Mourning Procession Continues: Rue, In Sequence to Funeral Games
In the quiet outskirts of town, six months ago, a life-changing event occurred for our narrator. They welcomed a new companion into their home, a dog named Rue, chosen by Jo. Weeks passed, and the narrator continued to attend their meetings, but the nature of these gatherings remains undisclosed.
As time went on, the recruitment agency began calling with job offers. The narrator found themselves considering roles such as sorting parcels at a DHL depot, grounds maintenance for a business park, and cooking in corporate centers. However, it was a role at a care home that would eventually capture their attention.
The care home, it seemed, was a place of both solace and challenge. The narrator encountered their old stepmother there, a woman who no longer recognised them and often struggled to remember her own name. This meeting was a poignant reminder of the passage of time and the complexities of family relationships.
The narrator's living situation was far from ideal. They resided in a small rental, barely managing to keep up with the rent. Yet, Jo, the young woman who had given them Rue, continued to check in, encouraging the narrator to open up about their feelings.
One day, Jo invited the narrator to attend something at the care home. It was there that they met another Jo, a colleague who worked the morning shift. This Jo noticed the narrator's lingering in a certain room and, curious, asked about it. The narrator shared their dream of owning a dog, a conversation they had once had with Jo when they lived in Geneva.
This encounter seemed to spark something in Jo, who urged the narrator to seek professional help for their struggles. And so, the narrator began therapy, attending sessions regularly for two years.
During this time, the narrator's life took a turn. They found a letter on their stepmother's bedside table, penned by her son, filled with accusations and half-memories. This revelation added another layer to the narrator's emotional journey.
After work one day, Jo met the narrator outside the care home. As they stood there, the narrator bought four large bottles of whisky, a habit they were struggling to shake off. Yet, that night, they found themselves at a church hall, listening to strangers tell stories, feeling as if they were being gently cracked open.
The details of this narrative are intriguing, yet the role of Jo, beyond being a friend and confidant, remains somewhat enigmatic. If this is a story from a particular book, film, or play, more context would be needed to fully understand Jo's character and her connection to the narrator's life. For now, we can only speculate about the deeper meaning behind their relationship.
The narrator started exploring new job opportunities, including roles in games development, science research, health-and-wellness, and mental-health sectors, but found a position in a home-and-garden store less appealing. Meanwhile, Jo, still checking in regularly, introduced the narrator to a lifestyle coach working at the care home. In an effort to support their personal-growth, Jo encouraged the narrator to engage in education-and-self-development opportunities and even enrolled them in a course on business management.
