My Silent Hero

Dear Dad,

Although we do not talk much, we both knew deep inside that we care for each another.

Do you realised that we check out each another through mum? and that is merely because we are too shy to show how much we care.

I do not remember much of my childhood memories with you but whenever I look at photos of you carrying me as a baby, I quickly realised how happy you were at that moment.

Mum told me that you will bring us for a ride no matter how tired you were after a long hard work. You bought me toys every month on your pay day no matter how hard life were at that time. I don't have any memories of it though (because I was still a baby) but I can feel how happy you and mum were that time.

You used to send me to school since kindergarden. I wanted to confess that I secretly felt embarrassed and was so timid every time you showed up. I do not wish to be seen by my schoolmates that I am riding a motorcycle. I got a little nervous everytime while waiting for you to pick me up from school. I was hoping hard that my friends would go home first before you reach. I'm sorry that I think that way.

Now that I am older, I really miss those time when you have to pick me up from school. That is the period when we get to spend most time together. The time when I will hug you and not feeling awkward. The time when you dressed me in my raincoat so that I don't get wet during rainy days. The memories of how painful tiny raindrops on my little arm and how much more painful it would had been on you who are sitting in front. I used to do the signal thingy with my hand when you need to get to the other lane.

I guess mum took over this role when you did not manage to pick me up from school one day and she was worried sick. She forced herself to learn how to drive and from that day onwards, you rarely pick us up from school.

Do you remember when is the first time you punish me? I remembered it well although I am a very forgetful person. I used to be really really hot tempered and fight with my little brother a lot. You had never ever scolded nor punished me because mum is always the bad cop. But I remember well on that particular night, you whacked me for the first time with this thing called ‘thang tuii'. I cried so hard not because it was really painful but because I was innocent. (Ok la, it was painful). I hated you at that moment that I hide myself at the balcony, right outside of your bedroom. It didn't took you very long to come to check me out.

Now that I am older, I realised how silly I was and you probably did laugh at me that night. Well, I forgive you because that was the last time you ever whack me.

We used to hang around with our cousins who we considered luckier because they have a computer at home. We will play with their computers although there's really nothing much to play with it. I guess you saw the sparkling in our eyes and that one night you came back with a full set of computer when you knew nothing about it.

Now that I am older, I realised that we are indeed the luckier kid because we have you as our dad. You would possibly give us the sky if you could.

I still remembered how happy you sound when I called you once from college. I felt so sorry because I didn’t call you as much as I called mum. I have to admit that on that day I was actually trying to get mum but she didn’t pick up, so I called you instead. From that day onwards, I made myself promise that I will call you more often although you do not talk as much as mum. I guess we are both good listeners.

I am sorry that I used to make fun of you a lot. I used to jokes about many of your bad behavior. Your untrimmed nose hair and moustache, the messy hair and even the dirty finger nails.

Now that I am older, I started to admire that pair of hands that had brought food to our table, a roof over our home, a proper education for our future and also many sweet memories in our lifetime. You had manage to build a business on your own with that empty hand.

I used to wonder why you never enjoy sports like other father does. Why you never shops or even have anything to buy. Don’t you have a hobby?

Now that I am older, I realised that you must have been too busy to think about anything else other than to give us a better life. Now that we are older, you can finally do things that you like most. We are really proud to see how much you had succeeded in the Chinese Traditional Medicine field. You had shown us that nothing is impossible. You had proved to us that nothing is too late. You are our greatest HERO!!

We have got a pair of beautiful parent who are cool, happy, playful, chill and forever enjoying their life. We wish both of you of many more year of happiness! Stay Healthy and Stay Young!

With Love,