B E B E R E

On rit par peur d'en finir à pleurer, I

I sent Karen my request for bereavement time off. She looked it over, paused for a minute and asked, "which is your grand father's parish?"

"Saint John's, but mom changing the arrangements to have the mass at Saint Al's. Why?"

"Which funeral home?"

"At this point, I'm not sure." I told her, though, that I really didn't care where they had the mass so long as they had the wake at Amigone.

"If you'd have said something, I could've gotten you a deal, you know." *

"Oh, that's right. You'd have made the arrangements yourself, right? Personal service?"

"Of course."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Right into the Scajaquada."

***

*Her family business is mortuary (dead serious). Also - her grandmother's another not-so-famous first: she was the first practicing female undertaker in New York State.