Tåddong gi i
kostumbren CHamoru i finatai i membron familia
Eståba gui' gi i sanlagu mannanangga trinansplåntan higadu. Eståba gui' gi
i listan mannangga ni' senanåkko'. Ti åpmam, ma ditetmina nu i mediku siha na
mampos atdet chetnot-ña ya dipendiente i ha'ani-ña nu i chilong na higadu.
Pues ma pega gui' gi yahulolo' gi i lista annai esta senannok na ha
sennisisita i trinansplånta. Gi meggai dihas maloffan åntes di u para u ma
upera, ma nå'i kantidå na tes ta'lo lao umannok na mampos atborotao i
kinalamten ni' ma ñega ni' uperasion ya despues humunaoguatu gui' para u såga
gi i gima' i lahi-ña. Tres na espitåt siha ñumega i trinansplåntan higadu ni'
dañuyan para i lina'lå'-ña achokha' ha aksepta i tataotao-ña i ñuebu na higadu.
Annai ha ri'alisa na ti u ma sedi i trinansplånta, mamaisen para u ma
na'gupu tåtte gi iya Guåhan put para u måtai yan deknedå. Ma chomma' ta'lo.
Ilek-ñiha i mediku siha na ti u langak i tataotao-ña i anåkko' fleti yan i
takhilo' i hinanao gi i hilo' aire. Måtai en fin gi noskuåntos simåna siha yan
i pinadesen chetnot-ña annai unu put unu gi i patten sanhalomña manmamåra
mangalamten. Alos uttemo, måtto tåtte Guåhan lao i tataotao-ña gaige gi i halom
kåhon tåtkumu kåtgon batkon aire.
Unu ha' este na aktebedåt sigun ginen i finatton tataotao-ña ni' para u ma
kubri. Lameggai na cho'cho' mistet di u ma pikura ni' gai minappot unu put unu
gi enteru manera.
Fine'nana, ma nisisita ma nutisia i familia, mamarentes, manatungo',
mangga'chong, emplehao siha, i ti man hihot na taotao siha, yan listan
mangomaire yan mangompaire siha. Tinattiyi este nu i upblegao na lisåyon
Katoliku.
Guaha didide' debåti kontra lisåyon Guma'Yu'os osino i gima'. Yanggen para
i gima, makkat cho'cho' u ma cho'gue taiguihi hinatsan palapåla, siya siha,
kåndet sanhiyong, nina'gasgas hiyong guma', u guaha fantinani'an yan fina'se'pe
para i manmåtto. Siempre gof makkat i gasto-ña. Pues, i Gima' Yu'os ma ayek.
Maolek na este na hinanao ma kalamtini. Ma cho'gue dos na lisåyu gi un
Guma'Yu'os lao sigun ginen prublema siha, humunaoguatu para otro. Guma'Yu'os,
San Jude Thaddeus gi iya Sinahånña na oggan este.
Ma espihåyi i techa ni' para u tucha i lisåyu gi ñuebi puengi na litaniha
yan misterio siha. Gigigo lokkue' i hinasso kao para fino' Engles osino fino'
CHamoru i ma tuchå-ña. Kulan kontråriu este på'go na tiempo sa' lameggai na
Guma'Yu'os mumåmanda i nina'setben fino' Engles enlugåt di i fino' håya. Maolek
ha' na ha sedi i Gima'Yu'os San Jude ni' månu gi i dos. Dos na låhi na techa
chumocho'gue i rinisåda ya ma dibidi i ñuebi puengi entre ya-siha ya unu
chumocho'gue gi i fino' Engles yan i otro gi i fino' CHamoru.
Anunsion finatai i tatatte na cho'cho' ni' empottånte. Guaha dos na klåsi
gi i pappet di'åriu. Fine'nana i hiniråt ni' anunsio ha'. I mina'dos i ma
pupbleka tåtkumu fotmåt na anunsio annai gaige emfotmasion siha taiguihi nå'an
ni' mås ma tungo' put i familia, ayu siha i esta manmåtai na membron familia
taiguihi i che'lu-hu ni' mo'nå-na måtai desde 2004. Pues, i manlåla'la' ha' na
membron familia siha taiguihi famagu'on, ñeta yan ñetu siha, yan espesiåt na
minensiona put otro siha.
Hu hungok ginen hihot yan manmenchago' na membron familia ni' håyi dipotsi
u gaige na nå'an siha, taimanu u fanma lista, put mås manma tungo' na nå'an yan
taifinakpo' na emfotmasion. Ti hu ri'alisa na bula taotao manggai kostumbre put
taimanu u annok na'an-ñiha yanggen put listan finatai.
Pues, guaha disision para u ma fa'tinas put nga'ian na u to'to' i tataotao
gi i Gima'Yu'os. Debidi u kumple este na upblegasion i hinago' ñuebi puengi na
lisåyu åntes di u ma setbe gi i misa yan despues gi hinaffot.
Pumalu na cho'cho' ni' debi u ma kumple pumoddong gi i nina'chochon
linahyan, inayek klåsen flores para i atahut yan i inadotna, håyi para u fanmangåtga
atahut, yan i otden tumohge gi i fihon i atahut gi durånten tumo'toña. Manma
ma'disision i famagu'on put u ma na'fañaonao manåmko' siha ni' mañelon
tatan-ñiha. Gof empottånte i modan magågu ni' para u ma usa gi i setbision
Guma'Yu'os yan para u ma tattiyi i areklo' put tradisiunåt CHamoru.
Sa' put i måtai esta i che'lu-hu palao'an ya ti para u linutu taigue este
na kostumbre esta. Lao guaha deskutasion put modan magågu yan kulot lokkue' ni'
para u ma konsedera.
Sumaonao lokkue' i areklon i gima' entieru sa' put i inayek klåsen atahut,
i amot para i tataotao ni' måtai, i transpottasion i atahut, yan i bisitan
familia ha' åntes di i entieru-ña gi i Gima'Yu'os. Sa' put i ma na'fåtto i
tataotao-ña ginen sanlagu, ma areklåyi ta'lo yan i gima' entieron sanlagu yan i
ufisinan båtkon aire para i transpottasion i matai asta mågi Guåhan tåtkumu
kåtgo.
Despues ma nutisia i ufisinan mahot put i sinetben i ha'åni na entieru.
Tres na mahot manma kuentuse. Fine'nana, i mahot i sengsong annai para u to'to
i matai, despues i mahot i sengsong annai sumåsaga i familian i matai, yan i
ittemo na mahot ginen i lugåt annai para u ma håffot i tataotao. Tres na lugåt
sahnge para todu i kinalamten. Ma deskuti asunto siha put palapåla, siya yan
lamasa siha, yan i inesgaihon i pulisiha desde i Gima'Yu'os asta guatu gi i
sepputura.
Bubula ha' ta'lo, taiguihi i katdon tinayuyot put i matai, i lepblon i
misa, litråtu siha ni' para u fanma fatta put guiya yan i familiå-ña, yan put
mås håyi para u sinangan i i'ulayi åntes ha' di ma huchom i atahut.
Hunggan, todu este siha manggof empottånte. Achokha' gof mudetno i
kinalamten siha, todu påtte este gi i kotturan CHamoru. Mayot este na
upblegasion put para u siguru na u dinanche i taifinakpo' na deskånson i matai
gi i langet ya debidi u fanma osge i tinattiyen areklo siha.
Måtto chi-ña di gof makkat yan gof mappot este na responsåpbelidåt. Hu
rifeferi este na finatai i kiñadu-hu as Joseph Victor Leon Guerrero Perez put
mås ma tungo' as Joseph Bake' osino Joseph Mariko'. Ya u såga gi minahgong-ña
Asaina.
English translation:
The funeral of a
family member is steeped in CHamoru tradition
He was in the mainland for a while awaiting a liver transplant. He was on a
waiting list that was a mile long. Soon, the doctors determined that his
condition was critical and his survival was dependent on a matching liver.
Then they moved him to the top and it was soon evident that he was to be
given that sought after transplant. Days before his planned surgery, another
round of tests revealed complications that altered that possibility and he was
soon confined to the home of his son. Three hospitals denied him the liver
transplant, citing conditions that would somehow prove fatal regardless of his
body's acceptance of a new organ.
When he realized that the transplant wasn't going to happen, he requested
to be flown home to die with dignity. He was also denied. Doctors claimed he
wouldn't survive the high altitude and the long flight back to Guam. He died
within a span of a couple of weeks after suffering a terrible painful ordeal of
one organ shutting down after another. His body finally came home but in a box.
The arrival of his body was one of many events that had to be accommodated.
It has been a whirlwind of events from one profound task to another.
First, there was the immediate need to notify family, relatives, friends,
acquaintances, employees, not-so-near relatives and a whole list of komaires
and kompaires. This was followed by the obligatory Catholic rosary.
A debate ensued between a choice of a church or an at-home rosary. If it
was the house, there was the urgency of acquiring canopies, chairs, outdoor
lighting, extensive yard cleaning, accessibility to restrooms, and
refreshments. These would be costly. Then, the church was the other option.
Fortunately, this was the route that was followed but not without going from
one church to another.
A couple of rosaries took place at one church but due to unforeseen
circumstances, two other churches were visited for this necessary task. It was
the third church that was chosen, St. Jude Thaddeus in Sinajana.
Immediately, too, was securing an available techa who will recite the nine
nights of litanies and mysteries. Alongside this matter was the choice of
whether to have it done in the English or the CHamoru language. This has become
quite a challenge nowadays as many churches now demand the use of the English
language rather than the vernacular. Fortunately, St. Jude Church gave this
option that allowed for both languages. Two male techas have the honor of the
recitation and have divided the nine nights between themselves.
Obituaries in the paper were the next step. There were two kinds. The first
was just the generic kind that was a mere announcement. The second one was the
soon-to-be ad that will run complete with pertinent information:
also-known-as-name, list of family who preceded him in death, including my
sister, who died in 2004. Then, the survivors such as siblings, children and
grandchildren and the special mention of others.
I heard from near and far relatives as far as who to include, how to be
listed based on full names, initials, middle names, and so forth. I didn't
realize that people had preferences as to how to be included in an obituary.
Then, there was the decision on when the body was to lay in state at
church. This had to take into account the customary adherence of making sure
that nine nights of rosaries were completed before the actual church services
and burial.
Meanwhile, caterers, flowers, pallbearers and the proper order of family
members to stand next to the coffin had to be spelled out. The children of the
deceased had to make accommodations for the inclusion of elders who were
surviving siblings of their father. Even attire was crucial as what was worn
had to be in keeping with church and CHamoru traditions.
Since my sister had preceded her husband in death, she was not around to be
attired in the black dress of widowhood. There would also be a toss up of color
and style and discussions would take place about the favorite color of the man
who was being honored in death.
The funeral home had to also be a part of the funeral arrangements because
there was the matter of coffin selection of style, embalmment, hearse transport
and the personal family viewing that would take place before the actual
funeral. Since the body had to be flown in from the mainland, arrangements also
had to be coordinated with a sister funeral home in the city where the deceased
had died. Airlines had to also be contacted and arranged for transport of the
body as a cargo.
Then contact with the mayor's office had to be accomplished. There were
three of them, in fact. The village mayor where the funeral was to be held, the
mayor where the deceased resided and the mayor where the body was to be laid to
rest. Canopies, chairs and traffic control by the police were the things
discussed all in proper order.
Then, there are things as prayer cards, mass booklets, photo collages for
display, depicting the deceased and his family and, the most daunting of all,
who would have the honor of rendering the eulogy right before the closing of
the casket.
Yes, these things are all important. As modern as the arrangements may
appear to be, these are all a part of the CHamoru culture. Leading to the
eventual eternal rest of the deceased is considered a major obligation that
everyone has to adhere to.
It is a stressful undertaking that I had to be responsible for. I am
referring to the untimely death of my brother-in-law, Joseph Victor Leon
Guerrero Perez, also known as Joseph Bake' or Joseph Mariko'. May he rest in
peace!
