Two days after New Year, the lads all gathered to say goodbye to their friend. "I wanted to stay a bit longer, but this was not how I imagined it." Marks voice was trembling a bit. They all followed the small coffin through the streets of Sligo.

On the way to the town cemetery, everyone was very silent. It pleased Esther to see that all Kian’s friends were there as well. Nicky didn't leave her side. He couldn't bring along Mitzie anyway, so he decided to stay beside her for the day. They had arrived at the cemetery already. the whole walk had passed Esther by completely.

"Now that we are here, there are a few people who would like to say something." The priest stepped away from the stand, giving Shane the chance to be the first. "I don't know what to say. I have been thinking about it for a long time and I couldn't come up with anything decent. So I hope you will forgive me that I let someone else say it for me." The tones of a song...

Esther recognised it immediately. 'Last Christmas' by Wham... They had all agreed to play a song for Kian here, but no one knew what song the others had chosen. Shane began to speak again, about how he had first met Kian, but Esther didn't listen to it. She had chosen only to listen to the songs, not the words of the others.

Bryan was up next. He had chosen one she didn't know. But after a while she had to conclude it was a nice one. Mark... ah, what else could he have chosen but 'One sweet day'? Esther listened to Mariah Carey's voice that sounded in the cold air. It was snowing again.

Good for Samuel... He wasn't here today. Esther didn't want him to be, so Mitzie had offered to keep an eye on him for a while. Nicky got up from the chair beside her to take his turn. Esther looked up in amazement when she heard Britney Spears' 'Baby one more time'. Everyone looked at Nicky as if he was mad. He smiled apologetic. "As this is his fav song, I don't think he would mind." This caused laughter among the other. Even Esther found that she could smile at it.

After Nicky had finished, it was her turn to say something. The crowd was as quiet as a mouse, waiting, listening, but all she could think of was the black coffin in front of her. This would be her last chance... She nodded at Shane who was operating the recorder. Her song started... Céline Dion's 'because you loved me'...

For a moment the emotions were too much for her. Then she also began... "I know there is no way I can say what Kian meant to me... so I hope you will also forgive me that I use the words of someone else to express my feelings."

As the song continued she began reading...

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone.
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum,
bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead,
scribbling in the sky the message: 'He is dead.'
Put crepe bows round the necks of public doves
Let traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves

The stars are not wanted now, put out every one.
Just pack up the moon and dismantle the sun
Poor away the oceans and sweep up the woods.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

He was my north, my south, my east and west.
My working week and my Sunday rest.
My noon, my midnight, my talk my song
I thought that love would last forever,
but now it's gone...