![\"Danny's](\"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/chuck-shannon-talbot\/files\/2012\/02\/Dannys-wife-Annalyn.jpg\")
<\/a>Analyn, or Kiwara as she was known in the village was going to turn 40 years old this year.\u00a0 She hadn\u2019t been really healthy since we first met her, and we suspected she was having trouble with her lungs.\u00a0 Despite her breathing problems and lack of energy she never hesitated to do her part as one of the community, going out to the fields during planting and harvesting time and playing an active role wherever she could.\u00a0 When she wasn\u2019t out she could be found at home running her little sari-sari (convenience store).<\/p>\nThen it happened.\u00a0 Kiwara\u2019s health took a turn for the worse so her husband, Danny (one of my language helpers) took her out to town for a check up.\u00a0 Kiwara was hospitalized for a week but her health quickly deteriorated, and then they were told there was nothing more the doctors could do for her.\u00a0 All they could do is come back to the village and wait for the inevitable to happen.\u00a0 As some men left here that morning to go and carry her back in, the word in the village was that she had a 50\/50 chance of survival.<\/p>\n
That afternoon my language helper, Gaton and I were watching Perfecto and Victor, two older men as they were making some \u2018dongadong\u2019 and \u2018barambang\u2019 (musical instruments) out of bamboo for me to take back to Canada.\u00a0 Suddenly one of the young ladies who works in the house came out, shook up and crying, and told us that she had received a text saying that Kiwara had died on the trail while being carried home.\u00a0 She then ran to tell the others in the village about it.\u00a0 Soon after, our neighbour ran home and brought out his rifle, which he shot into the air several times to inform the surrounding villages of the death.<\/p>\n
When the men arrived in the village with the body, the village people quickly got to work preparing for the days ahead.\u00a0 They opened up the side of the house so visitors could see the body and erected a large tarp to provide shelter for all who be arriving.\u00a0 Firewood was gathered, a pig killed, and many other preparations made.\u00a0 Over the next 5 days, siblings and relatives came from many parts of the surrounding provinces to visit and pay their respects. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For us, all we could do was observe and ask simple questions such as, \u201cWhat is that?\u201d and \u201cWhat are they doing?\u201d\u00a0 The body was laid on a bed and covered with a blanket, except the head, so that any who came by could view it.\u00a0 Danny, Kiwara\u2019s husband sat beside the body with a shawl over him and didn\u2019t move away from it until it was buried.\u00a0 Many came by and wailed and cried over the body.\u00a0 Several groups of men gathered around to play cards, and drink liquor and gamble.\u00a0 We were told that until the body was buried, people needed to stay awake through the night, and this was how they passed the time.\u00a0 (A portion of the winnings went towards the expenses of the funeral.)\u00a0 A small generator was borrowed and lights were set up to provide lighting through the night.<\/p>\n Over the next few days, a casket was made and then the body was put into it.\u00a0 The lid was fitted with a piece of glass so visitors could still view the face as they came to pay their respects.\u00a0 The men rotated turns as they stayed awake each night, playing cards, drinking and watching over the body.\u00a0 A burial plot was discussed, and due to the rain we were having everyday, it was decided to bury her near by the house. By the fifth day, there was a break in the rain, so the hole was dug, and the final proceedings took place.\u00a0 Kiwara\u2019s\u00a0 family are members of the local Espirista group so a spiritual leader from a major town near by was called in to perform the service.\u00a0 The family gathered around the casket while they took turns talking about life with Kiwara, and people sang.\u00a0 Each member of the family then placed red flower petal on the glass part of the casket lid. Once the hole was ready with a rough wood lining to protect the casket, several men carried it out and placed it over the hole where it was lowered down into.\u00a0 As the casket was being carried people either clapped their hands or banged sticks together, and one of the men fired several shots in the air with his rifle.\u00a0 We noticed that as soon as the casket was lowered into the hole all the family immediately left the site and went back to the house.\u00a0 Several planks were set over the wood box and then suddenly people started throwing dirt into the hole, even before the men could climb out.\u00a0 They were able to climb out ok and the hole was quickly filled in by everyone standing there.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n