A Hillbilly Funeral
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman
Part One of Three

I took a deep breath and slowly I released it. My heart was beating like a jack-hammer, and once more I firmly gripped the rectangle shaped NES controller. For endless days I've been battling the never-ending horde of monsters, killing and slashing my way through the many acolytes who wanted to plunge fair land once more into eternal darkness. I'd searched the land from one corner to the other, seeking out hidden knowledge. 

In my quest, I'd visited towns with strange sounding names such as “Kasuto”. I'd also searched the cave  for the fabled “Heart Containers” that increased my life meter, allowing me to take more damage. And also the super rare “Magic Containers” that increased my magic meter and allowed me to cast more powerful magical spells. I'd learned these powerful, earth shattering spells from various witches and wizards in the many towns I'd explored. I'd also collected many powerful items to aid me in my quest.

And last but not least I'd slain thousands of horrible, pig like henchmen of the evil pig monster Ganon, all in a effort to grind my three states of “Life”, “Strength”, and “Magic” to their max level of “Eight' and that not counting the many foul beast I'd fought and defeated at the end of dungeons that had been fraught with danger, filled with pitfalls, layered with traps, and overall very perilous to one's health. All in the effort to awaken a sleeping princess. 

And did I mention that every step I'd taken I'd been shadowed by the evil acolytes of the evil, pig like monster Ganon who wanted to kill me so they could bring back their foul master from the pits of hell and usher in another dark age? Some people just wanted to see the world burn I guess. 

But.. the forces of Good must trump the forces of Evil.. and now I just needed to defeat my own shadow and then I would have beaten the “Legend of Zelda II: Adventures of Link” and I would have secured myself top tier bragging rights.

I was just about to enter the darkened den of my shadow when I heard the door of room creek open and there in the doorway stood my mom. She looked like she been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy and her brown hair was a mess.

“Willie. Could you please pause your game for me?” Mom's voice was horse and she seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. “I have something to tell you and I need your full attention.” She said took a few steps into my room. I heard her quietly close the door behind herself.

“In a minute mom.” I said my eyes focused on the unfolding action of the game. My mom had no idea I was locked in battle with my mortal enemy, and the fate of a princess, nay the whole kingdom of Hyrule hung in the balance.

“William.” My mom said taking a deep breath.

“Just gotta finish this battle mom!” I said biting down upon my lip.

“William Dawson..” Mom voice was tested now,

At that I pressed the middle button and paused my game.

“Aunt Cathy just called me, you know your Aunt Rebecca has been sick right?” She walked toward me, she then took a deep breath and sat down in front of me. “You know when people are sick, sometimes they don't get well, right?”

I swallowed hard. My Aunt Rebecca, my mom's oldest sister, had been sick for a while now. My Aunt Rebecca was more than an aunt, she was like my second mom. When the Mississippi Public school system had written me off as too dumb to learn to read or write she had taken it upon herself to teach me one summer. She had started me off with “The Hobbit” and that had been my gateway into the magical world of J.R.R Tolkin. But why stop at Middle Earth? She had also ushered me into the magical world of Narnia, and had introduced me to my first crush as a child, Susan Pevensie.  How many bitter tears had I spilled when I learned of her fate in the “Last Battle”.

“.. Mom..” I said feeling dread take over me.

“She passed away this morning.” Mom said, taking a deep breath.”I'm sorry Willie.. I wanted to come and get you from school.. but I'd been a real mess. Her husband is drinking himself silly right now, and your grandmother is beside herself with grief.. and Aunt Cathy, that bitch is just wanting to know when they're going to read the Will.. And her daughter, her daughter having a mental breakdown..” All these words just came pouring out of my moms mouth.

“Mom..” All of a sudden, beating my shadow did not seem as important as it did a few minutes ago. I knew my mom must be suffering, my Aunt Rebecca had been like a second mom to her. Heck when my mom was born she was just about to finish college. Just when mom turned six, she was getting married. She was Seven, her first child, my cousin a big bone, gentle giant named Robert Deers had been born. Everybody called him “Bubba” though. She was eight when her second child, a shrewd named Dee, was born.

Point I'm driving at is that my Aunt Rebecca had been more of a mom to my mom than grandmother had been. And she was more than a cherished aunt, she was a friend, a mentor, a guide, a teacher, and above all she knew my secret.

Mom at this point kneeled down and placed her gentle hand upon my shoulder.

“Willie.. I'm sorry I know you two were close. I know this is hard on you, but I need you to be brave. I need you to keep it together. Her funeral is going to be in a few days, today Monday.. so say Thursday, and we have a lot of stuff that needs to get done. I need to get you a suit, and I need to buy a dress..” Mom's eyes then flashed with lightning and then she hung her head in shame.

“Sorry, I know you might want to wear a dress too. She told me your secret and I'd been waiting for you to come to me, we talked about helping you work through that together.. I was kind of depending on her for support...” Mom seemed to be on the verge of losing it.

It was at that moment, nothing seemed to matter, not my quest to awaken the sleeping princess Zelda, the emotional tumult that seemed to render my soul and heart apart and tearing it asunder. It was at that moment the sad truth was finally starting to dawn on me. I'd lost the second most important person in my life. 

And as that truths started to sink in, I felt my eyes starting to burn with tears. And before I could catch myself I felt them starting to fall, they ran down my burning cheeks and spilled out on the floor. 

“Mom..”

Mom, seeing me about to cry, reached out and wrapped her arms around me. And together we both started to cry. 

The End of Part One.