22 September 2010 - In Memory of my Ah Kong

My Ah Kong (grandfather) passed away yesterday due to illness. I grow up living with my grandparents. I am deeply sad because I can't be back to Msia to attend his funeral because Andrew do not have his passport yet! The last time Anthony and I saw Ah Kong was when we were back in Msia for our wedding in Dec 2008. He was still very strong that time. He has been ill since the last 12 months and it got worst in the last one month. I last spoke to him on the phone couples of weeks ago and he was still alright then.

My Ah Kong was a strong and simple man! He came to Malaya with his father when he was only 5. All his life, he lives in our small town, Kajang. He inherited the coffee shop business from my great grandparents which was later passed down to my father. Ah Kong doesn't talk much and has a very humble personality. At 80+ years old, he could still go for walk/window shop at the mall at our small town all by himself. Every Wednesday used to be his day-out day of the week. He would get my father to drop him off at the town in the morning and pick him up in the evening. When he was still strong few years back, he would get on to the local bus to KL all by himself for his medical check up. I still remember, there was once he went for his eye cataract surgery done all by himself without telling anyone in the family. We only got to know when he came back with a "sunny". That's my Ah Kong, very independent and doesn't like to trouble his childrens or grandchildrens.

I believe he has lived his life to the fullest with no regrets. I hope he didn't suffer any pain in the last hours before his last breath. Rest in peace, Ah Kong.