variation of the truth

I went to the funeral. My friend was not listed on the obituary, as they were both not fully out to their parents/families. My friend was, I guess, allowed to be there as part of the family, but it's like he was just tacked on with zero explanation. I felt... angry and frustrated and sad, while sitting there waiting for my turn to pay respects.

My friend gripped my hand really really tightly, when I passed by him. I looked back at his late husband's photo at the front, and I really wanted to cry.

We took a small trip back to his husband's childhood home. The parents were there, as they were not allowed to attend the funeral, likely due to some sort of taboo related to traditions. I'm not familiar with the old conventions.

I also didn't really know how to feel, when I saw the parents. His mom was chatty, and started to talk about her son. She had two friends keeping her company, and they spoke Taiwanese, so the conversation kept slipping into Taiwanese. I'm not the best at Taiwanese, but I knew enough to understand her pain. All the while, the dad sat nearby on a stool, smoking and chewing on betel nut. He didn't talk much.