Life of labour.

Ah kong passed away on May 18 2008.

He had liver cancer.

He hated the food there. (Nobody likes to eat “rabbit” food right?) So being his eldest grand daughter, I bought dinner for him everyday when he was at the hospice.

On Labour Day, all of us celebrated his birthday with him. My 2 younger cousins bought him a birthday cake, his 1st and last one. He was already weak by then, but I could still see the happiness in his eyes.

I enjoyed my every moment spend there with him, listening to his “war” stories and the latest gossips he collected from those relatives who visited, watched tv and even falling asleep on his hospice bed.

Just sitting there, knowing that he is alive, comfortable and breathing is a blessing for me, the doctors told us he only had 3 months.

He was a “Lau hero” sort of man. . I remembered seeing him in his pink shirt, white pants and black boots ensemble and sometimes even with a pair of shades at weddings etc. Always very jovial, entertaining himself with the mango picking around the hospice grounds right till the end when he was in pain he is still cracking jokes with the nurses on rounds.

The sacrifices he made shorten his life, his time. He did not go through his chemotherapy after his operation 1.5 years ago because he was worried about his medical bills, he didn’t want to burden his children as they were not earning much and 1 is handicapped because of an accident.

Still, he was strong for us, never once showed he was in pain or wanted to troubled anyone because of his illness.

I grew up hearing stories of him not being around to helping grandma supporting the family. I had a not so good impression of him.

Until the last few months of his life, I finally heard his side of the story.

He talked about how he was looking for work and how he spent his time trying to earn a living, selling drinks on his push cart and as an odd job labourer, I finally understood. It hit me hard, guilt.

It pains me even more to see him slowly fade away as time pass.

My bond with him deepened over the last few months of his life.

2 months have pass, tears still trickle down my face whenever I see the pictures of him. I love you ah kong.