Good Grief

Today, a bad news was spread among my entire family. My Uncle Punya has passed away. He is the eldest son of our family line but due to some differences with my Grandfather, the throne was passed to my father instead. When you can't make the old man happy, he make your life miserable. Asshole right? Oh well, whatever. That is how it works in a patriarchal system: the man rules.

Anyway, good for me, bad for the women. But come to think of it, women plays an important role in the system too. They provide and ensure the family is well run while the man work to feed the family. Oh, what am i talking about here? My father don't work for the family. He is the laziest bastard and just wait for money to fall from the sky. He must have pray real hard during his previous life to be born in a royal family, and now he had the throne - which he don't deserve at all. I'm digressing.

Today is a day for grieving but, ironically, my relatives aren't really sad. It seems like his death has been a good death. Haha. My grand uncle Cigga told me of how my uncle Punya was when he was alive, what he did for my grandfather, his own family and as a person himself.

As a person, he don't create any trouble for people. He works in a dilligent and abiding manner. No problem in work, not all the time, but, definitely, occasionally, and who doesn't? He don't gamble, consume alcohol and indulge in libertines.

As a son, he would help out my grandfather with the adminstrative of the empire; negotiate with states regarding matters of territories, of sovereignty, of tributes to us; basically, whatever shit work my grandfather unable to finish or simply throw at him. And these are not his main job. He was managing several farms and fishing villages. A busy busy man, indeed.

As a father, he always try to find time to spend quality time with them, understand them, guide them, advice them. He rarely used the cane or force. He believes in reasoning as it is much better than imposing values onto them. They are life itself and have their own mind and will. Besides the daughters, of course, the rest of the time are spent with his wife, in bed, in meals, in problems; they go thru thick and thin. Nice right?

Ok. I know he sounds like a perfect man. But he really is. Maybe not totally perfect but close. He did his duties well. It sounds easy but it is not. Do you think they are so many selfless people in this world? Fact tells us that they are very few. I know by writing or talking aren't substantial enough, but the manner and circumstances he left this mortal world explains it all. He died in his sleep. His children are all married, and he is a grandfather himself! Plus he gave them no troubles at all! What more can his children ask for? He left the world peacefully. I, Utama, can assure that because i saw a smile on his face in the coffin.

Uncle Punya, altough we seldom see each other, i know you are a great man, because grand uncle Cigga said so and i believe everything he said. Living is definitely no easy feat and you lived your life well. I respect you for what you are and did. I hope i can be like you too.

P/S: I feel like a small boy, again.