66: COOKIES

David's P.O.V

The church was beautifully arranged, flowers were aligned according to their colours. The pews were stretched with ribbons. Red and white curtains were blowing east and west side with the wind.

"It's breathtaking," said Clara as she was holding onto her piano.

"Yes it is, it's like a bride and a bridegroom would be walking down anytime," bi replied to her as I held my violin trying it out.

We were given seats on the second floor of the church. This was the place where the church choir always sits at. We arranged ourselves and everyone took their position.

As the school choir, we settled on all black suits as a way to show respect to the dead. At least I can day everyone managed to suit up as expected. Our music instruments were polished clean, most of us cleaned their instruments but some managed to get new instruments. 

We didn't need any preparation since we had done a one-week preparation and Mr Nossy had approved of our tunes and vocals. The only thing remaining was to deliver what we were destined to deliver.

After thirty minutes of waiting, we were alerted of the arrival of the body. 

The casket which was gold in nature was brought into the church, the men in black matched in and placed the casket on the wide table that was at the front of the pews.

A priest walked by and threw some incest at it and later left.

It was not until after some another one hour when we were alerted that the ceremony is about to start.

I wondered it might have taken them a lot of time and effort to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones. Almost four hours, for the ceremony to start at eleven, am a ceremony that was supposed to start at nine-thirty in the morning.

I expected to see ladies in black gowns, mourning and crying their hearts out, but imagine the surprise that was seen on the other people's faces.

Daniella and the whole family were dressed in white, white! It's not normal for people to dress in white especially in this area, but in China, the Philippines, Korea and even India people embrace white when they lost their loved ones. 

They were the only people wearing white, at least they could have informed people, sent a memo to remind the other mourners that it will be a white party instead of stuffing our backs with black and getting stuffed up here while playing the piano.

They marched towards the front church pews. The laid a red carpet for them to walk on, as their red bottom heels softly hinge the floor.

" wow!" I imagined.

I was almost shouting it while playing my violin but then I had to focus on the rhythm that I was playing to place some people in the mood though I know some other people wanted the EDM religion they won't get it.

I couldn't see the expression on Daniella's face, I know she had lost his father, but I haven't seen her face for a while and I don't know she feels. As much as she is in a white dress, I don't know if she likes it or she was forced into it.

The priest began with a word of prayer, he was taking longer than necessary with the process. He could stay in a section for ten or fifteen minutes just repeating something over and over.

Am usually the type to pay attention to things being said, this was already boring.

I heard someone munching beside me, looking at the person next to me, Clara was busy munching some crisp from a paper.

"What?" I asked looking at how she was busy picking the crisps in the bag.

"That man of God is taking the whole day, it's already one and we are not even halfway," complained Clara looking at me.

She opened her bag and gave me some cookies from her bag.

"How much did you carry?" I asked her taking the cookie.

She opened the bag wider and "God!" A whole bag of junkies!

I picked some and decided to pass them across to our other friends who were seating frustrated with their instruments.

The guests were welcomed to give their views about Brown. I expected my dad to go up to the dais and give his views and a brief eulogy on Brown, but No! He was sitting at the back seat with his dark shades while holding my mum's hand.

"Wow! I love those couples down there," said Clara pointing at my parents.

They are always touchy and they rarely keep their hands to themselves.

Right now dad is roaming on her back, I wanted to tell her those are my parents but I just held back, they will found out sooner or later.

"That will be Damien and you one day," I chuckled while telling her.

"I hope so if he doesn't go a wink at another girl with his dimples," said Clara while munching on the crisp.

"Speaking of your boyfriend, where is he at?" I asked her. 

Damien wouldn't have come to this funeral. He said it was going to be dramatic and fill with things he didn't want to see for himself.

"He said he will pass this, but asked us to join him for dinner today," said Clara.

I nodded agreeing with her.

"More cookies please, this grandpa won't finish the ceremony," shouted Victor slowly from the back lucky for him, we were up and we had no speakers around us, so it was hard to be heard by the mourners below us.

"Shut it!" I shouted throwing him the empty bah of crisp that Clara had in her hands.

I loved how everyone was cheering and psyched up about performing. 

I had come clean and explained to them that we won't gate paid but I agreed to offer them food at Damien's uncle restaurant, courtesy of my dad for singing at his friend's burial.

After a lengthy talk, finally, Daniella graced the floor. He boyfriend escorted her to the dais and fixed the microphone for her.

"Thank you," she told him before focusing on the audience.

She cleared her throat before looking down, "my dad, my dad was a very humble man," she started.

Her voice was plain, it's was not as if she was not mourning the death of someone she loved.

She went on ranting of how good her father helped a lot, around the school, with his business and how he natured her and helped her grow.

"Why don't they say bad thing when someone does?" Asked Clara licking her lollipop.

"Die and see me pee on your grave," shouted Natalia joking.

"What have I ever done to you?" Asked Clara in a sad tone.

"You are asking why people don't talk bad about people," said Natalia while munching ona cookie that she grabbed from my hands.

"Okay, stop it, lets hear what the wife has to say," I told them as Mrs. Clank climbed to the dais.

She was escorted by three women who were by her side.

"Are they her body guards?" Asked Victor while moving towards the front seat.

"It looks saw," told Natalia while scrutinising her eyes to look at the women.

"How would her body guards also wear white? Her body guards are those men you see having ear piece and some motorcycle shades and have big build bodies," told clara while pointing at the men.

"I think it's just her friends, hanging around to make sure she doesn't fall from that said and break his leg or neck!" Mickey Victor, "Dude, some cookies am dying back there," added victor checking inside my violin bag.

"Back off dude, wait the ceremony is about to end, you will get some refreshments," I told him pushing him back from the front seat.

Mrs Clank was at least brave, I didn't see her shade a tear, sniff or get a handkerchief from the maids of honours that we're hanging around her like hawks waiting for the leftovers.

"Am I the only one or someone else is noticing how this funeral sounds like a scam?" Asked Natalia.

"What do you mean?" Asked Clara looking at her.

"Look around, the priest, he is so fat than usual, he is taking a lot of unnecessary long time to complete his steps, the dressing, the mourners are in white, some people are not even in the mood, look at those there looking at their phones and chatting in low tones, the bodyguards are situated all over the place for nothing," complained Natalia while looking at the crowd.

She was right, all that looked right in this funeral was nothing, everything looked staged, the first taking long to finish his steps, the bodyguards. 

"How did you come to that conclusion Natalia," I asked trying to appreciate her good sense of instinct.

"Look at the way you guys are munching junkies here like you don't care, plus can you feel the tense sad mood in this church? For me, No! There is not that melancholic, sad mood for a dead person." She finished while popping a lollipop back into her mouth.