My Friday The 13th

Flowers & Wreath outside the crematoriam

Lucy's plaque

The proof that I don't hate cat anymore...

I have been busy at work and the funeral preparation...well, bukanlah jadik funeral director or something relatively similar, but more to prepare my other clients,emotionally to say their final farewell to their friend.It is not an easy job, because masing-masing ni, bila tengok ramai orang (I tell you, funeral kat sini, macam party, except for the sombre faces) the reality of the passing tu tak lah masuk lagi dalam kepala, yang teruknya bila the aftermath, when they start asking, where is so and so? Masa ni lah (during the bereavement period) kerjaku akan membukit.

I never been to a funeral,not that I am a fan of one, anyway but going to a non-muslim funeral is something new.Sometimes ago, when I was in Malaysia, one of my Serani friend passed away and I wanted to go. Being very young, I have to ask father's permission to go. I still remember how he discouraged me gently,saying that it was a good gesture of me to think of going but however he was wary about what the other camp'ites (as in, as were living in Garrisson Camp that time, orang-orang duduk dalam camp ye, bukan camp rainbow-rainbow tu) might say, seeing a muslim girl like me, going to events like that. After that, the only funerals that I go to is of my closest families. Since I live here, I have been invited to 3 but only going to one, but how I come to that, is thinking (or so we thought) that is only a visit to remaining loved ones. This lady friend of MB kematian laki, and as the late husband is so fond of MB and the wife being MB closest friend, we went to her house to comfort this friend of MB. Tahu-tahu, ada coffin pulak dalam rumah tu...and dalam coffin tu ada :-

a) A fully dressed body, a man in nice suit and neck tie, lifeless.
b) His hair is set nicely with a face touched ups.
c) Cards, flowers and some little gift from the loved ones.

Dengan rasa hati yang nak pecah, we walked into MB's friend living room and say our goodbye to Martin (aduhh..tersedak orang ittew...panjanglah umur dia) We mingle around a bit and sedekah duit (bangang betul masa ni, tak tahu nak buat apa). We told Mary, the wife, that our culture is to sedekah duit kat keluarga orang mati, and not knowing what are theirs, we decided that giving her money was acceptable.On our way back home (jalan kaki masa tu, MB masa ni mana ada kereta lagi) we were both agreed that we just witnessed a dracula type of human presentation (I'm so sorry if I offend anyone) Ye lah..muka putih, baju cantik...baring dalam coffin...tak macam Count D ke?

Dengan ketakutan yang amat sangat, we both jumped into shower and dengan rasa tak malu, mandilah bersama-sama, dek takutnya terbawak hantu balik. I will always remember my mother cakap, lepas balik dari tengok orang mati, jangan lupa mandi basuh rambut, and that is what we did. Whatever we were wearing that day, habis dibasuh sekali. Masa tu pulak winter, habislah my jacket winter basah lencun.

Yesterday morning, while I tengah gosok baju and skirt (cehh..pakai skirt) in my flat hallway, I smelt something unusually wangi.Because there is only 3 of us in the house, I recognised who using what...MB2 ada perfume dia sendiri, and MB as usual, beli tak mau but will pakai my things sesuka hati makbapak dia. I know the smell is not familiar and it smells something like a body spray or not, hair spray. I pun tanyalah MB1, dia pun ada bau jugak. Last-last, I baru ingat yang that would have been the hair spray that is used to worn by Lucy, the deceased. Well, honestly, I believe in this thing were the departed soul can come and visit you. So, I believed that si deceased ni, semalam pagi ada tresspassed rumah I. I decided not to mandi because after the funeral, I akan mandilah puas-puas. Lagipun, I ada dating dengan someone yang ada asam-asam untuk I that evening, so, malaslah nak mandi 2,3 kali dalam sehari. After getting dressed, I jalanlah sekejap pergi local florist nak beli bunga and on the way back to our flat, I passed this funeral director's shop and terserempaklah pulak dengan pakcik-pakcik yang tengah menolak keranda masuk dalam tempat diorang tu. Haiyooo....

Sampai aje rumah, I told both MB's what I saw and said how I really have to mandi after funeral as I have seen dead people twice today. MB2 dengan pandainya cakaplah, after you had shower, do a bit of praying and you'll be fine. Pecah lobang I penakut naaa...

Lucy's funeral service was held in a church in Richmond. I sat there in the bench not knowing what to expect as the priests was doing their bits that includes minum wine and berasap-asap. Ingat melayu aje ke pakai kemenyan? Hah..I saw some people kneeling and repeat after priest. After that, the pallbearers stands up and shouldered the coffin out. Selalunya, pallbearer ni terdiri dari the deceased punya family lah, either father, brother or uncles. As the coffin passes by me, I look up and whisper goodbye and adjourned to another service at the crematoriam. Masa kat crematoriam ni lah, all families and friends will say nicest things about the deceased and said their goodbye's while the deceased favourite musics is played. Masa nilah rasa nak nangis. It was sad. Masa orang tengah berfeeling-feeling syahdu tu, keluar lah pulak lagu 'Brown Girl In The Ring'....??????

What I like was the united (god knows if it just a front) of the parents. They both divorced but after the service, they walked together hand in hand leaving the service to the floral tributes area. The new set of spouse takde pun nak jealous jealous...I would imagine if orang melayu, Exes selalunya nak contact the previouses pun main sorok-sorok...takut kena cakar dengan yang brand new...hish...sempat lagi nak mengata ni...MB2 told me that it would have been a catholic service kalau ada makan roti minum wine bagai tu...plus the asap-asap.Ohh..taktau pulak lah I.Kan ke banyak mazhab kat sini..dengan Church Of England nya, baptist nya, Lutheran nya...Jehovah Witnesses nya...

But, it has been a nice service. We said our goodbyes and catched up with some old friends. My day gets better dengan penerimaan asam yang berplastik-plastik that make my day ittew, yummeh !!!!! Thanks Makcik Kiah.I lap yu.I have now provided you with a proof that aku tak lagi termasuk dalam set-set yang suka torture kucing.Pueh hati???