The Spy Who Loved Us_ The Vietnam War and Pham Xuan An's Dangerous Game ( PDFDrive )

The Spy Who Loved Us 263
On the third day after An’s burial, his family traveled back
to the cemetery for the symbolic “opening of the grave.” Bringing
flowers and food, they prayed for the release of his soul.
They also brought an umbrella that they raised to protect him
from the sun. The last thing they carried was a model ladder,
which they propped against the grave to help his soul ascend to
heaven. I imagine An made good use of this ladder, clambering
out of hell as fast as possible to look for a brighter world with
good conversation.