Friday, August 18, 2006

 

Gerda's news

My dearest Tomcat:

I love the way you tell all you do while I'm gone. Or am I just too gullible now that jetlag has finally set in? My mom's funeral service was today. It was held at House Verdi where she lived. I got up (after only two hours of sleep, having awakened in the middle of the night realizing the tribute I prepared was going to be the only one from our family instead of just one among several. I rewrote it between 4:30 am and 6:30 am, all the while accompanied by Boshoff who was staying up in front of the fire with 2-year old Barend who could not get to sleep again in the strange house. It was strangely cosy and comforting. By 9 am Boshoff and Tertia and I went to the flower market to buy more flowers -- Tertia and B had already bought masses of roses and tulips so they could open. The flowers are so fresh at the market, the blooms are tight little knots when you buy them. We bought a completely over-the-top amount of flowers -- the whole back of the combi was full. At Huis Verdi, Lana, Boshoff, Tertia,10 yr old cousin Michelle arranged about ten huge vases of flowers -- the two tallest arrangements were about 5 1/2 ft high. Boshoff also fetched some of my mom's paintings and leaned them up against the vases. On the table in front of the podium he arranged some nature items from my mom's room -- a piece of driftwood, porcupine quills, a candle, and tons of proteas. It was an amazing sight. The predikant was really lovely and spoke very briefly.
It won't let me write longer. More in another one. Love, G

 Carel's son Reuben played Amazing Grace on the recorder. He looked both vulnerable and dignified in a beautiful pair of dark pants, white shirt, and bow tie. He was the first to set everyone off crying.

 Peter, Wally and Elrine came! And when the predikant asked people to pay tribute to my mom, Wally spoke beautifully about her computer skills at age 70 plus. Oom pieter, my mom's brother, spoke movingly about his sister. I then gave my tribute,giving my mom's thoughts from a meditation on her life that she wrote, and people responded to it with great emotion.

Afterwards we had tea and snacks -- which in SA means a major meal -- and hung around with all the people who attended. An amazing number of people from the old age home came too, and many relatives and friends. ON the way back Tertia said, "One isn't supposed to think of it this way, I suppose, but I think everyone enjoyed Ma's funeral very much." I definitely think so too. I'm SO glad I could be part of it.
I'm so curious about N & C's house, the aftermath of Samie's disillusionment with our financial situation, what our friends are up to, and all the rest. I love you, my own small nuclear family, and all our wonderfully supportive friends.
It's hard to get to the computer since the house is full of people and the computer is in Mickey and Tertia's bedroom, where her kids sleep since they both gave up their rooms. But I think of you all the time, Peter, and really missed you today. I was the only sibling without a spouse, and I felt the hole at my side where you would be with deep loss. But I also felt you in my heart.

Love to all, keep blogging, it's wonderful!


# posted by Peter @ 2:17 PM
Comments:
Not a special occasion???!!! Peter, ask AJ if I've had such an occasion in years as getting my computor to actually work!! You are a generous genius. Thank thank thank you, Shen
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 4:57 PM
 
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