Heaven's Gate Bridge novel

Heaven's Gate Bridge novel

Heaven’s Gate Bridge

The body in the coffin was that of an old woman who died in her seventies. She looked so peaceful and as if she was asleep. Around her was the few tidbits that she most adored. Her hair pins, her gloves, her pocketbook and her wedding ring that had never left her hand in the fifty years that she was married.

In the church that the funeral was being held, the pews were packed with family member and those of the community who came to know Claire Edwards Stiller as the best midwife in the community. Many of the people who sat there were delivered with her gentle, loving hands. In the middle of the church sat the Miller family who lived down the street from Claire. Two of their five children were proud to call her their godmother. Those two happen to be the only set of twins that she helped deliver. Catherine Rose and Harriet Althaea Miller came into the world in April on a day that was stormy. But dependable Claire got out of bed and sat with Frances through the hard labor pains and through the final push of Harriet’s journey to the outside world.

“Sh.” said Mrs. Miller as she returned to her silent prayer for the soul of the friend that she knew she would miss.

“Mother, said ‘Sh’ to you William Jr. Don’t you know that it is not respectful to talk at this time?” whispered Catherine Rose.

“I’m just telling Billy to stop sniffing and sneezing. I don’t like sneeze water on me.” William replied as he pointed back to the little boy who had red eyes and an occasional cough. His mother was desperately trying to give him a handkerchief to use but he threw it back to her and used his shirt sleeve to wipe his nose.

Just then the music began for Amazing Grace and the whole congregation stood as the Reverend Paul Lassiter walked down the aisle with his book of common prayer in his hand. He walked slowly because his arthritis made walking very painful. He walked up to the altar and bowed and then went to his chair. The music played for a few minutes and then the whole congregation sat down.

There was a few seconds of silence when a lady in the front started sobbing. As if on cue a baby in the back started to cry. The Reverend stared at the baby’s mother and she got up and walked out with her baby to hold it in a comfortable position to make it settle down.

The service went on as a regular Anglican funeral would. The family went up to take one final look at their mother. The lid was gently and slowly lowered over the peaceful body of Claire. Her final trip to join her beloved husband would begin in about 20 minutes. Her oldest daughter held tightly to her husband’s hand and then they turned to follow the procession out of the church. As they exited the church the clouds began to send down a fine mist rain. The coffin was put on the hearse and the final journey began.

After the hearse left the families gathered to begin their journey to the cemetery. Billy began to sneeze again and his mother motioned for his father to come to her for an important message.

“I think that Billy might be sick. He does not look well. I think that this rain might be bad for him so I want to take him home and put him to bed now. Please take us home and then you can go to the cemetery.” she said into his ear.

“Okay Irene. I think that no one will stay long if this rain gets a little harder. But you know that Claire was such a nice lady, I think I’ll go for just a few minutes. “ he replied as he put his hat on.

“Ah ma. Do I have to go to bed? I can get better sitting up?” said Billy as he wiped his nose again.

“No young man. And you will get under those blankets and stay.”

The Miller family walked by as Irene was talking to Billy. William gave Billy a sneer that made Billy become outraged. But instead of taking a swing at William, Billy aimed the next sneeze at William and caught his sisters as well. The two girls tried to wipe their faces but could not find their handkerchiefs fast enough. They had inhaled the germs that would soon incubate into the same measles that Billy had caught from Tyler who caught it from Benedict at school. The measles would touch at least 10 other families this season and change some of their lives in a way that they did not expect.


Catherine was the first to feel the fever about five days later. She began coughing after she got out of bed. Harriet and William got their fever that afternoon. There was no mistaking the fact that they had got the measles from Billy because news spread very quickly that Billy had the reddest bumps on his body. He had itching and a cough that Dr. Maxwell said was the lightest he had seen this season. Billy would recover in fine shape to go back to school and the many pages of homework and tests that he had missed.

Catherine and Harriet were not happy to miss school. The girls were working on studying for the spelling bee and needed the extra time with the teacher to learn the correct pronunciation of the words. Catherine could learn the words in one or two tries but Harriet needed four or five tries. This year the girls wanted to beat Margaret Sumpter who always won the blue ribbon. Margaret then proceeded to wave her ribbon around and wear it the whole day just to show off. Margaret was an outsider who just moved in two years ago. She flaunted her hair, her new shoes as well as one hundreds she made on some of her tests.