๐ฆ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ก'๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ช๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ก ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ: the city of metropolis declaring him worthy of a procession of the highest honor. funny, how quick some were to embrace him, the idea of laying him to rest with such distinction โ even those who had vilified him only weeks before. the citizens had gathered for a candlelight vigil at superman's monument, mourning for their lost hero โ canons fired, and a series of jets had performed a missing man formation over the parade intended to lead him home.
his casket, while empty, had been draped with the american flag: an honor bestowed upon him, decidedly, by the commander-in-chief himself ย โ even following the events in washington d.c. (and perhaps, in part, because of those eventsโฆ) the capitol city had even partaken in their own ceremony to honor the one and only superman.
his body, however, lay instead within a wooden casket in smallville, kansas โ lead by its own procession to honor the passing of their very own clark kent. ahead of the procession was martha, a woman helena had only heard about through the many heartwarming stories which had been shared by her son. itโs solemn, and she wishes the entire walk from the farm, through the corn field, to his place of burial that martha did not have to make the trek alone.
no, she wasnโt aloneย โ she had what seemed like the entire population of smallville traveling in her wake; yet helena remembers what it was like to be in those shoes. she remembers what itโs like to be the sole remainder of your own family, and the sudden emotional nausea almost forces her to stop in her tracks...but looking to martha, she continues on.
during his service, she stands alone at a distance, blending in with the crowd of mourners as she listened to the priest speak: and itโs strange to think that while she has long since left that part of her life behind, she finds comfort in his words.
helena lingers long after the crowd disperses and martha has assumedly returned to the visitors back at the farm. lingers, until she finally deems it safe enough to approach the still uncovered grave. she kneels, and for the first time in a long time her hands fold in front of her and she says a silent prayer, kissing the part between her hands before her eyes open to peer into the hole where he lay.
โhow do you imagine iโll sleep, now?โ itโs a question to the wind, although if he were here he would know exactly what she was referring to. there are many things she wants to say: that she forgives him, that sheโs the one who is sorry, that she wishes he was here. none seem quite as important as the words she actually speaks. โ...Iโll take care of her, your mom. of martha. donโt worry...โ
