The Gift

Yesterday on my First Tea blog I posted a story about a dream my husband had just weeks before he died; a dream that would later prove to be somewhat of a premonition.

This week end marks the 15 anniversary of the he last shopping excursion my husband and I shared. We had driven to Detroit to attend a family wedding and driving back home the following day we began discussing all the upcoming events on our busy social calendar.

“I think it’s time for me to finally buy a suit”, he said as I began naming everything we had coming up in December. Ed hadn’t owned a suit since high school.

“Let’s stop at the mall and see what they have, and maybe do a little Christmas shopping while we’re there,” he suggested.

I was shocked. Ed hated to shop and any shopping he needed to do usually took place on his last day of school before Christmas break, and usually after he’d stopped off to have a few beers with his fellow teachers. I guess the beer dulled the pain of shopping. Unfortunately many times it also dulled his fashion sense and the results were less than favorable. Needless to say I was jumping for joy that it was his idea to shop.

We pulled into a parking spot and headed into the first store. Ed was on a mission, and didn’t have the patience to browse and leisurely peruse the assortment of clothing. Instead he quickly picked out a Navy blue suit and held it up for my approval. I nodded. As he came out of the dressing room I noticed how the suit enhanced his body. His muscular physique was still quite evident despite the extra pounds he’d accumulated after his playing days. He could still make my heart race after all those years.

The tailor was on hand and the salesman promised to have the suit waiting for us in two hours. In the mean time, we could go off and finish our shopping.

Going through the aisles of the department store, I veered slightly off course as we passed a jewelry counter, and I paused to admire the necklaces in the case. I had never been one to wear any jewelry except my wedding ring, but lately, I had been admiring the gold herringbone necklaces many of my friends owned.

“Which one are you looking at?” Ed asked as he came up behind me and leaned over my right shoulder. I pointed into the case just as the sales woman turned over the price tag. I heard a slight whistle and Ed spoke up,
“Your taste is definitely improving!”

Ed proudly showed off his new suit at the REALTORS Christmas Ball the following week. It was a perfect fit. “If only I didn’t have to wear this stupid tie.” he muttered as he slid his finger in the 16 ½ inch collar of his dress shirt and tugged to try and make it loosen. “Life would be perfect if I never had to wear a tie!”

Who would have guessed that the next time he wore his new suit and tie he’d be laid out in a casket!
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“It’s time for the final good-byes. Family please step up to the casket”, the funeral coordinator directed, and I stepped toward the casket for the last time. My left hand clenched my neck as I took the last few steps. My ring finger slid back and forth over the herringbone necklace I wore. Earlier that morning our son Danny had handed me a dented box.



“I thought you might like to wear this for Dad today, he’d said. Inside the box was the necklace Ed had seen me admiring in the department store. Danny and our friend George had gone to the salvage lot where Ed’s demolished Grand Am had been towed, and in the back seat, along with his real estate files they found a shopping bag containing the necklace as well as a beautiful sweater that was wrapped and waiting for me to open Christmas morning.

The sight of the necklace moved me, and for a minute I thought I was going to loose control, but I quickly regained my composure. There would be time for tears later, but today I needed to stay focused. I would be stepping to the podium soon to deliver Ed’s eulogy and I couldn’t afford the mental breakdown until after that was done. As I fingered the necklace I drew strength for the task ahead.

I gazed down at my always hyper husband’s lifeless body for the last time. I stared longingly at his precious face hoping that just maybe I would see his eyelid flutter and he’d sit up and this would all be a terrible mistake. With one deep breath I reached out I patted his hand for the last time. “I love you Eddie, I whispered. I love you.”

I turned to the funeral director standing at the side “Do whatever you have to do, but don’t bury him with his tie on!”