Sometimes…when it comes to my father, I tend to be quite protective over him. During my younger days, it was him who had been sheltering me over all the wind and the rain. Somehow, the time has come for me… i feel… I should be harbouring him under my wings. Protecting whatever harm that might be hurting him.
He is 75 this year. Might sound old to some but sometimes i really thinks he is much stronger than me physically. Or maybe I am just too darn lazy. I have already wrote 2 posts about my mum, it getting too depressing already. As a father’s day gift to him this Sunday.( sorry, its abit late i know). I think there is pretty much nothing I can offer or give to him that will make his life better or more easier.
My dad is a simple man. Leads a simple lifestyle, stays in a simple house and have 3 simple kids. We are all carriers of his name. All boys. Back then, he was consider lucky. He was pastry chef, owns a confectionary shop in the 80’s. He bakes the most awesome bread. He would bring back 2 loaves of bread every single day. One for us, other one for our next door neighbour, whom are in close relations with us.
He was a smoker too~ his favourite brand, ” 555″ or camel. But i think being a considerate family orientated man, he gave up smoking whe I was about 3-5 years old. I still remember telling him back then ” Pa, u very smelly lei!” cos of the smell after the cigarettes. But look at me now… I smoke too. Maybe back then, cigarettes were like $0.02cts per stick. Hahah!! NOW???? $0.58/stick! Talk about rising cost of living man!
He is so simple that the he doesnt do alot of things during his free time. He gave every single cent that he could in order to see us get the kinda education we need. Tho my eldest bro didn’t do as well… he didnt even finish his secondary education. My elder bro, took 5 years in Sec and 5 yrs in poly. 10 freaking years just to get a diploma. I took 8 years to get it. Sometimes I think the routine educational system in singapore SUCKS! Just too damn Long! So my dad would really scringe on everything he spends on himself. But whatever we want, he would try to give. My father doesnt come from a wealthy back ground. He is a simple man… don’t have great ambitions nor sky high expectations. After so many years living under the same roof, he is a contented person. He don’t ask for what is not his, he don’t ask for the best food when we go out eat, he doesn’t expect a present from us during father’s day. he doesn’t even expect us to bring him out for a meal even on his birthday. He knows that after we are all grown up, we have our own commitments. But somehow I know my father loves me most. I was never caned or beaten by him ever. But he does rise his hands, throw chairs and slapped my brothers when they were naughty. Me?? I was wasn’t so unlucky to have tasted his fist of fury or “metal sand palm”. I guess I was a good kid. I think. Hahaha!!
So far, he sound like a pretty normal average father to most. To me… he is an awesome father to his children and a caring husband to his wife….
The painfully naggy issues with my mother, his wife… day in day out for the past 3 years of pain staking looking after my mother whom has mild case of depression and alzheimers and various injuries caused by her mentally unsoundness…. is not for any normal human beings to endure or take. Let alone taking care of her in every little needs.
In the morning, wakes up and on the News Channel, clears the jossticks that my mum would light up every 4am to 5am in the morning. Cos my mum has a habit of offering joss stick before she goes to work WHILE she was still sane and sees well. Now, she would drop the joss sticks either on the kitchen floor, outside the main door or in the living room. After all that, he would make breakfast for my mum, 4 slices of bread every morning. After breakfast, my mum would automatically wana pack her bags to go “work”.
Recently she was injured by a taxi when she sneaked out of the house to go “work”. (She has not been working for 3 years). She broke 3 bones on her feet. She was in cast but yet she still wants to go outto find job. Because of my mum’s conditions, she has broken her collar bone and her shoulders too!!! My dad, would just entertain her nonsenses, cleans up the table after she is done with it, listen to daily nagging. I cannot even bother to entertain my mum’s complaining of wanting to go work if not all of us would have to sleep on the streets. He would do all my mum’s n his laundry. Cook lunch n dinner for the both of them.
My dad takes care of her even sometimes its too much for me to take it. He will shoulder it like …she is my wife… if its a burden, I would carry it till i cannot carry my own legs.
I felt that I couldn’t do anything much to help my dad at all. I don’t know how. I can only do my part…as in adding no extra problems, do my own chores, provide for myself and if I have excess, it will go to the family. Feels like I am walking on a the rope most ofthe time when I go home.
My dad is exactly quite good looking for an elderly. He volunteers in community work, learns english, teaches baking to other old folks. He even collects recycle waste. He is a brillant man whom i respect the most. He has the most patience for my mum which seriously I think he should be named a “Saint”. He seldom lose his cool. Even when I notice when he is not in a good mood, he would just take a walk downstairs talk to other elderly ppl. He is kinda solemn guy at home. Don’t really communicate much with his children cos there is always this unspoken gap. But Dad, you can always count on me at least to be around… Its a gruesome job at home taking care of mother, i know.
Thanks Pa!~ Happy Fathers Day!
My father " the model"
My Pa~ right hand side of the picture.
I tried to take picture of him but he is camera shy infront of me.What the Hell!! But he can pose for a professional photo shoot~
