im not joking.
took them almost a night to compile this,
making changes and referring to late ah por's version which was 14 years ago.
a whole generation is born, making the total 159? or 161? or 162?
u ask any random 5 people in my family, u will get 5 different answers.
no one bothers to count because one will get lost in the end.
love my ah gong for making our family such a harmonious one.
even with so many of us, we love, care and take pride in each other.
he is the one who taught us to 相亲相爱, 爱护兄弟姐妹.
promise u ah gong, that we will keep that in mind, and always be there for each other.
__________________________
"Tribute to Ah Gong - from my cousin, Jovie (extracted from her FB)"
i know he's in a better place, no more sufferings and free from pain and discomforts. i know.
but i just cant bear to see him go. it's not easy to describe how i feel. i felt relieved that he's no longer in pain, no more suctions needed to draw to phlegm out, no more nasal tube feedings, no more "boxing gloves" on his hands... but i'm just sad that i cant see him anymore, cant hold his hand or touch his forehead, take pictures with him or talk to him.. when his health began to go downhill years ago, we still shared a can of beer together, whenever he and grandma was invited to our house for festive occasions (chu 1 or 15). it's just hard to lose someone u loved... esp these ppl whom you've known and loved (and loved you back) since you were a baby..
the ah gong i knew in his younger days was a fierce person. scolding ppl every now and then. esp when he drank a bit too much. he loved his XOs and Martells, and drank them every day. and oh how he loved those super fatty foods (that helped lubricate his weary old machines , he once explained to me) esp chicken skin and pigs trotters. the fatter the better!! he disliked veg and fruits.
ah gong had an amazing flair in writing... his calligraphy was so popular and well-recognised back in the old kampung days. temples would invite him to help them write stuff. i would pester him to write something for me to bring to school during CNY. and he would write a 春 or a 福 for me to bring to school. the teacher would then paste the words on red paper on the classroom door. and that would made me a v proud little girl. and i remembered, he wrote those scriptures(?) when our woodlands ah por passed away. and read them out on his own. he only stopped when age has caught up and his hands trembled too much for him to continue writing.
my ah gong was a legendary man. he lived to an ripe old age of 94, had 2 wives, 16 children, 50+ grandchildren and many many great grandchildren. to-date, there are 159 of us. he left behind a legacy of love, unity and harmony... he's always told us to love one another, keep in touch with each other and help one another. ah gong, we did and we do. we will remember your words and honour them for as long as we live.
his funeral took 7 days, attended by hundreds of people, from all ages and all walks of life. during the full-day chanting ritual, we all stood up and kowtowed repeatedly throughout the day, but none complained. my eldest uncle is alrd 68. imagine the tow on him.. those who were able to kneel, knelt. those who cant, sat. the procession was done the buddhist way, and everyone abade to eat vegetarian on the final 2 days. to cater to the large group of decesdants, a tentage was specially set-up. it was a 笑丧 and we had beer to entertain ppl who came to pay their last respects. numerous wreaths lined up along the perimeters of the wake, and blankets hung on every other pillar we could make use of. it was a grand and massive sight.
during the send-off, we jammed up the entire stretch of road, starting from petir to gangsa. our army of flower-basket girls, flaggers, team of gongs, and our own group of Yong decesdants, old neighbours and friends who came to see him off,5 tour coaches and including a fleet of approx >15-20 cars that followed behind, we walked from petir and ended the last journey with him at gangsa rd, just before zhenghua pri school. it was certainly more than a 1km walk.. ah gong must have felt really really proud.. everyone came out of their houses/windows to see... ppl at the shops and coffeeshop stared in awe at the large army.. ppl in the passing v ehicles looked on in awe and amazement... it's like a send-off for a celebrity... ah gong had the rowdiest, proudest, largest-scale wake that has ever been held in the entire bt panjang (as far as i know, that is). he must have felt extremely proud, and happy.
during the cremation, we let out screams and cries that probably shook the building, cos we just cant bear to see you go. the cremation meant a full-stop. we'll never ever see you again, forever. and that really really hurts.. it marked THE END.
ah gong, CNY will never ever be the same without you. i've had wonderful memories of CNY since i was young, esp in the kampong days cos everyone will gather in our house and we'll all feast and make merry.
i wonder how things are gg to be like when the Pillar of Yongs is gone. of cos, we still have ah por. but things have certainly changed.
ah gong, pls be assured that we'll be well.. we'll be in unity and closely bonded, like you've always hoped. keep us all safe and healthy (you'll be a busy man all over again!!) and be everyone's guardian angel.
we love you, forever.
