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tourists following. At the hospital it was confirmed officially that the man was dead. The coach driver expressed his condolences to the widow and then told me that we would have to continue with the city tour. Before leaving I told the widow that if she wished to stay in Edinburgh she could come and stay with me. if she wished – delete
After the city tour we all went back to the hospital where much had happened. The German consulate had made preliminary arrangements for a cremation in Edinburgh before the widow returned home. She told me that she would like to come and stay with me, removed her luggage from the coach and we drove off. As we came up Leith Walk I remember her saying ,"What would my husband be saying. He has only been dead for three hours and here I am going off 'mit einem fremden Herrn' (with a strange man!)"
When we got home the Consulate told me that before anything else happened the death would have to be registered. The widow gave me her husband's identity card and I went to the Registrar's. Of course they asked me many more questions about the deceased, questions which had to be answered through phone calls to the widow with translations all round. I have no idea how I started the conversation at the Registrar's. Did I say that I wanted to report the death of a man whom I didn't know. I have simply no idea.
Meanwhile I had contacted a German friend, a widow, who had come to talk to the widow and people from the Consulate came also to talk to her. My concern was more then with my son, who was then in his early twenties. He lived in a flat not far from our house but often came home looking for various things. His German was limited to 'ich heisse Richard. lch habe eine Schwester und ein Meerschweinchen' while the English of the widow was limited to 'Good morning'. –
‘We contacted also the pastor of the nearby German church who came to see her. We had a funeral service arranged for the following Monday afternoon. Unfortunately the pastor had to go to Aberdeen that day but sent a theological student along in his place, along with the minister 'du jour' at the crem. He happened to be the father of a BB guide. When the widow and I arrived at the crematorium we were alone and went to look for the chapel. As it was raining slightly we asked if we might be admitted to the chapel. 'Ye cannae come in here till the principal mourners arrive' we were told. 'But we are the principal mourners' I said and they then let us in.
'Might we have the candles lit?' I asked at the request of the widow. 'Ye cannae have the candles lit for a Protestant funeral' came the reply. 'But these people are German Lutherans,'
I explained. ‘Since this was an unknown denomination the candles were indeed lit. It was a lovely short service with also an amazing couple from
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