Yesterday, Tuesday, was exactly one week when Gladys died.
We have not yet gathered the courage to tell our mother, Adzorwode Attipoe. We, her children, have the onerous burden of breaking the news to her, but we are afraid to do so because we know exactly how she is going to react. So our Mom is still in the dark about the fact that her beloved daughter, Gladys, has died.
Indeed, our Mom was actually living with Gladys at Juapong when this whole thing happened. I remember Gladys, a few months ago, making her own mega plans towards our Mom's 90th birthday which falls next year, 2010, and we were all having a crack at her since both of them were very close. The two of them were literally joined at the hip, so you can imagine how difficult it is going to be to break this news to our Mom. All she knows right now is that Gladys is still at the hospital because she knew that's where she went a week ago. Seriously, very soon, we have to be honest with our Mom!
I also had the courage to break the news to my boss at work yesterday. It will become necessary to travel and, therefore, your employers have to be informed long in advance. When I told him it would be somewhere in the month of October but an exact date had not been set yet, he wondered why the funeral would take that long. To put a little smile on my own face in these very sad times, I wrote back to my boss: "In Africa, funerals are a whole Hollywood production and we take our time to bury our dead". I am sure he broke down laughing at his desk! Yes, it is true. In America, we bury the dead at lightning speed because we have to quickly go back to work. In Africa, it is the direct opposite and the culture is resistant to changing it!
Slowly and slowly, we are putting our heads together to map out funeral plans and I am sure the details will emerge very soon on these very pages. Good morning and good mourning!
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It is my long weekend off from work and that is when Mama and I always talk. Every other Thursday or Friday and sometimes both days.
ReplyDeleteIt hit me again especially this evening that you're not here and that I couldn't call you. That's when we talk of our "BIG" plans. Visiting you with Mark, and how you are supposed to be praying for us to bring you that grand baby you've been asking for.
With you Mama, I didn't have to ask. Your love and prayers for us was a guarantee. I thought I knew the value of that well enough but your passing has brought a whole new meaning to that for me.
Our goal was to make you feel happy, at peace and appreciated but little did we know that God had better plans for you.
The greedy girl in me says he took you away from us too soon. I would rather you're here to venture another of your projects. Be it ice cream or yogurt factory. Yup, I don't like it when you bother with all that instead of just relaxing and enjoying yourself. But see, those are the things you enjoyed. We know how hard you worked for years and we just wanted you to relax.
I'm signing off for now but as we always said to each other at the end of the phone conversations "I love you" and now may I add that I miss you dearly Mama..........