Last Sunday marked my dad's birthday. If he's still with us today, he will be 67. He left us and went back to the House of Glory 5 years ago. Till today, I still miss him and there's alot of times when I wish he's still with us.
My dad was a jovial and fun dad, despite being overly protective and conservative. Being the youngest at home, I get quite a fair bit of attention from my parents. At times, it's more than what I wished for. I remember skipping tuition class once to join my girlfriends for a photography session in the jungle. I'm not sure about what was the fad during your schooldays but faddism during my school time was to leave marks in autograph and of course, leave your best shot as well. Hence, the skip tuition class for photography session. The session turns out pretty well, with lots of pictures taken but the setback? My dad showed up at my tuition class to fetch me home. It was a nice surprise allright, for him not to see me there and for me to find out that he was there waiting for me. He's not the type to hit us, and I'm lucky for that matter. I got off easy after getting lectured and grounded.
My dad loves to eat durian but being a diabetic patient, durian is a forbidden fruit for him. It contains too much of glucose and it's too deadly when consumed. (I exaggerated !). Still, it doesn't stop him from buying for us. He will not mind to open the spiky fruit for us but with condition that he gets to poke his stubby finger on it. Somehow, he can tell how good quality is the fruit by poking but eeekss ... I used to grab one as quickly as I could before he pokes into it. There's alot of times when he will curi-curi makan without my mom's knowledge. Well, forbidden fruits tasted better anyway. But it takes a 3 year old kid to know he has eaten durian cause he always forget to wipe his mouth. You can still see some leftovers on his moustache.
When I was in primary school, my dad will take my bag for me. Despite getting laughed at by my friends, and numerous pleading I made with him to carry my own bag, he insisted to carry it for me. That's so sweet to think of it now. There's alot of other sweet memories with dad and I wish I could write all down here. It actually takes alot of courage and strength to blog about him cause I can't help but to cry each time I think of him. That's why this post takes such a long time to be published.
Daddy owned a photo lab and the picture used during his funeral was taken by me. At the moment when I was taking his photograph, he was smiling from ear to ear. Playfully looking down, or tilting his head up alittle too much as I was giving him instructions to look up abit, look down alittle bit. Looking at the smiling picture of him during his funeral, I wished he could walk away from the camera focus and place his hand on my shoulder.
When he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, we were all very sad. I was not ready to let him go. My journey is still long and I needed him to be here with us, to continue to be part of my memories. It's just not enough to know he's here with us in our heart even though he's no longer here physically. The week before he passed away, he was holding my hand and told me not to be sad when he's gone. He said, 'When I'm gone, that means, I'm no longer in pain'.
Happy Birthday daddy and I miss you ...
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