Daddykins

Daddykins

If ever there was a picture of strength, my dad was it. Who wouldnt be strong if he had to wrestle & deal with a menagerie of 4 dogs, 17 cats, a tigress (my mother) & 3 chimpanzees (us siblings) at home? He taught us how to love by instilling the responsibility of caring for our pets. When I was a toddler, Dad used to promise us a rabbit everyday but the rabbit would somehow get away. We would look forward to the next day in hope of him catching one for us but he always got wild boars, flying foxes, deers, pigeons & what not instead. He was a hunter. They say real men hunt. Not only does he hunt, he used to have target practice at the shooting range & shot his way to represent Malaysia in all the SEA Games, Asian Games & Commonwealth Games between 1978 – 1989. We tagged along during his practices & made do with whatever things that we could do to amuse ourselves at the shooting range. Pauline & I were highly sociable. We would get into fights if we didn’t have other kids to take our attention away. Patricia was away in the States, studying.

Dad would teach us to have the fighting spirit. Not fight people, as I had to find out the hard way, but to always fight for what I want. He wanted us to excel in whatever we do. I wanted to be like him because he was good at everything he did. He was also the first team of four to have won the Putra Cup in golf tournaments. He was a scratch handicapper. We took all his medals that he had won to play masak-masak because we didn’t really know the significance of the win that had done the country proud for all those years. Daddy didnt mind. He was delighted that it was coveted by his daughters. He also holds the record for swimming in his school at Victoria Institution. Look what Ive become, daddy, a dive instructor! Much of what I am, id like to believe, came from him. He had such a sense of humour. When we struggled to speak difficult English words at home, he would remind us not to murder the English language. Seeing that we had tons of Readers Digest, we were drIven to improve by grinding in ”˜It Pays To Enrich Your Word Power’ column in every issue. Look what Ive become again, daddy, a travel writer!

For all the times Ive had to update him to update mom, I knew he would be able to keep a secret for all the crazy things I didnt want mom to know. Like scuba diving. And my dad would practice Ëœselective synopsis to relate to mom whats up with their most rebellious child. Either that or they would read about me in the newspapers days after! Still, as much as he was curious to ask, he would always allow me to bring up any matter when I was ready. What a dad. I was a pesky kid. My sisters called me a nuisance. I wasn’t potty trained until I was seven & didnt wean off the baby bottle until I was eleven because dad never made me do what I wasn’t prepared to do. Hahaha! Pauline & I would fight for prime space during night time. On my dad’s lap. When we outgrew that, we still didnt stop holding onto his hand wherever we went. He told us stories of his childhood & we would pester him again & again to tell us about his pet pig. And he would tell us over & over again. Having a dad who could tell stories & not tire of it is so cool because it makes you want to tell people stories too. Dad, look what you made me do?

When I grew up, I began to tell him stories. When he got older, I showed him pictures too. And guess what? After that, he would want the bible read out to him. I told him about the greatest love story in history. About our Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to die for our sins. And that we can have a personal relationship with Him & lIve forever & ever in His mansion which incidentally, has a room for my dad. I told him that Jesus said, I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH & THE LIFE, nobody goes to the FATHER except by ME. Though my dad knew of Christ, he never knew God until he made a conscious decision to invite Jesus into his life. That was 2 years ago.

Then, I was putting on weight & he was losing a lot. So I told him that we would get new bodies when we reach heaven. I wished for a Pamela Andersen-body! Dad? Dad just wished for any body!!! A month ago, he told me he felt at peace. He was ready to go. I asked him if he wanted me to do anything before he left & he said, take care of your mummy. Don’t get married if you don’t want to, but if you do, make sure he’s like me. Then I asked, “Will you shoot him if he’s not?”

Now that he got to meet Jesus in person first, all I want to say is, “Daddy, we love you & miss you dearly. If you are free, please go & catch those rabbits & wait for us to come & chat with you…for eternity.”

Funeral Service will be held on 30 July 2005, 10:00am at PJ Modern Casket, Parlour 7, Jalan 229, Petaling Jaya.