When the grandfather opened the casket after hearing odd noises emanating from it during the funeral, everyone froze in shock at what they saw.
The funeral day appeared to be the most somber day in the history of the small community, where everyone knew one another. To bid farewell to the young child who had brought delight to everyone around her, everyone had gathered.
With a lone rose and his hat in his hands, Grandfather stood at the edge of the grave. Pain carved his face like never before. His lips uttered mute words as his shoulders shook. He appeared smaller, as though he had been permanently bent by the weight of loss. People couldn’t bear to see his pain, so they lowered their gazes.
Since she was a young child, Grandfather had taken care of his cherished granddaughter because she had no other family.
As the coffin was lowered into the grave, he remained still for a long time. And the elderly man’s heart appeared to shatter when the wooden lid obscured his adored granddaughter’s face from him.
He collapsed to his knees, clutching the hat to his chest as his breathing became labored. His eyes, which he had never showed anyone, poured uncontrollably and hit the floor.
There was silence among the crowd. Everything around him appeared to have halted. Abruptly, the man froze as the grave became silent. The old man heard something—something really odd—through the sobs and the wind. It was as though there was a slight, nearly inaudible sound emanating from within the casket.
His initial reaction was that it was a figment of his imagination brought on by grief. However, the sound—brief and like to a moan—repeated.
Grandfather’s eyes widened and he went pale. He touched the lid with a shaky hand and then, with his last remaining strength, raised it. Those in the vicinity gasped, unable to comprehend the situation.
Everyone was stunned by what they discovered within.
The girl’s cat was lying next to her. Quietly cuddled against its owner, the little animal appeared adamant on staying with her till the end. It had infiltrated the coffin without anyone noticing, somehow.
In fear, the audience froze. The animal was nearly dead when it was buried! Someone quickly assisted in removing the cat. It was feeble but alive, nearly still, as though the hours spent in the little area had sapped its final vitality.
Stunned by the cat’s devotion, everyone gazed at it. But this was the last straw for the grandfather. He wept once more, but this time his tears were filled with terrible affection as well as despair.
The cat passed away a few days later. It seems to have followed its owner since it couldn’t survive in a world without her.
