[oulv]

One of my parents passed away a while ago, who was cremated. The urn was put inside a very sturdy cardboard box. When my remaining parent and I went to the airport to visit their friends and family, the box was to be put through a machine.

The operator took one look at the box, drowsily mumbled out, "Well, I've never had to handle this... situation before. But looks like that will fit through." Without consulting a single other staff member, they haphazardly shoved the human remains, what was left of my beloved parent, into the small opening of the contraption.

An awful grinding noise erupted from the machine.

We waited.

What happened next was a blur, but I can remember waiting, waiting, waiting until the 50+ others in line behind us were muttering and shifting around, shooting impatient looks in our direction. The noise and the wait made it look as if we were the ones who had been caught doing something malicious.

Another security guard prodded the machine, then emerged with a


pile


of


cardboard.


That's the best way I can describe it. The box's sides were torn and drooping, its dusty innards unfurling with every step.

Nothing was spilling out, at least in the split second that I saw the mangled mess. I instantly turned around, shaking and hyperventilating in the middle of the airport in front of nearly a hundred people.

The horror that gripped my heart and lungs and swirled in my vision is something that'll stick with me for a while. My parent's final years were a living hell for everyone, and I'd thought that I would no longer have to witness disturbing moments related to them anymore.

I would later regret standing there blubbering like a toddler instead of doing anything, even asking, to help my parent deal with the remains--I'm nearly an adult now, for goodness's sake. Doing nothing would've been understandable if I was, like, fourteen or something.
But something tells me that nobody minded in that moment, and that I was forgiven. I hope that's true.

It turned out that the actual urn hadn't been damaged, so no ashes had spilled in the airport. It was horrifying nonetheless that the machine could shred even such sturdy cardboard.

There was no apology from the staff.
I'm still disgusted by the incompetence of staff like the very first one. Their negligence was DISGUSTING.

My parent and I managed to somewhat tape together the box, which held up until we arrived at our destination. At least I'm grateful for that.