A Light Goes Out

July 20, 2010

Late this morning, Todd and I were startled to hear a New Orleans’ type band parading through the streets. We went to investigate, but they had already disappeared.  However, we ran into a friend who told us that Lolita (of “Lolita’s” cabanita) died Monday night, apparently of a sudden aneurism.  She was 41 years old.

After first walking to the cemetery (where we thought he had directed us) we returned to the Olon church, in time to hear most of the service.  The church was full, and spilled out onto the patio, and more and more people continued to gather outside.  It’s no exaggeration to say the whole town came, most dressed in at least one black garment.

As her casket was led out after the service, I had a chance to clasp her husband Pablo’s hand, who embraced me in a very tearful, emotional hug.  The procession proceeded to the beach in front of their cabanita, where her casket was opened, and close family and friends gathered around to pay their last respects.  All of this was serenaded by the “Banda Musical”  Gutierrez Brothers of Manglarato playing Simon and Garfunkel tunes (pretty much in unison) for the next hour or so.*   Because so many people were there, we weren’t able to get close, nor were we sure it was appropriate at that point.  It was very moving, including wailing over the casket, and family members being wrenched away as the coffin was closed again. 

From there, the pallbearers carried the coffin through town, across the highway, and up and down a few streets on the east side of town with the whole town following (Todd and I did get a chuckle out of the pallbearer who was smoking a cigarette during this phase).  Eventually, the procession ended at a covered pavilion outside of a home east of the Ruta, where the coffin was once again opened, for more to pay their respects.  Her torso was shielded by a sheet of Plexiglas, atop of which was a glass of (holy?) water with (rose?) leaf stems, which people were using to make the sign of the cross

The coffin was then closed up again, and the march started towards the cemetery, with her coffin in the lead.  The whole town followed (and all stores in town were closed today, out of honor to Lolita), blocking the entire highway in both directions.  Even the buses stopped until we passed.  The bicycle juice & ice cream vendors were also in attendance from location to location to serve refreshments at each stop.

on the plastic.  We had the opportunity then to pay our respects, and I wept when I saw her.  Pablo was completely distraught, as was her mother, who was convulsed with grief, as well – of course – were the kids.

At the cemetery, most gathered around her new sepulcher, but many families also drifted to their own family plots, lit candles, and watched from there.  A number of people also lined up on the road above to view.

 It’s been a very sad and moving day, which started around 11 AM, and has only ended now, around 5 PM.  All of Olon is subdued this evening.

We woke up this morning with the power out, and it was out all day…..somehow, that seemed appropriate to us.

May God rest her soul.

* Something I have learned since, the tune that was played is usually associated with Simon and Garfunkle by most North Americans.  "El Condor Pasa" ("The Condor Goes/Flies by") is a song by the Peruvian composer Daniel Alomia Robles, written in 1913 and based on traditional Andean folk tunes. According to Wikipedia, it is possibly the best-known Peruvian song worldwide due to a cover version by Simon and Garfunkel in 1970 on their "Bridge over Troubled Water" album.