I was watching my youngest brother in law play with his rubberband collection. He lays them flat on the solar dryer, a huge concrete slab with concave furrows where we lay unhusked rice before loading into mechanical dryers. He slaps his hand atop a rubberband and it jumps a couple of centimeters up and over. He can do that for hours on end. Amidst the highlight of my day came a phone call from America...
One of my elder brothers had died of a heartattack minutes before. I am 1 of 11 kids and my father (unlike his own father) is not polygamous. All 11 are full siblings. Only 8 of us are left now.
The call came so quickly because we bury our dead before sundown. My brother, Eliyahu I (El-ee-yahoo) was 68 years old (I amm 44). He has a a Roman Numeral after his name because we have a custom...Most Jews in the US are Ashkenazi, meaning from Central and Eastern Europe. I am Mizrachi-Sephardi, meaning I have ancestors who lived in Spain (on both sides) but also have family who never left the Middle East. Ashkenszi Culture doesn't allow the naming of children after parents nor after any living family. Mizrachi-Sephardi have Generational Names like the Han Chinese. For example, in a generation each extended family must name 1 son a name that will be given to all 1st cousins. There are 9 Eliyahus in my brother's generation. I am Rachamim IV.
Getting the call I immediately called Butuan Airport to find the next Manila flight. I found it would be 10AM the next morning and so went about booking a seat, no easy task. The airline, Cebu Pacific, is one of the worst I have ever taken. To purchase a ticket you must use a credit card. I don't have credit cards. I only use Debit. Suprisingly Visa Debit isn't accepted, only Visa Credit is acceptable. After borrowing one of Rizza's aunt's credit cards I got my ticket. Another improbability is that credit cards are rarely applied for in the Philippines, at least in our neck of the woods. It doesn't matter because noone would accept them anyway, except Cebu Fucken' Pacific.
I went to the airport early in the morning, having our Chief Driver Mario take me.
Arriving in Makati, which is 1 of 17 cities composing Metro Manila and the city where both airports are located, I was met by Joysa who was missing me. We hopped in a taxi and I went to a travel agency I use when pressed for time and booked a flight for that night, 945PM.
Airlines offer Bereavment Fares but you can forget it if you are taking an international flight.
Joysa and I went out for an early supper and then I left her to go to the airport. It makes no sense to have her accompany me since only ticketed passengers can even enter the airport.
Landing at Kennedy I was met by a brother but of course my deceased brother was already in the ground. For direct relatives like spouses, parents, sibling or children we formally mourn for 7 days and on each anniversary of the death. We are still mourning, as they call it in English, "Sitting shiva." Adults rip their clothes, leave a large tub of water by the front door, barefoot, reading from the Book of Psalms.
Since I'm not adhering fully (I could not post if I were) I am staying with a friend in the South Bronx. I will probably spend another 10 days here before I go home.
One of my elder brothers had died of a heartattack minutes before. I am 1 of 11 kids and my father (unlike his own father) is not polygamous. All 11 are full siblings. Only 8 of us are left now.
The call came so quickly because we bury our dead before sundown. My brother, Eliyahu I (El-ee-yahoo) was 68 years old (I amm 44). He has a a Roman Numeral after his name because we have a custom...Most Jews in the US are Ashkenazi, meaning from Central and Eastern Europe. I am Mizrachi-Sephardi, meaning I have ancestors who lived in Spain (on both sides) but also have family who never left the Middle East. Ashkenszi Culture doesn't allow the naming of children after parents nor after any living family. Mizrachi-Sephardi have Generational Names like the Han Chinese. For example, in a generation each extended family must name 1 son a name that will be given to all 1st cousins. There are 9 Eliyahus in my brother's generation. I am Rachamim IV.
Getting the call I immediately called Butuan Airport to find the next Manila flight. I found it would be 10AM the next morning and so went about booking a seat, no easy task. The airline, Cebu Pacific, is one of the worst I have ever taken. To purchase a ticket you must use a credit card. I don't have credit cards. I only use Debit. Suprisingly Visa Debit isn't accepted, only Visa Credit is acceptable. After borrowing one of Rizza's aunt's credit cards I got my ticket. Another improbability is that credit cards are rarely applied for in the Philippines, at least in our neck of the woods. It doesn't matter because noone would accept them anyway, except Cebu Fucken' Pacific.
I went to the airport early in the morning, having our Chief Driver Mario take me.
Arriving in Makati, which is 1 of 17 cities composing Metro Manila and the city where both airports are located, I was met by Joysa who was missing me. We hopped in a taxi and I went to a travel agency I use when pressed for time and booked a flight for that night, 945PM.
Airlines offer Bereavment Fares but you can forget it if you are taking an international flight.
Joysa and I went out for an early supper and then I left her to go to the airport. It makes no sense to have her accompany me since only ticketed passengers can even enter the airport.
Landing at Kennedy I was met by a brother but of course my deceased brother was already in the ground. For direct relatives like spouses, parents, sibling or children we formally mourn for 7 days and on each anniversary of the death. We are still mourning, as they call it in English, "Sitting shiva." Adults rip their clothes, leave a large tub of water by the front door, barefoot, reading from the Book of Psalms.
Since I'm not adhering fully (I could not post if I were) I am staying with a friend in the South Bronx. I will probably spend another 10 days here before I go home.
