3 bad years my mother had to go to the field with Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Dubois to pick up the leftover wheat straws. And the next morning we would have straw stew, a distasteful brown mess. Because whether we have food or not completely depended on god’s will, most people try to befriend families with the elderly or the weak, hoping to get a share of meat when the funeral is held.
We try to be civilized during funerals, not revealing our carnal excite-
ment as we watch the remains flow down the river. And even as we eat, we try to act out of obligation, to honor the dead and not celebrate. There are always
Collage By Shuci Zhang
