25/02/2022
A Tribute to Dad Francis Tan Yak Giam ( 1931 - 1987)对爸爸的思念
DAD, You have given me life and shaped my life. I am able to be congruent, to give my love, Concern and care to others because you were the life example. I learned to share my pocket money with my classmates who had no money to buy food during recess. You taught me to be a responsible person and own the mistake when I lost some school trip money to Singapore while I was the club treasurer.
Usually mum brings their kid to school but you were the one who sent me on the 1st day in Standard 1 (Never attended kindergarten 😅) I can see you through the window and you didn't leave me in a strange place then with new faces and new environments.
It is now a fond memories when you woke me up to slice the bread (those day in loaf 🍞)one by one by machine at 5 am. I hated it as a little girl 👧 due to being deprived from my sleep 😴 😴. You will take me to coffee shop for Milo and breakfast before you start selling eggs and bread and bun in the market in Tampin.
I cherished the moment with you when I followed you to Kampung by kampung wholesale in a van, how we the siblings looking forward for baskets of durian, rambutan, mangosteen, langsat after your business trips from the Kampung.
How you carried me at 16 at midnight looking for a doctor due to a beattle has entered my right year after my first day of SRP exams (Those days in small town we don't have 24 hours clinic) You took me to ENT specialist in Melaka after my 2nd paper Mathematics (I managed to score A still😊😊)
I used to get frequent fever, you and 3rd brother will go and look for a particular Chinese 🌿 herb, even at odd hours.
You held my wrist after my tonsillitis operation at 18 and said to me "why your wrist is so small, you are too thin" I can't talk after the operation. You told me to 📝 write on paper when my classmates visited me. The pain was in me but can feel the pain on your face😩
How I missed the breakfast you always ready for us and always told us to take food on time to avoid gastric.
You ferry me to work, waited for me when I needed to do overtime at reception area to fetch me home. You brought me the home cooked food when I need to continue my evening class after work. Dinner while you were driving and chit-chat with me made my meals tasted so much tastier.
You are also my alarm clock, you would wake me up to go to work, there was once you left for KL for a business matter before day break and you rang the house to get mum to wake me up. I know I am pretty much a spoilt young adult ( Those days no handphone, only land line was available😅)
I pen down my memories with you today and 'I LOVE YOU' Dad. My only regret for not saying it personally to you before you were taken by the Lord at 55 after being knocked down by car while crossing the road.
