Chapter 34

• I had succeeded in making all the arrangements in the morning. I had spent hours in the office, reading through papers, selecting everything—the coffin, the flowers, and the readings at the funeral. It was both mentally and emotionally taxing, yet I was not going to give up. I did not want it done by other people. This was the funeral of my mother. She was worth the best. After I had everything settled, I wrote out the whole list of instructions and sent it by email to the funeral director.
• He answered me, to my relief, quite quickly. His email was brief yet formal. He told me that he had got it all and that he would look after it. That was enough for me. I did not want to be too detailed. I simply wanted it done, and fortunately, he was not going to keep me waiting.
• I was aware that I would now move fast. People were not treating me as they used to because I had been named Luna. The urgency and deference in the way of dealing with me was a new thing. And although I did not allow the title to get to my head, I knew the burden it had. It implied that what could have taken weeks could now be accomplished in days—if not hours. Nevertheless, regardless of my influence, I knew that all this funeral stuff required time. Forms, licenses, and plans—all that was accompanied by delays. At least the process had begun.