New Streams of Life (7)
New Streams of Life (7)
I went to attend my friend’s grandfather’s funeral today. It was sunny weather
but strangely mixed with blast, somehow managing to give you a sombre feeling.
Because the grandfather had never been nice to my friend’s father, his second son, nobody felt sad about the ceremony. So did it seem to lots of other people
who turned up. Everyone wanted to get over with it quickly.
During the funeral wake later on, I was introduced to lots of relatives from my
friend’s father’s side. Lot of people had asked about me, and upon hearing I had never attended a funeral before, said that this must be a new experience. But
I don’t know if they could understand that in this world there are some experiences that I would never wish to have, and the funeral is definitely one of them
. It made you depressed, sombre, and low in spirits.
Anyway, after the wake I went down to the Ploughboy club with my friend, his parents, his grandmother from his mother’s side, and his aunt’s husband for a cup
of coffee. It was afternoon when we arrived. The blast stopped and the clouds in the sky had changed from gray to blue. Everybody seemed relieved. It was cosy
inside the club. There were only a few young chaps chatting over beer at the counter. We sat at a table by the window. The afternoon sunrays beamed through the
window. Somewhat I felt fortunate. At least my beloved ones are still around me.
I love this Cornish place. The tranquillity befalling on this lovely small town
often made me felt time had stopped. Just for me. You can read at your ease, think at your will, and live in perfect harmony with one another. Even death seems
peaceful here. I like the ease melt in the air, showing you a depth of life experience. But I guess not every body is able to understand what I think. Not at least my friend’s father. When he saw me read in my room, behind me he always asked my friend if I am all right. In his opinion reading all day is boredom. But he has only been to China once; he didn't understand when I said I hardly missed
China.
That I kept an eye on BBC news about China was not because I adored the country,
but only because I had my family and friends there. It was them that I am willing to put up with the updates about China. Maybe it is a dreamland for other people, but not from my friend or me. We had gone through loads of hassles to get to the stage we are now. When the UK embassy wasn’t willing to issue my visa any
sooner after our lease with the landlord expired, we had to shuffle all our stuff into a tiny hotel room, though our mission in China had long before achieved.
My friend was stuck in China because of me. And I was stuck in China because
the embassy wouldn’t let me go. It was so horrible that I just couldn’t talk about it even after I actually landed in England.
The moment when my friend opened my passport and saw my settlement visa tears crept into his eyes. Then I knew how important I was to him and how difficult waiting for my visa was for him. I wept in his arms, and I said to myself that I would never part from him again. Sitting in this club and chatting away with his family somewhat reminded me of those past moments. You know, if you two were still
in China, we would have gone to China for another visit, my friend’s mother said jokingly. My friend didn’t say anything. There is no need to mope about the
past now. And life is not about holidays and visits. We have far more things to
do and achieve them than waiting in China for a holiday visit.
In the funeral ceremony from the speech I came to know more about my friend’s grandfather. He had actually quite a glorious life as a start. He went into the army, and then moved around UK a bit. Even after he finally settled down in Cornwall, he had engaged in lots of activities. But somewhat later in his life suddenly he stopped. In the past ten years there was nothing to say about him. Listening to his life is like listening to a story of life experience with a good start
but a hasty and mediocre end. I guess it is all about personal choice. One’s life, like business, is a living thing and has to go up or down. So, in order to
keep it from stagnancy, you have to keep alert and strive as you move along.
February 8th, 2007
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