As I sat with the body I could here the news spreading amongst the animals,
"Rosie is dead,"
"Rosie has died,"
"It's over,"
and on and on until the last creature was informed.
I placed a drop of oil on her body,
"May you not feel any more pain, and may you never be cold, and may you find a good cloud, and may you see Stevie again," I said.
I wrapped her body in her pink blanket, made just for her, embroidered with words so carefully placed,
"The World's Grumpiest But I Am Fine As I Am Pig ~ Rosie"
We placed her in our clam sled, and began the slow march to the front garden, a place we had gathered before over the last couple of years. As the animals stood in front of the freshly dug hole in the Earth, Martyn helped me lower Rosie's body into the ground, her pink blanket covering her to keep her forever warm. I placed a shroud over her eyes, a shroud made from Assumpta's wool. Burial items had come from afar, and I placed each one, thoughtfully, and carefully around her body. I placed feathers with her for flight, a toy llama for safety, a pig for a reminder of what she once was, and on the top, a red rose.
Earnest stood of to the side, he had dressed in his formal cape and bow tie. The goose, who had slept amongst Rosie in the last two weeks, also came. White Dog watched. Pino and Paco both said their goodbyes,
"I remember when you arrived," said Pino. "I remember when you could run."
"I understand you," said Paco. He placed a slip of paper in the grave, with a special, private poem to Rosie.
Earnest said not one word.
We covered the body in ancient soil, perhaps Civil War heros who once lived here had touched it long ago.
When the final dirt was spread, Opie pointed to the sky,
"Look, it's Rosie, she has beautiful polk-a-dots now!"
The animals had paid their final respects, and as they left they all bowed to the nearby grave of The Head Troll. Martyn returned to the house.
I knelt down, and whispered one last time,
"Oh, Rosie!"
As I returned to the house, it was still, and clear, and crisp. I heard a rustling, clouds appeared over head, tree branches snapped, and a distinctive hrumf-grrr-arrrr-hrumpf sound echoed in my hear.
Heaven just got a little grumpier.
