I've not put any serious stories on here so far, and have been considering doing so for a while, and after this one I will do some more. I think the funny and silly stories are much more entertaining, but this was kind of a big event that happened in my life.
This is about the death of my uncle Barry who was my mums sisters husband, so not a blood relative. I was thirteen when he died, which was unfortunately the last time I saw my cousin Phillip too.
It may be surprising for people to hear that I was a fairly quiet child, at school and at family events. So I never really spoke to Barry. I did get on with my cousins Phillip and Sarah though, although Phillip was always a trouble maker and blaming Claire and myself for any mischief he'd been up to. Sarah was always fairly quiet, and she still is to this day. She still lives with my aunty Kim, but after Barrys death Phillip wanted no more to do with my aunty and went to live with Barrys side of the family.
Kim had been having an affair, which Barry had eventually found out about when Kim walked out on him and the kids. She did move back in quite soon after, but things were very tense between them. I remember a few times seeing them together and things never seemed quite right. I know there were a few times that Barry went a bit strange, which I think resulted in Kim leaving him again along with the kids this time.
I think after that, Barry found it hard, as not only had he lost his immediate family, but also our side of the family too, which I believe he always prefered to his own.
Phillip did eventually move back in with Barry, but Sarah stayed with Kim, and it seemed as if Barry was getting over the break up.
I am fairly sure it was a Tuesday night when the phone rang in the early hours. I could hear my mum crying, and Claire came into my room saying 'I think someone has died'. I didn't think much of it as I was tired, so went back to sleep. In the morning I found out that Barry had hung himself the day before.
He'd bought a new lock for the door and changed it before Phillip got home from school, so he'd not find him dead.
I know he'd left notes for Phillip and Sarah and had smoked one last cigarette before doing it. So he must have been pretty sure that it's what he wanted to do. I am also fairly sure it was sudden and he did it correctly as when he was found he'd been dead for hours.
Phillip arrived home from school and found that his key wouldn't open the door. After a few attempts he went to a neighbour for help. The neighbour ended up getting a ladder and going in through a top window, where he found the body. Phillip was obviously devastated, and ran over to Kims house shouting 'you killed my dad'.
I went to school on the Wednesday and was walking to school with Dave. I remember I laughed when I said 'my uncle killed himself'. I don't cry easily, and although quite shocked and a little upset I couldn't cry. Yet a small laugh came out, not because I found it funny, I guess more because it was still quite shocking and upsetting, and some sort of emotion had to come out. Mum and Dad went up to see Kim that day, and I believe she was in quite a bad state as is understandable.
The funeral was also quite dramatic, as you'd probably expect. His side of the family blaming Kim certainly didn't help, I know some said 'you'll all be dancing on his grave'.
I know that when the cars came to pick people up, Phillip was in a car with Nan and he said something along the lines of 'you never cared about him', which I know upset her.
I also remember when we got to the crematorium and the service began. Kim was in floods of tears, it was awful. Definitely the most upsetting funeral I've ever been to.
Later we went back to Kims house, and Barrys family went back to his old house. We just sat and talked, whereas at Barrys house there was a big party and they were all drunk. What was that about us dancing on his grave?
The funeral was the last time I saw Phillip, which is a shame as we did get on when he wasn't getting up to no good. I still see Sarah quite often though, and she still sees Phillip, but he still wnats nothing to do with our side of the family. Kim ended up marrying the man she cheated on Barry with, although I still don't class him as my proper uncle, to me Barry was.
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