Chapter Six
How should he feel? What should he feel? He had been so preoccupied with the organisation of things, settling his work so that he could take time off, making sure that the protocols were set up that he hadn’t time to think about his feelings. This was the last opportunity he would have to say goodbye to his mother, and here he was, a minute to go before the live connection, and he was treating it just like any other live video link. It was too late to think about it. He would just have to work it out as he went along.
‘Engage with Parlour’ Jay said, and the connection was established. Suddenly, Jay was overwhelmed. 240 people online? How come? Were they all there for his mother’s funeral? Surely it was a mistake? Or was there more than one funeral service online at the same time? Keep cool. Stay calm. Orientation. Jay found his way through the lobby to the private room where his mother’s body was, ignoring for a moment the signals flashing up on the bottom right of the screen telling him that others were trying to contact him. Was it rude? He didn’t know what was expected of him. As he tried to work out what action he should do, he saw Aimee’s call come trhough. Her icon had been configured green (as she was known to the system as a friend) and so she was easy to spot among the yellows (people who worked for the funeral parlour) and the reds (unknowns).
‘Hello Jay. I just wanted to pass on my condolences. I won’t take up much of your time, as I’m sure you’ll have your hands full with all these people here. I didn’t know your mother was such a popular woman.’
‘Me neither, Aimee. Listen, I know this is a lot to ask, but could you help me out here? Would you? I don’t know if I’ll be able to cope with so many people, and I’m knew to all this. I just don’t know what to do...’ The tone in Jay’s voice displayed exasperation, panic even. Aimee saw that his face was palid and his pupils dilated.
‘Hey, sure. Of course I would. I’d do anything to help you out Jay. Listen, the first thing you should do is set your vid screen on broadcast and send out a short message to everyone, thanking them for coming.’
‘Right. Of course. You’re so right. I need to do that straightaway.’
‘That’ll take the heat off. Everyone just wants to pay their respects, and they’ll wait their time to do so. Next, send a second message out there asking for the immediate family to come forward, and then give them access to the private room. They can then enter and record their tribute messages. I can’t believe the people at the parlour didn’t brief you on this...’
‘It’s my fault. I kept putting them off, and then told them I’d contact them this morning, but I got too wrapped up in something.. Hey, I really appreciate this, Aimee.’
‘That’s OK. Now, go ahead and start. Meanwhile, I’ll start scanning the guests to see who you should talk to and who can wait. Open up a private virtu-room on your screen and send me the code and I’ll queue them up for you. Oh, and keep me on screen while I do it so I can keep giving you help if ou need it.’
‘Don’t worry, I hadn’t dreamed of shutting your screen down. I need you to hold my hand here.’
Jay had started to calm down now, and things started to flow. The parlour representative flashed online to ask Jay if he needed any help, but Jay felt better with Aimee’s advice and so turned him down. Aimee had been right, and once the private room had been opened, and his announcements made, then people seemed to settle down. There were around ten to twelve who joined the queue for a live linkup with Jay, and the rest decided to leave recorded video condolence messages, knowing that Jay would not have time to speak to everyone that morning.
Of the people that wanted to speak to him live, Jay realised that he knew three of them. They were cousins of his, and although Jay recognised them, it had been so long that neither Jay nor they had much to say to each other. They swapped small talk, and then said their goodbyes. There were others who Jay did not recognsie, but they obviously thought highly of his mother. When the last of them had gone, Jay realised that it would be unlikely that he’d ever be in touch with any of them again.
Just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. Jay had thought about starting work again, but the experience had drawn a lot of energy. He decided to cancel the work he had planned for the rest of the day. He would take the time off and make up for it tomorow.
‘Are you OK?’ Aimee asked him. Now it was just the two of them online.
‘I think so. Just about. But I’m wrecked. My back aches and my neck is killing me.’
‘Well, how about getting together this afternoon? I have the afternoon off. I ‘m a grade six masseuse now, so I can help you with that back and neck of yours.’
‘I...I...err..don’t know if I can do that, Aimee.’
It had been five years since Jay had seen outside his building, and it was inconceivable for him to think of leaving now. He had hardly even left his own apartment since then. Everything he needed was delivered. He lived his life online. Despite his fear, the idea of that massage appealed like nothing else had in those five years.
‘Or if you prefer, I can come over to you.’
985 words
4919 words written in total
45,081 words left to write
21 days left to write
= 2147 words per day left to write if I want to meet my target.
‘Engage with Parlour’ Jay said, and the connection was established. Suddenly, Jay was overwhelmed. 240 people online? How come? Were they all there for his mother’s funeral? Surely it was a mistake? Or was there more than one funeral service online at the same time? Keep cool. Stay calm. Orientation. Jay found his way through the lobby to the private room where his mother’s body was, ignoring for a moment the signals flashing up on the bottom right of the screen telling him that others were trying to contact him. Was it rude? He didn’t know what was expected of him. As he tried to work out what action he should do, he saw Aimee’s call come trhough. Her icon had been configured green (as she was known to the system as a friend) and so she was easy to spot among the yellows (people who worked for the funeral parlour) and the reds (unknowns).
‘Hello Jay. I just wanted to pass on my condolences. I won’t take up much of your time, as I’m sure you’ll have your hands full with all these people here. I didn’t know your mother was such a popular woman.’
‘Me neither, Aimee. Listen, I know this is a lot to ask, but could you help me out here? Would you? I don’t know if I’ll be able to cope with so many people, and I’m knew to all this. I just don’t know what to do...’ The tone in Jay’s voice displayed exasperation, panic even. Aimee saw that his face was palid and his pupils dilated.
‘Hey, sure. Of course I would. I’d do anything to help you out Jay. Listen, the first thing you should do is set your vid screen on broadcast and send out a short message to everyone, thanking them for coming.’
‘Right. Of course. You’re so right. I need to do that straightaway.’
‘That’ll take the heat off. Everyone just wants to pay their respects, and they’ll wait their time to do so. Next, send a second message out there asking for the immediate family to come forward, and then give them access to the private room. They can then enter and record their tribute messages. I can’t believe the people at the parlour didn’t brief you on this...’
‘It’s my fault. I kept putting them off, and then told them I’d contact them this morning, but I got too wrapped up in something.. Hey, I really appreciate this, Aimee.’
‘That’s OK. Now, go ahead and start. Meanwhile, I’ll start scanning the guests to see who you should talk to and who can wait. Open up a private virtu-room on your screen and send me the code and I’ll queue them up for you. Oh, and keep me on screen while I do it so I can keep giving you help if ou need it.’
‘Don’t worry, I hadn’t dreamed of shutting your screen down. I need you to hold my hand here.’
Jay had started to calm down now, and things started to flow. The parlour representative flashed online to ask Jay if he needed any help, but Jay felt better with Aimee’s advice and so turned him down. Aimee had been right, and once the private room had been opened, and his announcements made, then people seemed to settle down. There were around ten to twelve who joined the queue for a live linkup with Jay, and the rest decided to leave recorded video condolence messages, knowing that Jay would not have time to speak to everyone that morning.
Of the people that wanted to speak to him live, Jay realised that he knew three of them. They were cousins of his, and although Jay recognised them, it had been so long that neither Jay nor they had much to say to each other. They swapped small talk, and then said their goodbyes. There were others who Jay did not recognsie, but they obviously thought highly of his mother. When the last of them had gone, Jay realised that it would be unlikely that he’d ever be in touch with any of them again.
Just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. Jay had thought about starting work again, but the experience had drawn a lot of energy. He decided to cancel the work he had planned for the rest of the day. He would take the time off and make up for it tomorow.
‘Are you OK?’ Aimee asked him. Now it was just the two of them online.
‘I think so. Just about. But I’m wrecked. My back aches and my neck is killing me.’
‘Well, how about getting together this afternoon? I have the afternoon off. I ‘m a grade six masseuse now, so I can help you with that back and neck of yours.’
‘I...I...err..don’t know if I can do that, Aimee.’
It had been five years since Jay had seen outside his building, and it was inconceivable for him to think of leaving now. He had hardly even left his own apartment since then. Everything he needed was delivered. He lived his life online. Despite his fear, the idea of that massage appealed like nothing else had in those five years.
‘Or if you prefer, I can come over to you.’
985 words
4919 words written in total
45,081 words left to write
21 days left to write
= 2147 words per day left to write if I want to meet my target.
posted by blog-efl at 8.11.04
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