"Saying your goodbye to the dead is kinda lame. If you ask me why? It's because the person is already dead, doh! Can she or he even hear it?"
Perhaps, most people will not agree with me in this absurd notion but this is me the teenager voicing her opinion with a nonchalant attitude. So bite me if you can.
We have a small procession from the funeral homes to the graveyard. Where I can hear cries from my mom of course and some women in the family. I start to think that this is a crying woman that was paid by my uncle to cry. Yeh, it's like some Asian tradition where the family members hired a professional to cry for their dead. Lucky for uncle Georgio he doesn't need to shed his wallet to pay these ladies in the family for they weep freely.
When the strong men in the family slowly hoist down my aunt is in her resting place. Relatives and friends bid their goodbye by words and action. Some throw earth in the coffin, some throw flowers, handkerchiefs, money, valuables, and other stuff. Me I did not throw anything. I believe that throwing things in the coffin is just a waste of resources that can be used by the living.
I also observed that primarily women cry. Maybe we females species are more adept in expressing more of our feelings and emotion by crying. It's an enormous relief when we cry. It helps to lighten the heavy feeling of pressure in our chest.
I promise myself not to join them in weeping but I feel so sad looking at them, especially when I saw my mom sobbing. Yeh, I also cry and I feel pathetic joining the bandwagon. My shabby excuse is, I am just a pitiful young girl.
After burial drama at the cemetery. We went to the get-together reception dinner at my aunt and uncle's home. The venue is a large garden and was decorated with white flowers. The tables and chairs were arranged on both sides of the big garden and in the middle of it is the buffet table. A very efficient arrangement in my opinion.
The spread is abundant with varied choices of soup, meat, fowls, seafood, vegetables, fruits, salads, and desserts. I saw in a separate corner is the beverages station where you can order your drink. A perfect sight for a family of three foodies. Then uncle Georgio went to a little podium that was situated after the buffer table and the rest of the table and chairs by three meters and speak in the mike and announce to everyone to feel free to sit and enjoy the feast. Then the pianist sits down in the piano that was placed beside the microphone stand and plays a soft pleasing to the ear melody.
Looking at the faces of familiar and unfamiliar people who talk, laugh, and seem happy to be reacquainted with family members that they did not see for long. I can truly say that funeral is also a family reunion!
"I am a foodie and I feel no shame in admitting it."
Who doesn't like eating food? Some people eat to live but this person called me live to eat and speaking of food the more I have choices the better it is.
That is why I love the buffet especially the one that has lots and lots of variety to choose from. I like tasting new food. I will take a little of everything and enjoy tasting them. Then I will concentrate on eating the food that tastes so good that tickle my senses. When you observed my parents behave with their food, they also do the same thing. As you can see this food attitude is mostly influenced by my parents.
The atmosphere is no longer dramatic and dreadful. The clan seems to enjoy eating, updating each other after not seeing for long. You can see them introducing the new members of the family. Showing pictures or exchanging phone numbers, emails, and social media accounts.
I eat a lot that my stomach fills to the extent that I feel gluttonous, so I stop eating. I look at my parents and they seem done eating as well. I waited for them to tell me to get ready to go back to our hotel but after half an hour they are still staying. I was wondering why my parents still linger when they are done with their chow. I saw many guests already left especially the friends of the family.
I can't contain myself anymore so I finally ask my parents why we are not going back to our hotel. My mom answers me that families don't go home after eating, for we're here for the extended dinner. Oh right extended dinner! What do you mean extended dinner I silly ask? My mom told me Mardin can't you understand those two words. It's literal! Then I just give my mom a naughty smile and my dad laugh.
After some time my uncle Georgio announce that alcohol will be served for those who want to drink, then he pauses. When I heard this, I said yes! Then uncle Georgio added except for minors, got ya! then he laughs when he heard the disappointment of minors in the crowd.
Adults love to make our hopes up then squeeze us with the reality that we're still young. Since the minors can't drink alcohol we decided to do what we're good at, playing video games.
The drinking and eating decisions last until midnight. The families wipe out the buffet table. Most of them are already drunk except for the designated drivers and they have no plan to end it until the sober ones finally decided to end the extended dinner while people still behave reasonably.
I feel weird about my family's behavior but what can I do? I was born with it so better make the best out of their strange practices.