De cost of living high; but de cost of dying higher

Aug 20, 2024 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – Dem boys seh it cheaper to live than to dead these days. Yuh think the cost of living high? Wait till yuh hear bout the cost of dying! Back in de day, when somebody dead, de community would gather at de home, sit around and sip black coffee, crunch a few dray biscuits, and share stories ’bout de departed. It was a simple, humble affair—people come together to remember de life that was lived, not to run up de grocery bill. It was what was known as “Wake”

But now? Oh, it’s a whole different ball game. When somebody dead, it’s like yuh planning a big party. Is no longer ‘Wake’. It is “Shake”. People showing up to de Wake expecting more than just dray biscuits and black tea. Nah, dem want box food, snacks, and drinks—plenty of it too. And yuh better believe some of dem want alcohol in de mix. So instead of mourning, de family left worrying ’bout how to feed all these people who show up like is a free-for-all.

Dem boys seh this Wake business getting out of hand. One night’s worth of food and drinks can run yuh pocket dry. Some people now can’t even afford to keep de wake every night until de funeral like before. Dem only keeping one night, and even that is breaking de bank. Imagine that! The wake, which suppose to be a time of reflection and comfort, done turn into a financial burden.

And just when yuh think yuh done with de expense after de wake, here come de repass after de funeral. Yes, dem asking, “Wha’ bout de repass?” Now yuh have to serve food and drinks again! Funeral done become like a two-for-one special—feed people twice and still have to pay for de burial.

So dem boys seh it cheaper to live than to dead these days. Who woulda thought? With all this expense just to lay somebody to rest, it might be better to just keep on living and save yuhself de trouble. One day we might start hearing people saying, “Nah, don’t bother to die, yuh can’t afford it!” Yuh got to plan fuh yuh funeral like yuh planning fuh a wedding—cost just as much!

Talk half. Leff half

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