At the front of the room lies Tandar's body in an immense casket, with flowers all around. Folding chairs have been set in rows and half of them sit empty; Tandar's parents don't have any family in this country so the people here are his friends or theirs. The room is long but the ceiling is low, so low his head might almost brush against it if he stood. Tandar's family sits in front, with Molly Garrett's mom and dad and some of his college friends, on a long sofa. Joshua made sure to stay in the back, hunched over in a black suit.
At the podium stands the Presbyterian minister from the church Tandar's parents go to. Tandar was so gentle, he reminds them, we must remember how good and wise he was, the joy he brought us. It saddens us, he says, leaning heavily on one elbow, when a loved one dies so young, leaving most of a lifetime unrealized. And when death comes early to a young man like Tandar, so full of life--the minister spreads his hands. It may be nearly unbearable, he says.
The people sit quietly, but there is always the rustle of somebody shifting in a seat, or there's a cough someone tries to keep quiet, which starts a whole string of coughs around the room. Someone's fingers scratch across an invitation, or someone sighs. Molly Garrett's mother keeps needing to blow her nose.
We must not feel sorrow for Tandar, says the minister. It is better for him now. He has eternal life. He is laughing in Heaven now, running and swimming and walking in the mountains, all of his favorite things in life.
Behind him is the coffin where the body lies, a long doll with its eyelids glued shut. The hair is arranged with more care than he would ever have taken, and the skin looks like plastic, painted and powdered to look the right color, but too light. In a way, says the minister, Tandar is still with us. In our hearts he will always be with us.
The minister himself doesn't understand he's telling the truth. Tandar's mother and father, though, they feel it, and some of his friends may too, even if nobody realizes. Tandar is with them, he is right here, he is the warmth in the room, and he is still smiling. But Joshua doesn't know, and Molly Garrett's mother cries and cries.