SEEKING SOLACE

I'll always get a tad bit emotional when I see a funeral near my house or worse, when I have to attend one. Right now, there is one going on, not too far away from where I stay. Its like two blocks away and this family, I know them when I was growing up.

The person who passed away is the lady ( I think she was 90++ when she passed on) and I used to remember calling her, "Yong Cheh" (Yong = surname; cheh = for those who remained unmarried). These Ma Chehs (MC) used to come from mainland China, and they were very devoted to their duties, taking care of the households or the children of the family. Anyway, these MCs would take a vow of celibacy and they would be dressed up in their black & white samfoo, complete with their hair all bun up. I remember them as being very tenacious on what they were doing and they were very neat. Apart from that, they were also quite thick headed and at times, became persons who were not easily to be friends with.

However, as I was driving past this house one evening, I noticed two large lanterns hanging out of the house. It signalled that a death has taken place in that house, and true enough, it was Yong Cheh who had passed on. Suddenly, a rush of nostalgic memories began to flood my mind. I remember the times, Yong Cheh would come to my house to meet up my mom and neighbors. Most of the time, it always centered on a game of mahjong's during the afternoons when most housewives have already completed their housework and television was not the "in-thing" for them.

But, looking at the rate of funerals taking place at my area, I suddenly began to feel that one by one, things are being stripped from what I used to hold on to. Legacies have changed, characters replaced...its like a drama or movie. Things have started to move on very quickly.

I'm not sure what I'm actually saying here but I guess death brings a void, changes the familiarity that we so use to grasp on and one things for sure, life sure takes a dramatic twist by going on. We will certainly miss that special someone, and to this day, I still miss my dad.

He also had a way of making me feel that everything was safe and sound, things will operate normally on this routine and nothing will change. But, I was so wrong. For things did change, the familiar sound, or actions have now diminish, whats left is just memories. Its like, when I used to do a household chore, I will remember that, dad did this too, and it is a very poignant memory that shoots right through my thoughts.

Suddenly, I feel like something precious (which in essence, I never felt this way) is missing and I began to clamour for time to just move back, but, its not possible. Time moves on, and sadly, so do we.

Therefore, never underestimate the relationships or friendships we have out there, for life is very short and we will never know what tomorrow will bring. What today brings, treasure it and hold it dear at all times!