“You’re always late. You’ll probably show up late for your own funeral!”

I’ve heard people frustrated from waiting on someone toss accusations along the lines of the above. Amazingly, in Brazil recently, it actually happened.

The Associated Press offered a report the other day about a Brazilian bricklayer who was reportedly killed in a car accident. His family had identified him as the victim of a Sunday night car crash.

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They planned a quick funeral for the next day, but like a scene from a cheesy daytime soap opera, the fellow wasn’t dead and showed up at the already under way funeral, to the shock and hopefully delight of his family.

Then again, they may have wanted to kill him after they found out he’d not been in the accident but instead had spent the night at a truck stop talking with friends and drinking cachaca, a liquor made from sugar cane.

He heard about his funeral, but not until it was already under way.

Police said the body the family had identified had been badly disfigured and was dressed in clothing similar to that worn by their relative.

The body was later correctly identified and buried.

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Don’t miss the Friends of the Iberia Parish Library Book Sale this weekend, kicking off from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. today for a Friends-Only Preview, though you can join at the door.

The doors will be open to anyone from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and again from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Cyr-Gates Community Center.

There are more than 10,000 items offered, mostly books but also books on tape, VHS tapes, CDs, records and more.

Paperbacks are mostly 25 cents each and hardbound editions start at $1.

Wife Gladys and I love to read, and love this sale. Besides getting huge bargains on books, and getting to select from an amazing variety of titles and authors, it’s fun to watch other book shoppers or sometimes watch out for them.

I’ve seen two people battling, in a nice way, over some book that’s caught their eye at about the same time. I usually get a cardboard box and put into it the books that catch my eye, but occasionally find another shopper digging in my box, thinking its contents are more of the sales’ offerings and not realizing they’re my selections.

I’ve been surprised at sales over the years to see big macho men eyeing romance novels (maybe for their wives?) and girly-girls in the section with Tom Clancy and other authors I’d think are typically favored by men.

I’ve discovered that the same title will sometimes be released in paperback with different covers and different designs, so have occasionally gone to check out and discover I’ve got two copies of the same story.

The money raised goes for good things, like the Terror on the Teche for Halloween, art exhibits, summer workshops and more.

And it’s a great place to run into friends and acquaintances from all around the community.

It’s a good cause, a good place to see and be seen and for sure you’ll find some great bargains on good books.

Check it out — get it … Checkout? Books? Library? Oh well!

WILL CHAPMAN is publisher of The Daily Iberian.