The Christmas Fallout

For years I have sent centerpieces from the florist to three elderly widows. This year the florist called back and told me that they could not deliver one centerpiece. "Which one?" I asked. I was told to call back later because this had to be researched and they were not organized. I was not organized either. It was just before Christmas after all and I never called and they never called either. During January I received several "thank yous" and I could figure out whose centerpiece was undeliverable. Last night it occurred to me to see if this friend had died or moved and so I put into Google: "Obit for Clara." Sure enough it was a hit. She had died last summer about the same time that Fr. Valhalla had died. Clara and her husband had two children which were adopted. The obit stated that she was the mother of Jean and the LATE Henry. That's when I nearly fainted. Henry never married, lived with her and took care of his mother and obviously died before her. He could have only been in his late fifties. So I Googled: "Obit for Henry." Found out that he had died half a year before his mother. The picture that was shown was that of a haggard man, looking way older. I remembered him as chubby. I thought of AIDS. The cause of death was not given. The whole think was upsetting enough that I could not sleep.