Because he had a suspicion, her grandfather decided to open the coffin lid during the girl’s funeral, and what he saw nearly knocked him unconscious.
The sole sounds to shatter the somber silence that surrounded Liza’s funeral were muffled sobs and the repetitive barking of a dog that was approaching the coffin.
The girl’s grandfather stood still, staring at the white coffin lid containing his only grandchild, his hands jammed deep into the pockets of his old coat. She had passed away too suddenly and too soon.
The dog paced back and forth and howled as if it couldn’t believe it. Everyone thought it was grief. But the old man sensed something was wrong.
The grandfather walked toward the coffin. Within his local proximity, people began to whisper:
He’s gone crazy because of his misery.
The elderly guy in poverty
But he didn’t care. His heart pounded so hard that it felt like it was going to burst from his chest. His hand touched the lid and he heard a sound. Very faint, almost imperceptible, akin to a tiny sigh or sniff
The crowd went silent. Someone shouted:
Don’t do it!
Don’t injure yourself, please!
He was already pulling at the lid, crushing the locks, and ripping off the latches, as if in a trance. Finally, the lid gave way. When the grandfather looked inside, he nearly fainted from what he saw.
Lea, his granddaughter’s beloved cat, was curled up next to her body inside.
Her fur appeared disheveled, and her eyes were closed. Dead.
The animal had probably crept into the coffin to say goodbye. Animals openly express all of the emotions that people so often keep buried, such as fear, despair, and sorrow; perhaps her heart couldn’t take it.
The elderly man collapsed to his knees when he finally began to cry. Not just for Liza. Furthermore, animals bid farewell more sincerely than people do. They experience more than we’re willing to admit.
Lea lay beside her as if to guard the girl on her final journey.
That farewell had an innocent yet frightening feel. Real.
People in the town then spoke about the strange funeral for a long time.
