22

=Exposition/Inciting Incident=

I woke up one shining morning. It was cold as ice out, but still a wondrous sun glowed on the horizon. I heard the birds singing and thought it was going to be a beautiful and fun filled day. I put on my fuzzy robe and my fury slippers, then headed down the stairs to see my family. I came downstairs to find everyone huddled on the couch. My brother, who is usually a happy-go-lucky type of kid, was curled up in a ball with everyone with only his black hair showing. My dad was looking down with so only his straight black hair showed too. He then picked up his head so I could see his brown eyes. I looked into them only to find sorrow. I had no idea what was going on. My mom looked like she had been crying for a year and her curly, dirty blonde hair was let loose and it covered some of her face. The family wouldn't be like this unless something bad had happened. Therefore I asked, "Mom what's wrong?" "A tragic thing has happened," my mom answered in a quiet voice. "What happened?" I asked, my heart racing. She didn't answer. "What happened?" I pestered scared to hear the answer but anxious to know. "Your great grandpa..." she started but couldn't finish. I tried to remeber all the times I had been with great-grandpa Saul. His birthday hadn't been to long ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. I had made him a gold crown that said his name and had all different color sequins and jewels on it. He loved that crown and was so proud of it. Tears started to swell up in my eyes. I then knew what she was going to say. There was no need for words. I could tell by their pained expressions. I was heartbroken. I joined the group and there we all were, huddled on the soft couch crying like there was nothing left to live for. My great grandpa Saul had died.

After I had huddled up and had a good, long cry with my family we went to go get ready for the funeral. We slowly departed to go upstairs. I went into the parlor of my house. The tile was cold when I took off my slippers. Up the stairs I went and got a completely black outfit out of my wood dresser and emotionlessly got ready. The outfit consisted of a velvet black skirt, a black short sleeved shirt, and a black knit poncho. I looked around my room. I saw my white wood desk, my blue quilted bed and an assortment of nick-nacks. I found one that I got from my grandfather. I thought about the times I had spent with my great-grandpa. I thought about what life would be like without him. It's still difficult to imagine though he has been gone for a long time already. After I got ready we went to the car. Walking across the long, paved driveway made me think that this was it, this is what it was like to lose someone. My brother refused to go because he couldn't face the fact that our great-grandpa was gone. He through a fit and we had to try to calm him down. "No! He's not gone! He's not gone! You're lying he's not gone!" my brother screamed flailing his arms so we were unable to get him into the car. " Sweetie it's okay, he's in a better place." my mother said trying to calm him down. "No! He is not gone! Don't try to tell me otherwise he isn't gone!" he yelled flailing his arms even more. Jacob saying this made me cry. Watching what my brother was doing and my mom trying to calm him down looked like a scene in a movie. I felt as if I were far away watching, waiting to see what happened next. I snapped back to reality when my mom finally got Jacob into the car. "Mom?" I asked. "Yes?" my mother replied. "Why did Grandpa Saul die?" I questioned. My mother thought about this for a minute. " He was old and it was his ime to go,"my mother answered. My dad put the key in the car to start the engine and it came to life so we were ready to go. I pondered at what my mom said. I tried to figure it out but still couldn't find the answer. I finally realized that no one could live forever. As we sped off to the funeral, passing car by car, all wondering if life would ever be the same, I saw sadness in my brother's eyes. The look in his eyes were so emotional, so heartfelt. I confronted him and asked what was wrong. He said that he finally realized that great- grandpa isn't coming back and that we never had a chance to say good-bye. That started us up at crying again and my mother had to try to calm us down. She succeeded by telling us he is in a better place. The car squealed to a stop and there we were. At the funeral.

CAN YOU REMEMBER A SPECIAL TIME THAT YOU SPENT WITH YOUR GREAT-GRANDPA SAUL WHEN YOUR MOTHER TOLD YOU OF HIS PASSING? WHAT DID YOU WEAR? HOW DID EVERYONE WALK TO TO THE CAR (EMOTIONALLY DESCRIBE THAT THROUGH THE STEPS YOU TOOK)? FANTASTIC DESCRIPTION!

=Rising Action=

I climbed out of the sleek, black car forced to face the cold winter wind. The sky was a gray color with not many white clouds. As my tearstained face was forced against the freezing wind, I saw my Grandma Joan of the corner of my eye. She was also wearing all black, but she had a big fur coat on and high heels. I wondered why she was here. "Grandma!" I yelled. "Jenna! Hello!" she yelled back. I ran towards her and she wrapped me in a big bear hug. The hug felt good. It felt as if everything was okay and nothing was wrong, as if her hug made everything better. "What are you doing here? You're not even related to great-grandpa Saul." I said. "I decided I should come to comfort your family. After all this must be hard on you all," she answered with great concern. I thought about what had just appened at home and how Jacob threw a tantrum and how my my mom broke the news about Great-Grandpa Saul to me. I then realized where I was. I wasn't at a family reunion. I wasn't at a holiday party. I was celebrating a birthday. I wasn't rejoicing. Today I was mourning. I was at a funeral. "Jenna?" my grandmother asked shaking me by the shoulders. "Huh?" I answered oblivious to what was going on around me. "Cat got your tongue?" she replied with a chuckle. We then linked arms and went inside the warn synagogue to get seats for the funeral. I wasn't prepared or what was coming. I had no idea what a funeral was like for this was my first one. I took a seat on the cold wooden bench next to my grandmother. The service wasn't going to start for about another ten minutes. I didn't know what to do to pass the time so my grandmother suggested that maybe we could have a look around the synagogue. The synagogue was the most wondrous sight. It had a spectacular, sleek, stained glass window and amazing wooden benches. There were two rooms lined with shaggy, turquoise carpeting. My eyes wandered from here to there looking at all the people who were there. I was so stunned by all the beautiful details surrounding me I lost track of time. The sound of feet tapping against the floor made me relize that it was time to sit down. Soon the Rabbi came in. The service was about to start.

HOW DID THE BIG BEAR HUG FEEL? ARE YOUR CLOSE WITH YOUR GRANDMA JOAN? DID YOUR GRANDMOTHER GRAB YOU BY THE ARMS WHEN SHE SHOOK YOU? HOW DID THAT FEEL? I LIKE HOW YOU CAME OUT OF YOUR REVERIE AND REMEMBERED WHERE YOU WERE. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT DURING THAT TIME?

=Climax=

The Rabbi cam out wearing a blue, striped yamika and a white, frayed talis. The mustic smell of the synagogue was overwhelming but no one said a word. He went up to the chestnut colored podium and we finally started the service. What was coming was going to be a surprise for me and I wasn't prepared. The Rabbi started talking about how my great-grandpa was a remarkable man. I got sad when he talked about that but I didn't cry just then. Soon someone came up to give a speach about him. It was my Uncle Scott. He stood up, slowly making his way to the podium to begin his speech. His footsteps making the slightest bit of noise."Saul Gorne was a great man. He was a medical man in the army, a docter, helped babies in the hospital, raised three girls, and lived a long life," he started." He was a brave man in the Russian Programs and so much more." " I vow that I will never forget you Saul," he continued. He then went into how Saul was the most brave, amazing, and spectacular person he ever met. I never knew that Saul was a docter. I never knew that Saul served in the army. I never knew Saul was in the Russian Programs. Saul did amazing things in his lifetime that are hard to forget about. There were many other speeches but this one truly touched my heart. By the middle of Scott's speech I was sobbing. I had no idea that this was coming, no idea what to do. Should I turn my head to see if anyone else was reacting to his speach? Should I try to stop crying? I then felt the light touch of a hand grab mine and a tiny, tinted, tissue was being passed towards me. It was my grandma. I took the tissue and blew into it three times. "Third times a charm" my grandma said trying to cheer me up. "Yeah" I said and smiled. She knew how painful this was for me to hear what my great-grandpa did and had never known. She knew it was hard on me. The way she understood me so well was amazing but i didn't question it. I took the tiny, tinted, tissue and we cried together. All of a sudden a little sob was heard. Then another and another. Soon the sound of everyones sobs filled the synagogue. It felt as if everyone understood eachother, as if we were all one. Scott finally ended his speech and sat back down. Then the Rabbi said the Mourners Kaddish. We all sat there for a minute just crying. Though service had ended it felt like a new life had just begun. A new life without Saul would be hard to adjust to but deep in my heart I knew that everything was going to be alright.

DID YOUR UNCLE SCOTT'S STEPS MAKE NOISE ON THE FLOOR AS HE WALKED TO THE PODIUM? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING AS YOUR UNCLE GAVE HIS SPEECH? WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW? CAN YOU ADD PART OF THE "MOURNER'S KADDISH" TO END THE CLIMAX? HOW DID A NEW LIFE FEEL LIKE IT BEGAN? DID THE PRAYER MAKE YOU THINK OF SOMETHING?

=Falling Action=

We all finally stopped sobbing and started to get up from the chestnut colored, wooden benches in the synagogue now soaked with tears and said good-bye to everyone. My grandma and I stood up and started to walk into the main room where everyone was standing. The room was like an overcrowded apartment building, so little space so many people. It seemed as if everything was run amok. People were all over the place running to catch up to someone, trying to get through the doo, trying to mae small talk, and. Strangers came rushing up to me giving me hugs and saying good-bye. I wondered who these people were but they must have been close to grandpa Saul so I hugged them also. Besides I wasn't the only one in need of comfort. My grandma found me in the crowd of family members and pulled me out in to the doorway. She opened the door and cold came rushing at me. A huge gust of wind swept me up and carried me out. Boom! The door closed, just as we left. By now it was noon and my mom, dad, and brother were outside waiting for us. I ran towards them. An overwhelming feeling of sadness came over me and I started to cry. Soon everyone else was crying too. We stood there crying on the sidewalk, all huddled together. We must've been a sight, five people huddled in the middle of a sidewalk crying while car by car passed. Then I grabbed my dad's waist longing for comfort, since I was tiny I only reached his waist. He did the same to me only grabbing my shoulders instead. "I love you daddy." I said quietly. "I love you too" my dad replied with a smile. Soon my grandma joined our huddle and everyone was together. Then my grandma said " He lived his life to the fullest and had a family that loved him. That's what counts." "Yes. That is what counts. At least he died knowing he was loved." my mother agreed. I then realized that he lived a great life and we will never forget him. "Saul Gorne will never be forgotten. Never." I said my voice cracking on the last word. The wind blew again and my mom went to go get the car. It was freezing out so only my mom left the group. We all huddled together for warmth. Yet when the car came no one wanted to let go.

GREAT DESCRIPTION. WHAT TO YOU MEAN THAT EVERYONE SEEMED TO "RUN AMOK?"

=Resolution=

My grandma was first to break from the group. She went to her shiny,bashe car, got in and out her hands on the creamy leather handle. She rolled down her windows yelling good-bye to us as she passed. We all watched her go. My brother grabbed my dad's hand and I grabbed my brothers. Opening the car door my mom huuried us in. One by one, sliding into the backseat. My dad eneded up sitting in the front but we still talked to him from the back. My brother seemed to have a a smile creeping up his face. He had tears in his eyes yet he was smiling. "What is he smiling about?" I thought to myself. The car sped down the highway towards home. Tomorrow would be Monday and we would have school. I wasn't looking forward to school considering we just lost a very important member of the family. Maybe my mother won't make is go. After all this expierience is a lot to take it at one time and school. All of a sudden my brother spoke aloud. He mumbled something that I couldn't understand. "What did you say?" I asked. "I said I love our family because we are always there for eachother. That's what makes our family like no other. We will always love eachother and help eachother get through hardships. Our family rocks." he said expressley. Jeepers Creepers! I never knew my brother could be so deep! His words were very reassuring and made me feel a lot better. We arrived at the house. Something looked different. It looked as if the house was crying yet smiling. "It's probably my imagination." I thought to myself. But thinking that the house was smiling reassured me. It was a sign to tell me that everything was going to be okay. As I opened the car door the wind ruffled my hair. As I saw my family all together in the driveway I recalled what had just happened today. We were all there for eachother. We did all love eachother. I then realized home is truly where the heart is.

WHAT DID YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TALK ABOUT ON THE WAY HOME? HOW DID THAT MAKE YOU FEEL WHEN YOUR BROTHER SAID THAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY? DID YOUR PARENTS HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO THAT? WHAT DOES THE HOUSE LOOK LIKE? DOES IT APPEAR DIFFERENT NOW HAVING COME BACK FROM A FUNERAL?

GREAT WORK, JENNA!