CONVERSATIONS IN MY HEAD - DIARY THIRTEEN

These days, it’s quite difficult concentrating on one thought. Too many of them chase themselves around, in and out of the conscious and subconscious. I caught on one and sprang it on Ara.

“What do you think of death?” I asked.
“Huh?” he raised his eyebrows slightly and paused the chewing on the twig in his hand. 
“What do you think of death?” I repeated the question. He dropped the twig completely and squared his gaze on me.
“It happens to all. The termination of life as we know it”. He broke the twig in two and looked at me again. I was staring hard at two lizards as they wove their way through the dried brush. I’m not particularly a fan of lizards, infact, I’m not at all, but for some reason, their pattern caught my attention.


“Okay. What of burials?”
“Where is this going?”
“Which should be celebrated more? Life? Death? Consider the amount spent on naming ceremonies, birthdays and the pomp of burials. Come to think of it, can’t we have an alternative to burials?”

“What do you have in mind?”
“Cremation?” Ara fell off the log he was perched on, laughing hard. “Where did you drop from?” He kept on laughing. “Seriously? Like actually burning the body of the dead?”
“Yeah. What’s strange about that? Whether burnt or covered under the earth, the body is of no use to anyone, anyway”.
“Yes, true. But in this culture and sphere, with the beliefs and superstitions, no one will set fire to the body of their departed beloved”.
“You can’t be so sure about that. Some will. Look at cemeteries all over the place, to me, they’re a constant reminder of the pain. A good number of them are not even well maintained. How does that depict honour done to the memory of the departed? You could as easily have had the body burnt and the ashes scattered or, if you so wish, some of it preserved, though I see no reason to. It saves us land space and the sorry sight some of those final resting places are in”.

“Nice argument”. Ara was clapping and laughing at the same time. “Let me ask you this, would you allow your body to be burnt?”
“No”. He went into a fit of laughter, rolling in the brush with the lizards. I wondered at his mirth. I have never considered myself a comedian. “It’s so easy for you to ask others to want to be set on fire, but you won’t do same yourself”.
“That’s because I have another preference”.
“What could that be? Partial cooking?” He was tickling himself, obviously.

“When my time here’s done, I’ll rather parts of my body that can give life to other living souls be taken out and used for them . . .”
“Are you for real?!” Ara cut me. “You really are a strange one”.
“Why will I want a heart that could save another or kidneys that are useful or a brain, whatever is needed, be allowed to rot away? Love for the next person is not just in words, it’s in action. And true love gives”.
Ara was dazed. His mouth was hanging open. I didn’t see a reason for that. Close by, I heard a body of rushing water, the scent drew me. I picked up the trail of the scent and followed it, in search of the source.