| Then, one night in late September, Toni died and his son came to ask Henriette to the funeral. "Papa, he told us to get you. The funeral is tomorrow at ten." In the morning, when Henriette awakened, she found that something terrible had happened to her voice. It was gone. She could not speak too much excitement, and she let herself get wet outside. Her grandchildren put warm things on her throat and gave her a rum toddy. But it did no good. Her throat hurt when she opened her mouth. She sounded like a frog. She had to stay in bed. In the evening the family returned from the burying. But they said nothing about the funeral and how nice Josephine had sung and carried on. When Henriette thought no one was looking, she took out her funeral book from under her pillow and made a crossmark under Josephine's name. Now they were even! Each had 99 crosses. Her old hands shook and one tear rolled out of one eye. The next day, when Henriette awoke, she heard much excitement around the house. She sat up against her pillow. Her grandchildren crowed around her bed and told her that Josephine had gotten sick in the night and passed away early this morning. "How do you feel, Granny?" Is your throat all right? Josephine asked for you in the night, to come and sing for her funeral. Well, le bon Dieu loves you." All day, the children made preparations to take Henriette to Josephine's funeral. They said, "You stay in bed and rest, Mammy, so your voice will be good tomorrow." |
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