Funeral for a friend.

Being at home is fun and entertaining.

Last night:

I'm driving on Route 18 with Vincent. We're talking about our younger cousins, and how we were much worse children than they are.

Me: Man, we were really bad kids.
Vincent: We weren't bad, we were just naughty. At least we didn't hurt anyone...Wait, actually, that's not exactly true.

And today:

I'm sitting at the computer desk, reading a book. Mama walks up and hands me a DVD.

Mama: Can you show me how to do this?

I put the DVD into the DVD player and press play.

Me: What is this?

Mama: It's a funeral.

Me: What?! Why do you want to watch a funeral?!

Mama: I just want to see the people.

Me: Why?!

Mama: I don't know.

Me: What? Do you want to see people cry? That's morbid.

Mama: These are our relatives.

Me: Oh...okay.

We watch for a few moments. There are people sitting around, talking. Mama points out a couple of the other mamas (her sisters) who visited her this past summer.

There's a guy with a mustasche cleaning and cutting a chicken for about two minutes. Then he puts the chicken onto this hot, flat surface. Steam rises as the chicken is getting cooked.

Me: What is this? This is just a guy cooking a chicken.

Mama: I don't know. Maybe it is on this one.

Mama pulls out another disk.

Me: What the hell? They made two disks.

Mama: I want to watch the funeral.

Me: Why?! Why would you do this to yourself? Why do you want to be sad?

Mama says something to my Mom and laughs. Unbelievable.

I put on the DVD and watch while people sit in a church with a coffin in the center. There are lots of singing and praying going on. Mama and my parents watch like it's the last episode of The Sopranos. They occassionally point, talking about some relatives I don't know.

Mama: Look, it's Setzer!

Dad: Which one, that one?

Mama: No, over there. He's wearing the striped shirt.

Mom: Oh, it's Setzer!

Mama: (to me) He is one of your uncles.

Dad: Oh! Look, that is one of your uncles.

Mama: Look there's Ivy?

Dad: Which one, that one?

They watch for another ten minutes. We have to go to the mall to get stuff, leaving Mama to watch the series finale of the guy who just died all by herself.

Mama taps me on the shoulder.

Mama: What do I do when this is finished?

Me: You cry.

Mom and I get up to leave. Dad is still standing next to the TV, watching people receive communion.

Me: Dad, come on.

Dad: Wait, I want to finish this. Look, there's Louell! And there's Shella!

Mama: Look, it's Setzer!

...I have nothing left to say.