The Wake
THE WAKE
Mayowa Ojo
6/10/20264 min read
THE WAKE
The setting was nothing extraordinary. Rows of chairs arranged beneath two canopies with the details of the rental company plastered boldly on them as though they were sponsors of the funeral! This singular detail irritated Paloma more than she imagined it would.
Paloma sat in front with her children. All three of them were decked out in the same black clothing as their mum with matching long faces mirroring their combined losses. Her sunshades hid eyes that were supposed to be red and wet but were everything except that. What have you done? – the question played like it was on repeat in her head and it drove her up the wall.
She watched the entire scene play out before her in disbelief that Dennis really was dead; that he was the reason people were gathered. She despised death for denying her one last chance to say something to Dennis. Oh! She had a lot to say and she was sure he would not like it.
“My dad was a good man, a kind father and a loving husband. I’m going to miss him, his wise counsel and his humour…” Ferdinand was saying.
Paloma stared hard at her first son as he spoke so eloquently and colourfully about his dad. She knew that he was not as broken by the news as he was letting on. She alone knew how much the young man hated his father but that was just one of several family secrets.
Just as soon as he started, Ferdinand was done. Even the audience was shocked at the brevity of his speech but they cheered him as he went back to his seat. The anchor of the event then announced the order with which eulogizers would step forward, starting with neighbours.
“Where is your sting? Oh Death!” Patrick, the next door neighbour screamed theatrically when it was his turn to say something about Dennis - the deceased.
Paloma who, up until that moment, was enraptured in her own thoughts, snapped back to the present to behold the spectacle that was Patrick. She looked in horror as Patrick eulogized her late husband, flailing his limbs dramatically as he narrated story after story to emphasize their bond. She wanted to get up and whack him across the face for being so lousy. Instead she watched and consoled herself with the fact that he was embarrassing himself. She could almost imagine the look on his wife’s face somewhere behind her - an imagination that brought her a lot of comfort.
One by one they went up and said nice things. She did admit that her husband was a nice person in his lifetime… to everyone except her.
What have you done?
“I first met Mr. Dennis after my parents died and we had no one to take us in,” Joe started. “He looked at me and asked me if the death of my parents was the reason for my tears and when I said yes he laughed. He told me that for as long as I had life I had hope. I’d never heard such words before. He got me my first job as a factory worker and rented a one-bedroom apartment for me and my younger ones to stay for an entire year. He taught me lessons on diligence at my work and savings. It’s been a little over a decade now and today not only have I graduated, I have a good job and have been able to pay for my younger ones to go to school.” At this point, just as the audience clapped, joe burst into tears. “We’ll miss you, uncle Dennis. Thank you.”
Joe walked back to his seat trying to be a man about his tears but failing woefully at it. He was one of the first people who reached out to Paloma after the news broke and he also sent a hefty sum to her as well. Still, Paloma watched him through her shades as he walked back to his seat, wondering how much of his tears were real. Somewhere within her she was done trusting people… especially ones whose generosity only came through at times like this.
For several minutes more neighbours, friends and business colleagues walked up and said something charming about Dennis. A few were generous enough to say something nice about Paloma too and how she was the reason Dennis was so amazing because she created an enabling environment.
“Is there anyone else who would like to say something about our dear Husband, father, brother and friend Dennis?” the elderly man anchoring the wake keep announced.
Paloma wanted so badly to wring the old man’s neck. She wondered why he would even ask such a question. There was a list in his hands from which he called out the categories of people and asked one representative from each to step forward. The list was exhausted yet he was asking for anyone else to step forward.
Paloma turned ever so slightly to look into the audience, daring anyone to step forward.
“Anyone?” the old man asked.
Paloma turned to face forward, satisfied that no one was interested.
“In that case we will now proceed with…” the old man started to say.
“I will like to say a few words.”
The voice came from behind and caused everyone to turn. Everyone except Paloma, who knew the voice all too well. She froze unsure if it was from shock, fear or a combination of both.
Oh God, Vera is here!