Funeral, a family reunion 2

" The dead already died, Let us comfort the living"

After a feast of last night, the family of three wakes up feeling pleased. I concluded that food is the best comforter. After we finished our morning routine hygiene. We went for our free breakfast buffet that is situated in the lobby. So we take the elevator and look for the restaurant. We ask one of the hotel staff and he guided us. We say our thanks after we arrived at the restaurant entrance. The host greeted us and ask our room key card. My dad gives it to her and she swipes it and she said please take sit at an empty table you want. We took the nearest table to a buffet of food. Then a waiter asks us if we want coffee, tea or chocolate. I order hot a chocolate and my parents request a coffee. Then I look at the breakfast spread. It has a mix of Asian and western food. Variety of cereals, bread, and an egg station. In the heh station you can ask the chef to cook your egg according to your choice. I ask for an egg omelet with garlic, onion, mushroom, and bacon in it. The chef told me the waiter will bring my egg to our table. I said thank you and went to the bread area and take 2 pieces of croissants.

My mom prefers her breakfast in plain boiled rice with fried tapa, tocino, and longganisa. My dad had toasted bread with butter and jam.

After breakfast, we go back to the room and brush our teeth. Then we carried our gifts and took a taxi to the funeral home. It takes just five minutes ride. We inquire in the reception which viewing area is my aunt located and they told us on the second floor near the elevator to your right. We follow the instructions and we saw the six by three feet tarpaulin with my aunt's picture and name on the left side of the door and the right side is the guest book. We write our names and went inside.

A talk good looking male in his late twenties greeted us with moist eyes. He looks at my mom and said Aunt Marilyn you look exactly like my mom. This person looks like uncle Georgio. I remember my aunt Marly and uncle Georgio has two daughters and two sons but I can remember which one is this. Then my mom said Gian! and hug his nephew and my mom cries again. Then I comforted them by saying let us not feel the sorrow of death for aunt Marly does not want us to feel like this. Then my dad wipes my mom's tears and squeezes her hand in comfort. Then Gian told us to take a sit. We take the nearest divan near to us. That is the left side of the hall. I noted that the room is divided by a passageway in the middle that goes directly to where my aunt's white coffin is. They place six rows of the sofa on both the left and right sides of the area. The coffin is placed on an elevated stage of about three feet. I can see an elaborate arrangement of white flowers and fern place on the floor. At both the side of the coffin, there are two sets of white flowers with ferns arrangements place on a wooden stand. I have a strange feeling when I saw the coffin that is hard to identify. I can't name this feeling but I don't feel much at ease at the moment.

I heard Gian told us, Papa is in the first row on the left. So we walk to uncle Georgio's location and my mom when she saw him let out, Georgio how are you doing? Uncle Georgio replied I am good Marilyn. Then my dad embraced my uncle and said our family gives our heartfelt condolences to your family Georgio and we bought some gifts to give comfort to the living. As a Baptist, we have this belief that the dead had passed away and the living needs to be solace. For we can't pray for the dead or comfort the dead anymore but we can pray for the well-being and give the console to the living family of the dead. I similarly say my condolences to my uncle and he finally notices me and smiles at me. Then he steered us to go near the coffin to view the last remnants of my aunt. I feel something stir in my stomach when I look at the dead body of my aunt. This is the first time that I saw a dead body in a coffin and I feel discomfort in my stomach and I hurriedly sit in the chair away from the coffin. Then I divert my attention and look around the hall. I saw some familiar faces of my aunt, uncle and cousins, and their family. I also notice some people that I don't know.

* tapa is a dried or cured beef, venison, mutton, horse meat, or even fish. The meat is sliced thinly cured with salt and spices

*tocino is sweetened cured pork belly like bacon

*longganisa is fresh or smoked sausages made with varying ratios of lean meat and fat with garlic, black pepper, salt, muscovado sugar, or brown sugar.