IN REMEMBRANCE OF MY DAD PART 2

My father kept a stern exterior whenever he was around the house. I have hardly seen him shown any emotion. He hardly had a smile for us. However, once I saw him laughing and joking with some men. I was astounded at the sight. My friend, Ah Moi, who was with me told me that my father was such a joker. That was a side of him that I never knew. In his later years, he mellowed so much that his grandchildren could climb on his head, and he would still be smiling!

Father with granddaughter, Suanie and great grandchildren Ryan and Zyan

Father bonding with great grandchild, Nathan

He seemed to have a high threshold for pain. There was once I saw him being brought home, all covered in blood. The men told grandmother that my father was attacked by a rouge elephant. (he was sending goods to the Malays who lived near the fringes of the jungle) Yet after a couple of days' rest, he was back on his feet and working as usual.

Strong, Very strong. I observed him carrying 2 sacks of rice from the lorry to the store while the rest of the workers carried only 1 sack at a time. Or sorting the timber to dry, or packing the ribbed rubber sheets on the lorry. Young as I was at that time, I felt it was unfair that he had to do most of the coolie tasks while the other shareholders just directed the operations!

He had an air riffle and every now and then he would take it out to oil it. We children would 

crowd round (at least my younger brother and I) and 'helped' by handing him a rag, or some parts of the gun. During the fruit season, he would go hunting with some men and they would come back with flying foxes, squirrels. We children always knew whenever there was a haul of these animals, even though the men returned home way past midnight. The house would be abuzz with noise and activities as the neighbours came to take a share of the wild life. Read here

I have memories of people bringing fruits and biscuits (piang) in gratitude for services rendered for my father would never accept any monetary payment for helping the villagers to settle their problems. People with problems ranging from marital disputes, problematic children, disputes with neighbours to problems dealing with government authorities would seek his help to settle it. And somehow, due to his standing in the community, he was able to bring about an amicable settlement in most cases.

Such was my father - Service above Self  as I had written earlier Service above Family