Death...
...does weird things to people.
This was my first experience, as an adult, losing a close relative. It took some time to process, so I’ve been a bit quiet.
Also, this was the only cartoon I’ve wanted to draw. It expresses what was going on at the time, but it also felt insensitive to post.
I’ve realised that the cartoon isn’t about what I thought it was about though, so I think it's safe to share now.
It was me who received the news of my aunty’s death. I was her emergency contact, being the only one in touch with her. Relationships in my family are challenging. this meant that I had to break the news to the others.
My mum’s reaction was dramatic.
She was in so much pain and could only wail on repeat that she couldn’t bear it. It went on for at least ten minutes.
All I could do was listen with the phone slightly away from my ear until it stopped. The sound was like nothing I had heard before or would wish to hear again.
Then I rang my sister and it was the complete opposite. She hardly said a word, because she’s a master at locking away all of her feelings.
My own reaction was much more bizarre, because I tipped over into mania and spent the whole weekend feeling euphoric. I was convinced that my aunt was with me as I pranced around the town talking to myself and grinning at strangers.
I also became a dedicated collector and distributor of information, and took the responsibility very seriously...
I gathered as much of it as I could and served it up in great detail, ensuring that my mum and sis were kept well informed of everything I could find out about my aunty’s death.
When my mum got over her initial shock she had the sudden urge to keep busy. So, being the next of kin, she took over.
And when I say she took over, I mean she got to work!
She charged ahead of everyone making plans to clear out my aunt’s flat and arrange the funeral, leaving me behind in the dust, and my sister freaking out about all of our aunt’s stuff - hence the cartoon.
My sister’s mission over the next week or so was to try and hoard as much stuff from our aunt's flat as possible before our mum had it cleared.
I was too far away to be involved. Plus, now that my mum had the reigns, I was of no use, and she was far too busy making plans to keep me in the loop about anything.
My euphoria turned into madness and I began to feel everything all at once.
This resulted in explosive rows and ended with me not attending the funeral - which I was fine with, because my aunt clearly wasn't going to be there anyway, she was with me!
So you see, everyone grieves in their own way.
Whether you're running away with the urn, running away with the antique cabinet, jewellery and vintage binoculars, or running away from the funeral because you're convinced your dead aunt has moved in with you...
...really you're all just desperately trying to hold onto someone you've lost.
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