A silent buzz went off on Anna’s phone, reminding her of the
official start time. She stood up and walked to the front to deliver the eulogy
for her brother. Anna smoothed a few pages of notes she had set up at the
podium and swallowed nervously as she looked out at the room. Public speaking
was never her favourite thing and especially not in these circumstances. Her
gaze connected with Stephanie and Tamela’s and she exhaled, smiling a little as
she began “Thank you all for joining us. Today we celebrate the life of Lee
Chen Wright. He was my brother and my friend. Lee was a complicated person but
he had a good heart and he tried his best. Through the path of our lives, we
didn’t meet until we were both ten years old. At first we didn’t get along
because of the adjustment in our lives and our maturity at the age when it was
all happening but we quickly grew to rely on each other and really know what it
was to be a sibling. Lee taught me to fish. I taught him to cook and dragged
him into nerd culture.”
Some laughter broke out around the room. Anna smirked and
continued.
“We used to ride our
bikes all over town like we owned the roads when we were kids. Lee couldn’t
wait to drive a car. He had posters of them and could tell you everything about
how an engine worked. He got his licence faster than I did and borrowed our
dad’s old truck every chance he got. He became the delivery guy for Chen’s
because it meant more driving. He loved the highway and the freeways. When we
had days or weekends off he’d take me with him to explore all the parts of BC
we could get to and from in one day. He just wanted to cruise and listen to
music. He didn’t even care where we ended up. On one of those road trips when
we were in our late 20s he met Rosa. She lived in Abbotsford so it was a long
distance relationship but he didn’t mind the commute at all. Together they had
a daughter, Rosalee.”
Anna looks down at her niece who smiles up at her through
her tears.
“Rosalee was the light of Lee’s life. I remember when she
was a baby and he would barely let any of us hold her because he didn’t want to
share his baby with anyone. He had brought her to Cedar Point on his own for a
weekend because Rosa had to work. Unfortunately she got into a car accident on
her way to meet them here and didn’t make it. So with the help of Ushi, Jade,
and Michael…..Dad and I, Lee was left to raise Rosalee without her mother.”
Anna’s voice had gotten a little hoarse and she took a
moment of pause and then quietly cleared her throat.
Morgan shifted uncomfortably in his seat and even more so
when Ushi swung her head around and gave him a tear filled glare. The tension
in the room was a little thick. People seemed relieved when Anna continued on a
less emotionally charged front.
“For most of his life, Lee worked at Chen’s grocer. He
always had a knack for fixing things there, and cars and machines in general.
His general handyman attributes led him to apply for a job at the school as a
custodian. He loved working there, maintaining the building and the grounds. It
was the perfect job for him and he got to bump into Rosalee and know how her
school days were going. His coworkers tell me he could fix anything.
Lee loved Cedar Point. He loved the smell of the ocean, the
town and his family. We’ll remember him best by doing the same. We’re not going
to the graveside. There will be a private family time at the headstone another
day. You’re all welcome to join in some refreshments in the hall. Thank you.”
Anna left the podium and walked back to her seating place to
collect her purse and her cardigan sweater. Her mother stood up and gave her a
hug and then wordlessly smiled and walked toward the back of the hall. Some of
her other Beal relatives followed, hugging her or displaying other supportive
affection as they passed Anna such as a pat on the shoulder or a squeeze of the
hand. Quiet words were exchanged and a few tears were wiped away during. Anna
pulled on the cardigan and shouldered the purse and then turned to the aisle,
coming face to face with Ushi Chen. The two stood staring at each other in an
unsure moment and then to the shock of the townspeople in the room Ushi smiled
tearfully at Anna and grabbed her in a hug. Anna reeled a bit and then gently
hugged the older woman back, the mother of her brother. As they let go Ushi
simply said “Thank you.” She stepped back from Anna and walked through the hall
and right out the door to the parking lot. The crowd froze as she passed and
watched her before resuming their migration to the community room.
As Anna stood there still slightly stunned, but also very
moved, she was approached by Oshi Shikigami. She held out a large card in an
envelope and a single flower. It was a White Chrysanthemum (Shiragiku, 白菊). She tells Anna it is a customary bloom to
give at funerals, as is wearing white clothes. Inside the envelope is in her
own hand, a drawn sympathy card, and some long narrow strips of paper, with
Japanese calligraphy hand written on them in ink. The card explains that these
are 'sutras' blessed by a Buddhist priest, prayers for the deceased, and
family. At a later time, Oshi will visit the cemetery, and wherever they have
the marker, take and symbolically wash it with water, and place a bowl filled
with rice, and a set of chopsticks placed standing up in it. Say some prayers
and toss into the wind, blowing offshore, a few more sutras...
Anna thanked and hugged Oshi. She placed the chrysanthemum
on a small table in front of the lectern where there was a picture of Lee
standing in front of his car and then joined the exodus to the hall. For better
or worse, the main part of her task here was complete.
No comments:
Post a Comment