Wake Keeping

That is what they call the night before the funeral. Our neighbors daughter died, and Ben went down to see the family and be encouragement to them. Pa Mbako, the father, has made a profession of faith and occasionally attends our church. He was showing Ben the grave that had been prepared for his daughter:
They don't normally tile the insides of graves, but his daughter was an important person within the African Union. Ben said the grave was enormous. Once the coffin is placed in the tiled chamber, they will cover the top with wood planks, and then they will pour a cement slab over the top of it forming a sarcophagus. We will most likely be listening to music all night, as the wake keepings are a time of music, drinking and eating. It seems the later they get, and the more they drink, the louder they and the music become. Almost as if they are attempting to drown their grief.