A Solemn Day...

The father of my teaching partner in the junior high passed away yesterday. He had suffered from a number of health challenges in the recent years, as I understand it. All events were cancelled. I was at the school doing some late catch-up work (there is a ton after I was sick for most of two weeks), and a work out, and the place was absolutely silent and deserted. The same silence prevailed in the village last night. I stepped out at one point with my dog, and was struck by how quiet it was.

We are waiting to see when the funeral will be. The boys and girls are scheduled to play in the district tournament on Thursday, but there is a good chance that the funeral will take place then. The main complication will come with the boys' game, which is scheduled to take place at 8:45 in the morning. If the funeral takes place, it will be in the afternoon. The business of sport will then have to take a back seat to the realities of life. The girls do not play until the last game of the evening on Thursday. My understanding is that there are conversations under way about moving the boys to the penultimate game on the same day. We shall simply have to wait. I am sure that the boys are feeling especially nervous under the circumstances, but the priorities of the village must take priority.

We will likely be taking a cake over to the house where the funeral vigil is taking place later today. The local people will keep the body of the elder company until he is laid to rest. That vigil will last day and night until the funeral. I imagine that the church will be crowded, as this man had lots of relatives here.

There will be other news later, but for now the village of Napaskiak sleeps quietly, bereaved by the passing of an elder.