Chapter Twenty-seven

Summary

• The protagonist and her mother visit the funeral home in complete silence, dreading the process ahead.
• At the funeral directors, a woman named Ros, who likes pink and has a soothing yet slow manner, assists them in filling out forms for the funeral arrangements.
• When asked to share details about her deceased father to help the funeral home staff know him better, the protagonist struggles to remember specifics about his hobbies and interests.
• The protagonist resents having to discuss personal aspects of her father’s life and dislikes the prolonged interaction with Ros.
• The mother interjects, sharing that her father enjoyed making traditional pepper soup and had been a librarian who loved to read.
• This revelation is new to the protagonist and causes her to reflect on her father’s background and her own love for reading.
• Conversation shifts to funeral details like flowers and the protagonist becomes impatient with the minutiae.
• The mother requests that clippings of the father's nails be taken to scatter in Ghana as part of a tradition, which the protagonist wasn't previously aware of.
• Ros offers a keepsake of the father's fingerprint, which the protagonist gratefully accepts.
• Personal and financial details are required on forms to complete the process, which the protagonist finds intrusive and unnecessarily slow.
• After some time, Ros confirms that the earliest date for the funeral is ten days away, adding to the protagonist’s frustration.
• Final discussions about the clothing and items to put in the casket leave the protagonist on edge, feeling overwhelmed by the formalities and her mother’s superstitious concerns.
• The protagonist's mother decides to consult a friend about the funeral clothing and plans to return the next day without her daughter.
• The protagonist feels relieved to leave the funeral home and finds herself observing people on the train home, questioning her beliefs and those of others.