Death, the ultimate reality..... the only truth....
The most heroic could be the death in combat;
the most ordinary is to die in old age;
the most depressing is to die of a disease;
the most unfortunate is to perish in an accident and
and the most fortunate is to die on one's own terms.
It was just another death, made a bit more painful by the fact that the deceased had been fighting the losing battle for over an year, since the industrial accident that broke his ribs and damaged the lungs. We had left the office late and arrived at the hospital well past the usual the dinner time. On arrival, we were led to the special funeral hall in the hospital. There was a shop selling funeral accessories on the way down to the cellar floor.
We entered the 'funeral room'. The cries of the grieving relatives, male and female, grew louder on seeing us. All of them were in black robes; women wearing the traditional clothes, while the men had western suits. A large portrait of the deceased was placed centrally on the multi tier in the middle of an array of chrysanthemums, candles and incense sticks. One can either choose some chrysanthemums and put them in front of the portrait of the deceased or light one of the incense sticks.....My colleague lit some sticks and then bowed in front of the photograph of the deceased person for two and a half times. He then proceeded for another traditional bow with the grieving relatives for one and a half times....I had watched the whole ceremony closely, and made an attempt at replicating the whole procedure. And I was successful at bending my knees!
The Boss was already there accompanied by his entourage. He was speaking loudly, on the Japanese Tsunami, its effects on the global economy, and on the Korean industry, serving soju to the attentive listeners in between, to keep then interested in the conversation.
It was strange!! To come to a funeral home and discuss aloud, cracking jokes and laughing. I was told that it was the Korean way, to relieve the pain of the relatives and bring them back to worldly affairs and enable them to move on.
But the cries were only growing louder, audible above the din; the pain of parting forever, refusing to die down.
And then suddenly, it all stopped!
The women who were grieving aloud were running here and there....washing cleaning up something, cleaning up themselves....
.......An elderly gentleman was being helped away to the wash room......
It took a sombre elder who wouldn't remain sober to restore normalcy among the grief struck.
And the life rolls on....
till the turn arrives....
