Proper Funeral

As the end of the school week approached, and the school concert, Kiki had mixed feelings. Hal had not willingly participated in a school concert ever and the couple of productions from early elementary school were hard to watch on home movies. Hal's unhappiness and different-ness shroud him like an aura as he sits on the stage with the other kindergartners but does not smile, does not sing, tries to do the sign language, but generally looks bewildered and frustrated. It makes Kiki sad to watch.

So when Hal announced that he was going to be singing in the school concert, Kiki was really surprised. As the date of the big event approached, Kiki made plans to pick up Subway sandwiches, rope the sisters into coming with her to the concert on the school lawn with a picnic dinner, but part of her was dreading the event. She bribed the sisters with Subway and the concept of going to Ikea on the way home.

When Hal left for school, everything was a go. When he came home, everything was off. After the van dropped him off, it was a bit before he found his way to Kiki's office. Hal stuck his head in and said he was not going to the concert and left. Kiki called him back in and asked why not. Although, once she saw his face, Kiki knew something was up. He looked like he was going to cry. Hal said he'd had a bad day. When asked what happened, Hal said his DS broke and was gone. The details were that it had snapped into two pieces, would not work, so Hal gave away the games, and when he got off the van, he had taken a bag, put the DS inside and buried it in the yard. What?! Kiki didn't quite know what to say to that. He continued to look like crying. Why had he buried? "Because it died." Hal said to Kiki as if she were asking the stupidest question ever. Kiki asked if he had told anyone he was not going to participate in the concert and wouldn't they be expecting him? No, Hal stated, he told the music teacher he would not be showing up. Ok then. Maybe another time.