lot of paperwork, so I'm flying to London again sunday night (Easter) and speak to them tuesday morning, then I fly back tuesday afternoon...
I still feel strange after all this. Still it seems somewhat surreal, I still can't quite grasp that I'll never see my cute little sweetie pea again, except in the photos and the oh so sweet things she wrote on cards she sent me... She doesn't deserve this....
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-06 09:36 am (UTC)Thank you for letting me know.
I am really sorry to hear this news.
I am sorry for your loss.
My thoughts are with you and Isabelle's family.