A Tribute to My Grand Father

My grandfather, Quek Hua Chuan. 9 August 1929 to 25 July 2007. Age 79

I lived with 爺爺 the first 14 years of my life.

爺爺 was a man of little words. He never talked much about himself other than he was borned in Indonesia. He used to wear this watch that has a brand "Q & Q", he would often tell me Q & Q stands for Quek and Quek.

爺爺 was like a father to me. He looked after me when I was young when my parents were not around, brought me to school, pick me up from school. He would make many DIY toys for me which I still keep until today. Yesterday, my sis and I were looking through our cupboards, we found our toys that 爺爺 got for us. She say there was a time when 爺爺 works in the airport. He would peel off stickers from the luggages and give to my sis because she loved stickers when she was young. 爺爺 was a lion, yet he put up with us when we quarrel.

I can still remember when I was 2, 爺爺 would wash me up when I soiled my diapers. I remember the time he drove me down to Chinatown when I was 4, to buy Chinese New Year goodies for Grandma. It was a blue van, which belongs to his friend. I can still remember he told me when he got into the van that he have not driven a car for very long and he was afraid. Only recently I discovered that he met an accident many many years back. He had a phobia driving then. And when I got older we played those silly games "not touching the lines on the ground" when he pick me up from my house at 7am to fetch me to his place. I would often sit beside him when he fix all the furniture in the house. He would paint the big pot and ask me to help him. I can still remember those times where he asked me to pick 4-D numbers and go buy with him. And those times he struck lottery and brought me to the market to buy my favorite fruit, the King of Fruits, Durian. He would buy more because he knew I loved it.

I remember that he bought for me my first kite from Indonesia. A big red butterfly. When it was torned, Grandma threw it away, I cried and I cried non-stop. 爺爺 went to buy papers and sticks, he made me a new one. And he taught me how to fly a kite.

Once Grandma caught a bird for me as pet, 爺爺 went to borrow a cage from his friends. Then the next day he went to the neighbourhood rubbish dump to find a bird cage for my pet to stay. And he would often buy food for my bird even though we were not very well to do at that time. And when Grandma got upset with the smell of the bird cage, she wanted to release the bird, 爺爺 went to wash it even though we all know he hates to do house work.

Everytime we go out as a family, he would always be the first one to be ready, then he would wait until he gets impatient so he would go downstairs to his garden. The RC garden, which he tends every morning. I would often go with him and help him water the plants. Once my dad brought back an old children desk. 爺爺 washed it, sanded it, then he lacquer it until it looks brand new. That was for me, I was going to Primary one.

爺爺 was always in his own world. He was very distant from everyone else. Even when we grew up, moved away, he will go to sleep when we come back to visit. But grandma says when we called and say we are coming, he will keep asking every now and then when are we arriving.

Maybe 爺爺 was never been loved by his parents, he did not know how to show his love.

Last few months, he had episodes of hospital encounters. We all took it for granted that all would be well. We never knew. Never saw it coming.

Maybe as fallen creatures, we humans just do not know how to appreciate the good things when they are around. Now when he is gone he is greatly missed by all of us.

爺爺, you will always be in our heart. With love and great longing....