What's in the Box?

There could be a 100 people on the street but if one of them was looking for directions, it would be me they would pick. People literally make a bee-line for me to ask me stuff. I have no idea why that is - some say I just have that friendly approachable safe kind of look about me - but I say "WHY ME?" while looking up at the sky with a clenched fist. I usually tell my sister the crazy stuff that happens and she is like WTF, someone really asked you that, or talked to you about that... and the answer is seriously yes.

Sort of like "What's in the Box?". And here is where I shall begin...

(This here paragraph should really be a footnote but I'm not sure how to do those on a blog so consider this like the warning at the beginning of a TV show. I kind of have this unwritten rule that you should always know your audience prior to speaking. But in this case, I am my only audience at this time. HaHa. But if at any time you find this offensive, just remember I had no idea you were going to be reading it at the time this was written. LOL)

So here goes...

About 2 and half years ago, my husband passed away after a courageous year long battle with Cancer. It was terrible, sad, crazy, unfair, you name it. It was everything you can imagine and then some. When my husband passed away, we had been visiting my family in another Province than where we lived. My husband had wanted to go to Vegas and marry me all over again, but we decided on a shorter journey and stayed in Canada where our medical system is top notch.

Although there are a gizillion downsides to loosing a spouse, loosing someone somewhere other than where you live further complicates things because you are forced to deal with "details" sooner than later. By this I mean, transporting them, cremating them, extra luggage on the plane. Just things that you would like to do another day, but can't.

The one detail that I did not have to think about was cremation. We had a Will so the decision had been pre-made. (Hint Hint for those who do not have one.) This however leads to another detail to work out - how you transport your loved one home? For me, there was no other thought than to take him with me as my carry on luggage. But then there are airline regulations etc. that have to be adhered to, and one of those is that the container that holds the remains, has to be a plain box, unmarked, so as not to freak out the other passengers. Who knew? Better yet, who wanted to ever know that? Ya, not me either.

But anyway, here I am, boarding the plane, with my plain cardboard box, holding my husband, eyes damn near swollen shut from crying for days, only to realize he is not going to fit under the seat and cramming him under was not an option. Again, more airline regulations and I was promptly told if the box could not fit under the seat, I had to put the box somewhere else. If it weren't for my husband being IN the box, I'm sure I would have told her what she could do with it but ... thank goodness for my sister. She quickly and with the utmost discretion and consideration for me, my little girl and the other passengers, explained our circumstances. The airline hostess was so kind and compassionate, and offered to take my husband up to the front and put him in her compartment where he would be safe and secure. Pretty nice eh? I was so grateful.

Well the flight was great...I think...well actually I really can't remember a thing about it until we landed and I went to retrieve my husband. I had waited in my seat so I could be the last to get off so as not to get in the way of other passengers. When I got up and went to the front of the plane with the hostess, who comes out of the cockpit? The pilot with a big shit ass grin on his face. Right away he picks me to talk to and starts asking me "What's in the Box? Is it a present? Is it for me?" I was stunned. My sister's jaw was on the ground and the poor hostess was completely horrified. She was trying to get his attention by running her finger across her neck to get him to cut it out. Obviously not cluing in to subtle female gestures, he kept on smiling, waiting for an answer but I just politely smiled, nervously chuckled then collected my husband and left the plane. And here I am thinking, who does that? Who ever asks such a thing to a perfect stranger?

But our day was only half done. We had yet another plane to board before we got home. While we were waiting, sis and I had a good giggle and felt terrible for that poor pilot who probably got an ear full from the hostess after we left. But mainly we thought of my husband who was able to find humour in the strangest of places. I was sure he was just setting me up and was probably laughing his ass off at the pilot for being such a clown. LOL

As the journey continued and we went through the same type of thing with the next airline and again the hostess was an absolute sweetheart. And again, I waited at the end and made SURE I was the last one off the plane this time, still slightly traumatized by the pilot. But could I get that lucky? Oh No! Not I.

So picture this... Here I am walking on the tarmac toward my husbands awaiting family, carrying him in my arms, trying to prepare myself for the stream of emotion that is sure to hit me as soon as I get through the door. Suddenly, this man starts running up behind me, big smile on his face wanting to talk to me. And what does he say? Yes, no kidding, he asks me "What ya got in the box?" Seriously! I swear I thought I was loosing my mind. First off, where the f**k did he come from? Slightly dazed and confused, I said "pardon me", being sure I must of heard him wrong but no! he repeated it, not wavering, and still smiling. So I looked at him and answered him honestly. "My husband". His face turned grey, "Did you just say your husband?" and I nodded. Can you imagine? That poor man. But afterward I learned my family thought it was a friend of mine because they had seen us talking (obviously not knowing what about HaHa) and I guess he apparently felt so horrible, he made his wife get his luggage and made a point of sticking around until I was finished hugging my own family, just to apologize and offer his condolences to me. Apparently I gave him a huge hug. :) I hope I made him feel better. LOL

But you know, since that time, I have heard strangers in line, people at work and yes even the kids at home say, "What's in the Box?" like everyone has this right to know. Nosey creatures! And although I have to laugh every time, you'll never catch me saying it because really...I don't want to know. What about you?

And remember before, when I was telling you about the great sense of humour my husband had? Well with no word of a lie, shortly after his death, I was getting something out of a closet and found this little cardboard box that was from his work. Written on the side of it in marker were the words "Hey Ed, what ya got in the box?" ;)