Gone

I watched as the hearse pulled up to the house across the street.  Out came a gurney with a body draped in a white sheet.

I had noticed a lot of activity throughout Christmas week and had hoped that my neighbors were having a nice family holiday.

Thinking back now, I should have seen the signs.  The kids and grandkids had been there much more than usual.  And there was an excessive number of strangers coming and going, carrying what sometimes seemed like medical supplies.

They were my age, so I thought perhaps one of them wasn’t well but I didn’t think the worst, until the hearse arrived…  He was gone.