African Funeral

The student van was brought to the Village from the Children's Home in Karen. It was to be used for the two funerals. On Friday, yesterday, I was asked to accompany the family to the mortuary, retrieve Muki's body and take part, as much as I could, in the cultural burial rites. The van left to go the ancestral home where the grandmother was taken the day after the death. The van got stuck in the mud in the field, attempting to retrieve family members. Eventually the van was pulled from the mud using an old truck and "man" power. And so I rode with four family members, first to pick up the coffin in Kitui. We arrived, paid for it and loaded it into the back of the old van. Some seats were removed. The paint on the coffin was wet. We then proceeded, it was about 10:30 a.m. to the mortuary to get Muki. We had a shirt and a pair of trousers wrapped in an old newspaper. The gates to the government-run mortuary were locked. We waited. TIA. Finally we drove to the adjoining hospital to find someone to let us in. On our return and after more waiting, a "thug-like" kid unlocked the gate and let us drive through. The building was old, in need of paint and had almost a drive in window with a small price chart in the window for Mortuary Services. So many Kenyan shillings for embalming, so many shillings for each night there. One could look through the doors from the parking area and see Muki. The attendant was wearing a beer t-shirt and smoking a cigarette. We carried the wooded coffin inside and set it on the floor beside Muki. We took out the clothes which had been brought for dressing. Once completed, we carried Muki to the van and began a long ride to the home of his grandmother but not without some lengthy stops to pick up various items like a copy of the program, etc. We arrived at the home and were greeted by neighbors and grandmothers. About 60 students were gathered for singing etc. during the mass and they were also many of his classmates. The body was taken into a little one-room structure for the family to spend time. Woman came around to wash our hands and we were served ugali, chicken gizzards, rice. One doesn't refuse food at funerals. Once the lengthy mass was completed outside, the coffin was taken about 30 yards and buried next to his mother.