Gabriel's Funeral

from The Perfect Ganesh

by Terrence McNally

Margaret:   I've never told anyone about Gabriel. His brother and sister who came after... What would be the point? Alan and I never talk about it. This was years and years ago. We moved, we started a new family.  I have another life...

The woman who drove the car was a black woman. We called them negroes then. It wasn't her fault. She was devastated. I felt so sorry for her...

During the service, Episcopalean, Alan's side of the family insisted, we're simple Methodist, we all heard a strange sound. Very faint at first. We weren't sure what we were hearing or if we were hearing anything at all. I thought it was the organ, but we hadn't asked for one. It was the Negro woman whose car had struck my son. She'd come to the funeral. I don't know how she heard about it. She was sitting by herself in a pew at the back. She was just humming but the sound was so rich, so full, no wonder I'd thought it was the organ. The minister tried to continue but eventually he stopped and we all just turned and listened to her. Her eyes were closed; tears streaming down her cheeks.

Such a vibrant, comforting sound it was! Her voice rose, higher and higher, loud now, magnificent, like a bright shining sword. And then the words came: Swing low, sweet chariot. Coming forth to carry me home. Swing low, sweet chariot, coming forth to carry me home...