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"Raz," Coon called out his name and Raz turned to look at him with fire in his eyes. A strange kind of calm overcame Raz now. He looked almost rational "Raz, I don't want to tell you this, but I got to. You know, like I preached all my life, there is a time to live and a time to die…"
"I know what you are saying to me. I understand it. I feared it from the beginning. But I'd like to die like a man, with dignity. Still…. I don't want to die…. not yet!"
Coon kept calm, and shook his head, "I know you don't, but I want you to be at peace with yourself, Raz."
"None of you said it, but I know. I got it don't I, Coon?" Raz had a few rational moments.
"You do, son, you do." Coon nodded sadly.
"It's my time then?"
"Soon, Raz, soon."
"That's why you tied me up, isn't it?"
"Had to Raz. Had to." Coon told him.
"Let me go…let me run away. I don't want nobody seeing me this way."
"Cain't do that Raz. You're dying, and we want to bury you somewhere's nice."
"You're set on it?"
"I am Raz. WE all are. You are part of our family. Are you right with God, Raz?"
"Yeah…" he sighed heavily and breathed hard. "I'm right with him Coon."
"Good, now I want to tell you. I'll preach you’re a good funeral Raz. We'll miss you, you know, all of us." Coon assured him. "If there was something we could do, we'd do it. But there just ain't nothing…"
"I don't want to go yet. I want to live, Coon." Raz cried pulling on the ropes that bound him.
"I know son but try to be at peace. Try really hard. For us." Coon said and walked away.
Coon passed all the others and went into the woods and didn't come back for some time. It was a time to be alone, to accept the inevitable.
"Where's he's going?" Matt asked Ferg.
"To make peace with his maker about this, I suppose. Raz is his cousin. But, we're all kind of like a family."
"It's hard to accept…I haven't known him that long, but I like him, feel for him."
"It'll be hard on Coon, afterwards, but he's a man of God, he'll come to his senses. We all feel bad about this."
Matt nodded.
That night was a restless night for everyone. Raz wouldn't shut up, he screamed, he hollered, he cursed, until he had no more strength. The rain bothered him so bad, they had to cover him with three blankets, so he wouldn't feel it dripping on him.
Toward morning, Raz got quiet. He wasn't asleep.
"He's awful quiet." Matt noted.
"He'll die soon. Margaret told me what to expect. Just before they die like this, they have a little time they can think on things and understand it all. Then he'll die."
"Why does that happen?"
"No one knows, it just does. Margaret has seen these many times, she said." Ferg told him.
Snow Bird tried to feed him, but he didn't want anything, still he looked at her and smiled, "You are so pretty. I'm glad Matt married you. I hope you have many babies and are happy together."
