"John, can you lend me some money? I want to give Dad a proper burial. I already asked. Burial plots come in all price ranges. If money's tight, we can get the cheapest one. That would be enough."
"Cheap isn't free!"
John cut me off.
He flicked the cigarette butt aside, disgust practically spilling from his eyes.
He pointed at the body on the ground, every word dripping with contempt.
"Just go dump it in the village cesspit. Burying it on the hillside would be a waste of good land."
"The cesspit?!"
I stared at John, unable to believe what I was hearing.
"John, have you lost your mind? Since when does anyone throw a body into a cesspit?!"
The young men's faces darkened too.
"Man, the old guy's dead. No matter what, he deserves a proper burial. The cesspit really isn't right..."
They set the stretcher down as they spoke.
"Look, if you want the body dumped in a cesspit, that's not something we can do. That's not human."
The young men exchanged a glance, then turned and walked away.
John swore under his breath, irritation boiling over.
Then he grabbed the stretcher himself.
He headed straight for the cesspit.