Your True Tales
November 2005 – Page 5

Blue Jay Cemetery
by Bear

Five years ago my dad died of cancer. I was, of course, upset to lose my dad and couldn't bring myself to go to the cemetery for a year after the burial. When I did go, the place looked entirely different and I couldn't remember where he was buried! I went home and asked my brother if he remembered where it was and he told me the grave was near the back of the cemetery. The second time I went, I concentrated my search in the back, but this is a really big place and there were a LOT of people buried "in the back" and I still couldn't find him.

The last time I returned, I parked my car near the back and started walking around. I remembered that during my dad's funeral we'd been standing in the sun and there hadn't been any shade, so I concentrated my search in all the open spaces. I searched for about 45 minutes under the hot sun, getting more and more upset as time passed. At last I gave up and was walking back to my car, very depressed and feeling like I'd failed again.

I got to a shady path and through my sadness I heard a blue jay shrieking over and over. Being an animal lover, I turned to check it out. I walked to a row of pine trees. When I got to the noisy jay, two crows flew up and away. The blue jay moved to the next tree, still making all kinds of racket. Then I heard the flapping sound of large wings and through the thick branches, I caught a glimpse of a huge, light-colored bird flying away. I couldn't see what it was, but thought it might be an owl. I've only seen one wild owl in my life, so I backed away, off the path and onto the lawn, all the while looking up. It seemed impossible, but I never did see the bird, but when I looked down, there was my dad's headstone, practically at my feet. Even though I'd never seen the headstone before, I knew it was his before I even read the inscription. It could all be coincidence, but I wonder if my dad somehow directed the blue jay to make all that ruckus, or if maybe he was the mysterious, light-colored bird that flew away and disappeared.

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