Her Last Letter: Ave, Vita!

Dear Patricia, 10/7/97

I think I can honestly say that I just came back from the most interesting trip of my life. I just received your note, and so decided I would try to write you about my experiences in as a short text as I can. As you know, that’s almost an impossibility! But, here goes.

What we thought would just be a trip to Lithuania to return the ashes of Pranas Lembertas [Danutė's father-in-law] back to his homeland, turned out to be an incredible journey.

The President of the Writer’s and Artist’s Assoc. decided to make the return of one of Lithuania’s poets into a three-week commemoration, the likes of which we had no idea awaited us. In a reception for us, we found ourselves in the midst of all sorts of dignitaries, writers, artists (who performed their art form using Pranas’ words), and even the head of the Bank of Lithuania! We were completely taken by surprise to find ourselves on the front page of newspapers and on PANORAMA, the European television news station. I was never so tongue-tied in my life! But it worked out, since they all had so much to say to us…somebody had to listen.

The wake before the funeral was held in a palatial building dating back to the time of the czars and preserved by the communists. I think they used it for themselves. It was attended by President Landsbergis, who is now head of Parliament, and the other heads of Parliament. The entire choir of the cathedral of Vilnius came to sing (for over an hour). Voices like I had never heard before! They should be invited to perform here in America. An opera singer performed for over an hour, also. A lot of Vitali’s father’s works were sung.

Pranas Lembertas is the only Lithuanian poet [who] has had so much of his work put to music. It seems, because he was also a singer who used to perform in the Vilnius Opera Co., he had a feeling for words and music. We had to sit from 3:30pm to 8:00 P.M. as everyone came and brought flowers, which they laid around the laid out urn and the hand carved oak casket which would hold the urn for burial.

After the funeral, a commemorative service celebrating the 100th year of his birth was held in the same place to which again actors, singers, historians, dignitaries of state, etc. all came to perform, speak, and give tribute. A Lithuanian "country western" couple even came to sing their music put to Pranas’ words. They are quite well-known all over Europe, and they really did a beautiful job with Vitali’s father’s words. They gave us a tape of their work. The building is breathtaking inside. Supposedly, the stairway is the most beautiful in Lithuania.

The funeral was like nothing I had ever seen. It was a long drive to the town of his birth and the cemetery where his parents are buried. The village streets were lined with people. Caravans of cars and vans from other towns joined the caravan. The Parliament had given us the use of one of their Parliamentary vehicles to ride in with the urn, but we chose to follow behind in our chauffeured BMW. The lead car had an open sunroof, wherein two children dressed in their native costumes stood holding a large picture of Vitali’s father as the procession wound through the streets and on to the church and country cemetery.

The people lined the street right up to the church doors. Women were dressed in Lithuanian costumes and men in military uniforms. They represented the “Soldier’s Guard”, an organization that my father belongs to to this day. Four priests held a High Mass and the Msgr. talked of his years with Pranas Lembertas and their time in the area.

Finally, the most beautiful burial I had ever witnessed in my life! The oak wreath was held by young boys and girls in native costume all around the burial site. The priests blessed and prayed and then the fantastic singing of all the people started. After the casket, now holding the golden urn, was placed into its place, people began to place flowers into the grave and the singing grew louder and more mournful. Two young men began to fill in the grave with its blessed earth as people continued to throw flowers into the grave, and the singing and praying continued. Eulogies were given by all the dignitaries. The soldiers of the old guard sang their hearts out. It was quite something to see and hear. Our funerals in America seem so unfeeling and plastic compared to this.

When the gravesite was filled in, the plot was covered with flowers. We had sent the headstone from the cemetery in Calif. to be placed on the gravesite in Lithuania because of the beauty of the words that were written on it (his words to the world and his words of love to his wife). We will be making up a large tombstone telling of who this man was for future generations.

After the funeral service there was a reception in the local hall, and then we drove to the homestead were he was born. Some of the Lembertas family still live there. They weren’t expecting so many people, but the table was laden with food and drink. The speeches were read, the tears were shed, and then the singing began again. “Tau, Sesute, Puikios Gėlės” rang through the rooftop. It’s the song that has become practically Lithuania’s national anthem. The little farmhouse was so full of people, I didn’t think the floor would hold out. We were squashed in like sardines. I had my video rolling and as I panned up to my left, I caught the president of the writers' guild (who gave the eulogy) toasting down a drink. He noticed my camera and said, “Getting incriminating evidence on me, are you!"

It was such a warm and wonderful time. The 93 year-old mother of Vitali’s cousin Vincent still lives there with her daughters and son. How they endure the winters is beyond me.

We had to drive to five different cities and attend five different commemorative services. We were met by the mayors of the cities. Vitalis had the honor to unveil the plaque which was now dedicated to honor the house in which they lived in in Biržai. A commemorative service was held in the Palace of Biržai (a museum therein holds all of his books and memorabilia). One of Lithuania’s actresses read Pranas’ works. I will never forget that reading. She had a voice like Kathryn Hepburn and read the poems as if I had truly heard them for the first time – memorable.

Vilnius is coming back so wonderfully. The buildings are being restored to their original beauty, and it’s beginning to look like Austria .:.and Paris! Sidewalk cafes, restaurants that are unbelievable, everywhere. But what really strikes your eye are the people. They are so fashionable. Their hairstyles, their cosmopolitanism is fantastic! Everyone walks around on the street talking into a cell phone. I don’t know where they get those fabulous clothes. The men look like they stepped out of Armani and all the women, young and old, look like they all stepped out of ELLE. No matter what I put on, I felt like hick. Their taste is so European. Their furniture....well, we couldn’t get it, or find anything like it here in the USA. Even the poor people take pride in what they own and wear.

When we landed in Los Angeles, the whole city looked like it was filled with slobs! Even in Germany, you could also see the difference. Lithuania, in a few more years, is really going to be something else. Vilnius is so culturally orientated that every evening, cultural events are going on in all parts of the city. There’s a restaurant across from Parliament (named just so) where people of all backgrounds meet...just like they did in Paris. The poets, writers, businessmen, lovers, and the food is great. You can even get English Shepherd’s Pie!

We had an apartment on a boulevard that held a lot of Embassies, so we got to see the twelve presidents [who] came to Lithuania for their international conference. In fact, it was funny to see President Brazauskas caught in traffic – the amount of cars in the city now is overwhelming!

Vitalis did a lot of book signing (his father’s biography), and they also wanted my autograph. Something about me being the great, great someone of Simonas Daukantas, Lithuania’s first historian. We were presented, by the Notary Assoc. of Lithuania, with a bronze medallion, which was struck with Pranas’ likeness to commemorate the 100th year of his birth. -. Pranas was a notary in Lithuania (in those days, it was the same as being a lawyer). We also were presented with a collector’s item – the smallest book in Lithuania. It’s about fingernail size.

As I said, a trip I will never forget!