Grandpa's departure. . .

18th Oct 2010 - Small aunt called at around 3pm.

In the less than a min call, I couldn't get much details but the message was clear.
Gpa had an accident. He has left us.

The fact has not yet even fully registered in my mind.
All I know is I have to inform the rest of my family members.

7pm, we (Mum, Qiqi, Shannon, Xiong & 1st aunt) left Sg with heavy hearts for our hometown, Batu Pahat.

"Do not cry. Some stuff has not been settled yet." came small aunt's sms while we are around 1/2 an hr away from home.

Gpa's body was placed in the living room. He looks like he was sleeping.
There was a long stitch horizontally across his head, blue black at the centre of his forehead, slight scratches on his face & right side of forehead dented.

At 1st, we thought his head cracked upon landing head down.
Nope, the pathologist opened his skull to examine & to confirm he passed away due to head injuries.
Isn't it very obvious with the dented forehead?
But well, all's over, so let it be.

How did it all happen?
Gpa was out on his bike to buy incense paper.
Based on what 2nd uncle saw at the scene, his guess was the hot weather probably caused Gpa's blood pressure to rise.
Thus, he felt faint & lost control of his bike. He might have turn the throttle & his bike hit a kerb.
The next moment, he was threw off his bike & he landed head down.

It was clear that Gpa didn't collapsed immediately.
When 5th aunt reached, Gpa was holding tightly to his Buddha beads bracelet.
Therefore, her guess was he probably took it out & was praying for a miracle which obviously didn't come true.

The 5 days were like a dream, so unreal.
Quoted from Shannon, "If this was a nightmare, let me wake up and grandpa would still be here. if grandpa is still with us is a dream, then don't let me wake up from this dream."

It really seem that Gpa was just away for holidays like any other time.
We were merely waiting for him to return from his trip.
The hard fact of his demise couldn't get into my mind at all.

For the 5 days of wake, I lost my tears.
They didn't came, not that I was trying to ctrl.
But when I saw Gpa's coffin being pushed into the cremation machine, I cried.
It's like finally I hafta accept the fact that he has passed on & that's the last I would see of him.

Life's quite pathetic, isn't it?
All that's of you is placed inside a coffin just right of your size.
Then when you are cremated, what's left are just ashes to be stored in an even smaller urn.

We should really make full good use of our lives & not let there be any regrets. =)

Gpa has lead an interesting life.
He left behind 11 children, 29 grandchildren & a great grand son.

We had him for 10 more years already.
It's time we "returned" him to Gma & let them reunite.

Birth, old age, sickness & death are inevitable in life.
We just have got to accept it no matter we like it or not.

Looking on the bright side; there would be 2 persons answering our prayers & be our spiritual support from now on.
They would watch us well from Heaven.
So give your best in everything you do; you may not see them witnessing your success, but they would definitely be there in another form.

Gpa, gma, next life, we would still want to be your grandchildren. (,")(".)