Thomas looked to the door and saw the police officers pointing their guns at Adam. Thomas stood and ran to Jamie’s side. “Come on Jamie! Wake up, you got to stay awake. Come on! Come back to me!” Thomas shouted taking Jamie’s face in his hands.
Jamie’s eyes fluttered open feeling the pressure of Thomas’ hand on her chest. She looked up at him and tried to smile weakly. “Hey.” Jamie coughed out.
“Hey,” Thomas said surprised that she heard him. “I love you. Remember that for me, ok?”
“I- I lo-love you,” Jamie said before she started coughing again. “I always will. Don’t forget me.”
“Hey, there is no talking like that. Your going to make it. The paramedics are here, they’re on their way, so just, stay with me ok? You’re going to be fine.” Thomas said looking down at the amount of blood on his hands. “I guess my gut was wrong this time.” He said trying to lighten the mood.
Jamie laughed a little before she coughed again, “Yeah, I guess it was a little off.” Jamie said out of breath.
“You should stop talking save your energy, just try and stay awake, ok?” Thomas asked trying to keep his tears back. Jamie nodded her head and bit her lip trying to stay clam.
The last thing Jamie remembered before she blacked out again was the sound of the paramedics running in yelling orders for everyone to back up and hearing Thomas say he loved her one last time.
*****
“We gather here today, to say goodbye.” The priest spoke from the alter. “I was asked by all the parents of this tragic event, to make this a happy occasion. We are not going to sit here and mourn the death of our loved ones. We are going to celebrate their lives.”
“On May 15th, five-hundred-twenty-six students walked into school like it were any other day, not knowing the tragedy that was to happen. On May 15th, five-hundred-four people walked out of that school.” The priest paused and looked out over everyone that sat in the pews in front of him. “On May 15th, twenty-two students were sent to the hospital in an ambulance. On May 16th, it was reported the four of them died. It wasn’t until May 18th, that is was reported that one last student died.” The priest stopped talking and walked down from the alter. “Those five students left behind a family and friends. Those five students, for most, will forever be remembered for the way they died, not for who they were. That is why today, we are going to remember them for who they were.
“Each person who was close to one of those five students will come forward and say a few words about that person. The one thing I ask of all of you is that you respect the person who is talking and the person they are talking about.” The priest said as he walked back up to the alter and took a seat.
Two people stood from the front pew and made their way up to the podium. A woman with graying hair the reached her shoulder, she wore a blue dress and next to her a man with dark hair, he to wore a blue shirt with black pants.
“Adam was our son.” The woman started near tears. There was a collective gasp through the church. Not many knew that he had died. “We don’t know what was going through our son’s head when he decided to do this and we don’t want to know, we choose to remember our son the way he was before this happened.” Mrs. Cassidy paused trying to hold back the tears everyone saw.
“Adam was a happy little boy, always trying to make people laugh.” Mr. Cassidy paused and smiled as he remembered his son. “Always wanting to help in anyway he could. Never once did he hurt someone. It wasn’t like him.” Mr. Cassidy spoke looking out at everyone, his smile fading. “I remember when I would come home from work, when Adam was little, Adam would normally be helping his mother make dinner, but he would stop and he would run to the front door and give me a hug. Then he would run back to help his mother with dinner again.” Mr. Cassidy stopped speaking and choked on the tears ready to fall. Mrs. Cassidy tried to sooth him, rubbing his back.
“Like all children, Adam grew up. He never stopped helping people though.” Mrs. Cassidy started again.
The Cassidy’s talked about the good times with Adam for a little while longer, neither able to control their tears any longer. They went back to the seats they had previously occupied. Person after person got up and went to the podium to talk about Daniel, a freshmen who had been one of the first to be shot, about Rose, a fellow senior who everyone loved, or about Caitlin, a sophomore who never once spoke to anyone.
There was one person left to talk about. Jamie Cline, a senior who everyone knew and everyone loved.
Thomas stood up from his seat at the back of the church and made his way up to the podium. No one knew who the fifth person was and when they saw Thomas they knew exactly who that fifth person was.
“Jamie’s parents asked me to come up here and talk about her. They said it would be too hard for them. So here I go. Jamie was class president; she worked as hard as she could to get all of you what you wanted and she did a good job, which is probably why all of you continued to vote for her. Jamie hated it when she disappointed someone; she always tried to find a way to make it up to them, and when she couldn’t she went up to that person and told them how sorry she was and everything she had done to try and fix it. I don’t think anyone actually hated here, I’m pretty sure everyone loved her.” People in the pews nodded their head to show they agreed.
“Something that I find a little funny is that Jamie wanted to be a doctor. She wanted to help save lives. The exact people who couldn’t save her, that’s what she wanted to do. She knew she was going to disappoint people, but yet, that’s what she wanted to do.
“Jamie’s parents told me recently, this story. It went something like this; once every century a person is born into the world that will try their hardest to change it, who will put their heart and soul into what they believe is right. A person it born into the world with a purpose that only fate knows, with a purpose that they will fulfill before they die.
“I don’t know about any of you, but I think Jamie was that person this time. She tried had hard as she could to do what she thought was right.
“Before Jamie died, she asked me something that I will never be able to forget. She asked me if I were to die would I be satisfied with my life. At the time I didn’t know if I would be and now that I think about it I know my answer. No, I wouldn’t be satisfied with my life. When I asked her the same question she said she was satisfied with her life.” Thomas paused and looked down before he continued.
“Jamie was a seventeen year old girl and she was satisfied with her life.” Thomas said a little amazed. “At seventeen she knew she had already fulfilled that purpose she was born with. What is was, no one will know, but she had done it.
“I don’t know about any of you, but I know that from this moment on, I am going to live my life to the best of my ability so that when I die, I will be able to say that I was satisfied with my life.” Thomas said. Thomas looked one last time out at all the people, some with tears in their eyes, some with smiles on their faces at her memory, and some who thought about what Thomas had said. Thomas made his way to the back of the church, but instead of sitting in his seat again her continued to walk and walked out of the church and never looked back.
Jamie’s eyes fluttered open feeling the pressure of Thomas’ hand on her chest. She looked up at him and tried to smile weakly. “Hey.” Jamie coughed out.
“Hey,” Thomas said surprised that she heard him. “I love you. Remember that for me, ok?”
“I- I lo-love you,” Jamie said before she started coughing again. “I always will. Don’t forget me.”
“Hey, there is no talking like that. Your going to make it. The paramedics are here, they’re on their way, so just, stay with me ok? You’re going to be fine.” Thomas said looking down at the amount of blood on his hands. “I guess my gut was wrong this time.” He said trying to lighten the mood.
Jamie laughed a little before she coughed again, “Yeah, I guess it was a little off.” Jamie said out of breath.
“You should stop talking save your energy, just try and stay awake, ok?” Thomas asked trying to keep his tears back. Jamie nodded her head and bit her lip trying to stay clam.
The last thing Jamie remembered before she blacked out again was the sound of the paramedics running in yelling orders for everyone to back up and hearing Thomas say he loved her one last time.
“We gather here today, to say goodbye.” The priest spoke from the alter. “I was asked by all the parents of this tragic event, to make this a happy occasion. We are not going to sit here and mourn the death of our loved ones. We are going to celebrate their lives.”
“On May 15th, five-hundred-twenty-six students walked into school like it were any other day, not knowing the tragedy that was to happen. On May 15th, five-hundred-four people walked out of that school.” The priest paused and looked out over everyone that sat in the pews in front of him. “On May 15th, twenty-two students were sent to the hospital in an ambulance. On May 16th, it was reported the four of them died. It wasn’t until May 18th, that is was reported that one last student died.” The priest stopped talking and walked down from the alter. “Those five students left behind a family and friends. Those five students, for most, will forever be remembered for the way they died, not for who they were. That is why today, we are going to remember them for who they were.
“Each person who was close to one of those five students will come forward and say a few words about that person. The one thing I ask of all of you is that you respect the person who is talking and the person they are talking about.” The priest said as he walked back up to the alter and took a seat.
Two people stood from the front pew and made their way up to the podium. A woman with graying hair the reached her shoulder, she wore a blue dress and next to her a man with dark hair, he to wore a blue shirt with black pants.
“Adam was our son.” The woman started near tears. There was a collective gasp through the church. Not many knew that he had died. “We don’t know what was going through our son’s head when he decided to do this and we don’t want to know, we choose to remember our son the way he was before this happened.” Mrs. Cassidy paused trying to hold back the tears everyone saw.
“Adam was a happy little boy, always trying to make people laugh.” Mr. Cassidy paused and smiled as he remembered his son. “Always wanting to help in anyway he could. Never once did he hurt someone. It wasn’t like him.” Mr. Cassidy spoke looking out at everyone, his smile fading. “I remember when I would come home from work, when Adam was little, Adam would normally be helping his mother make dinner, but he would stop and he would run to the front door and give me a hug. Then he would run back to help his mother with dinner again.” Mr. Cassidy stopped speaking and choked on the tears ready to fall. Mrs. Cassidy tried to sooth him, rubbing his back.
“Like all children, Adam grew up. He never stopped helping people though.” Mrs. Cassidy started again.
The Cassidy’s talked about the good times with Adam for a little while longer, neither able to control their tears any longer. They went back to the seats they had previously occupied. Person after person got up and went to the podium to talk about Daniel, a freshmen who had been one of the first to be shot, about Rose, a fellow senior who everyone loved, or about Caitlin, a sophomore who never once spoke to anyone.
There was one person left to talk about. Jamie Cline, a senior who everyone knew and everyone loved.
Thomas stood up from his seat at the back of the church and made his way up to the podium. No one knew who the fifth person was and when they saw Thomas they knew exactly who that fifth person was.
“Jamie’s parents asked me to come up here and talk about her. They said it would be too hard for them. So here I go. Jamie was class president; she worked as hard as she could to get all of you what you wanted and she did a good job, which is probably why all of you continued to vote for her. Jamie hated it when she disappointed someone; she always tried to find a way to make it up to them, and when she couldn’t she went up to that person and told them how sorry she was and everything she had done to try and fix it. I don’t think anyone actually hated here, I’m pretty sure everyone loved her.” People in the pews nodded their head to show they agreed.
“Something that I find a little funny is that Jamie wanted to be a doctor. She wanted to help save lives. The exact people who couldn’t save her, that’s what she wanted to do. She knew she was going to disappoint people, but yet, that’s what she wanted to do.
“Jamie’s parents told me recently, this story. It went something like this; once every century a person is born into the world that will try their hardest to change it, who will put their heart and soul into what they believe is right. A person it born into the world with a purpose that only fate knows, with a purpose that they will fulfill before they die.
“I don’t know about any of you, but I think Jamie was that person this time. She tried had hard as she could to do what she thought was right.
“Before Jamie died, she asked me something that I will never be able to forget. She asked me if I were to die would I be satisfied with my life. At the time I didn’t know if I would be and now that I think about it I know my answer. No, I wouldn’t be satisfied with my life. When I asked her the same question she said she was satisfied with her life.” Thomas paused and looked down before he continued.
“Jamie was a seventeen year old girl and she was satisfied with her life.” Thomas said a little amazed. “At seventeen she knew she had already fulfilled that purpose she was born with. What is was, no one will know, but she had done it.
“I don’t know about any of you, but I know that from this moment on, I am going to live my life to the best of my ability so that when I die, I will be able to say that I was satisfied with my life.” Thomas said. Thomas looked one last time out at all the people, some with tears in their eyes, some with smiles on their faces at her memory, and some who thought about what Thomas had said. Thomas made his way to the back of the church, but instead of sitting in his seat again her continued to walk and walked out of the church and never looked back.