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Carpenter
prepares to be his own undertaker The man, Gargie Punchihewage Wimalasena (66) had also got his coffin ready. However, family members irked by the move had recently burnt the coffin, but he plans to get another one ready again. Wimalasena says his aim is not to worry his family members by placing on them the burden of making arrangements for his funeral. He has lived in Agaraoya for the past 30 years with his wife U.M. Bisomenika. He had been employed in the Buildings Department but does not draw a pension. He is a member of the rural development committee of the area. He says he does not work any more as he is not strong enough. He has stipulated the clothes he should be attired with at his demise and which relatives should or should not be informed of his death. The already printed obituary notice is in the normal format with name of wife and children, date of birth and with a blank space left to insert the date of his death and the day of the funeral. “Unlike most people I do not fear death and I thought it is best to prepare everything beforehand , without making the living bother about it. So I first went to the Lumbini press at Nawalapitiya 15 years ago and inquired as to whether I could get my obituary notice printed. The printer seemed surprised but I told him that it was to save trouble for my wife and others after my death that I want it that way,” he said. He said he paid Rs. 350 for 250 notices of his death. Later he had walked into a tailor shop and asked for his burial clothes to be tailored. The tailor too seemed surprised, but accepted the order. Later his tailored clothes had got soiled due to a leaking roof. He had then got another suit tailored. As the former tailor had died he had ordered the clothes from another only to be asked why he needed the clothes in advance. The man said he plans to get another coffin ready and calmly awaits his own funeral. |
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