阿公
Mumsies told me a story yesterday about her father that really touched me, and gave me a little bit of understanding to a man who was an important factor in my existence in this world, but was someone I knew very little about.
According to Mumsies, Ah Gong was a very kind-hearted man who would always help out his friends. He would often lend money to his friends in need, although my maternal family was really not very well-off back in the day. Once, during the pre-Chinese New Year period, he went to look for a friend who had borrowed some money from him, in the hopes of collecting back his loan. But the friend told him that he was so broke and did not even have the means to celebrate the festivities, and that his wife was constantly berating him for being penniless. So my kind-hearted Ah Gong took out the watch he was wearing, are you ready for this because I thought such things only happen on TV, and gave it to his friend to pawn for some money.
And the watch was not only his favourite watch, it was his ONLY watch. Mumsies said he really scrimped and saved to buy the watch, and would always look at it with a smile in his eyes, lovingly wiping over its surface to make sure it was not smudged. So much so that every one in the family knew how much he loved that watch.
Awwww! What a sweet man! Too soft-hearted for his own good, but loyal to a fault! Respect!
Well, needless to say, Ah Ma was quite upset when she was realised that his watch was gone. And the friend did not even repay him the money after that!
Really cannot stop thinking about this story. I know I talk about my Ah Ma from time to time in my previous entries. She was an amazing, strong and inspiring woman who I miss dearly. But my Ah Gong was really someone that I know very little about.
The reason being my Ah Gong had an accident when he was in his forties, which resulted in severe brain damage that reduced him to an almost childlike state. Hence, in order to ease Ah Ma's burden, the family decided to place him under the care of a nursing home before I was born.
So my only memories of him was whenever I managed to tag along with Mumsies when she could find the time to visit him. He was a really kindly-looking old man, whose smile crinkled his entire face. Although he was unable to talk, he would always nod twice when people talk to him. I am not sure if he really knew who I was, but whenever I call him "Ah Gong!", he would smile and nod his head non-stop. I like to think that maybe he did knew that I was his granddaughter and was very happy, maybe even proud, to see me.
I don't think any of my other cousins ever had the chance to meet Ah Gong or really remember him, so I feel quite glad that I have at least a bit of something to remember him by. Along with a wonderful story of what a great person he was.
According to Mumsies, Ah Gong was a very kind-hearted man who would always help out his friends. He would often lend money to his friends in need, although my maternal family was really not very well-off back in the day. Once, during the pre-Chinese New Year period, he went to look for a friend who had borrowed some money from him, in the hopes of collecting back his loan. But the friend told him that he was so broke and did not even have the means to celebrate the festivities, and that his wife was constantly berating him for being penniless. So my kind-hearted Ah Gong took out the watch he was wearing, are you ready for this because I thought such things only happen on TV, and gave it to his friend to pawn for some money.
And the watch was not only his favourite watch, it was his ONLY watch. Mumsies said he really scrimped and saved to buy the watch, and would always look at it with a smile in his eyes, lovingly wiping over its surface to make sure it was not smudged. So much so that every one in the family knew how much he loved that watch.
Awwww! What a sweet man! Too soft-hearted for his own good, but loyal to a fault! Respect!
Well, needless to say, Ah Ma was quite upset when she was realised that his watch was gone. And the friend did not even repay him the money after that!
Really cannot stop thinking about this story. I know I talk about my Ah Ma from time to time in my previous entries. She was an amazing, strong and inspiring woman who I miss dearly. But my Ah Gong was really someone that I know very little about.
The reason being my Ah Gong had an accident when he was in his forties, which resulted in severe brain damage that reduced him to an almost childlike state. Hence, in order to ease Ah Ma's burden, the family decided to place him under the care of a nursing home before I was born.
So my only memories of him was whenever I managed to tag along with Mumsies when she could find the time to visit him. He was a really kindly-looking old man, whose smile crinkled his entire face. Although he was unable to talk, he would always nod twice when people talk to him. I am not sure if he really knew who I was, but whenever I call him "Ah Gong!", he would smile and nod his head non-stop. I like to think that maybe he did knew that I was his granddaughter and was very happy, maybe even proud, to see me.
I don't think any of my other cousins ever had the chance to meet Ah Gong or really remember him, so I feel quite glad that I have at least a bit of something to remember him by. Along with a wonderful story of what a great person he was.
posted by Keiia at 9:56 AM
Back