Remeber I promise to write a post about everyone close to me. So here goes another.
My Dad’s name is Steven Lim Gim Peng, born 25th March 1959. To chart his life is not an easy task, but of course I have bit and pieces of memory, here and there.
I remembered a number of stories that he told me, but a few stuck in my mind. He use to say our generation people are very lucky. Because we have everything that we want. We have computers, playstation, proper uniforms when going to school, can drink coke, and chicken drumstick. It seems during their time, coke and drumstick was a luxury. So being Mr Cheeky, he had a plan. And where do you find the most coke and chicken drumstick – on the Altar. If you guys have prayed before, you will know that most Altars will have a table set in front of it. It is usually covered in red cloth. So my dad will hide below the red cloth. When everyone was gone, like superman, he will jump out to finish whatever food there is on the table. After that, he will wait for the spanking. But seems to me, he feels it is absolutely worth it!
My dad studied till secondary 2 (Serangoon Technical, now defunct). I saw his report card before, which wasn’t so bad after all. But due to the families incapability to feed the family, he had to work. He have complain a number of times that his brothers are luckier. Because he was the one who had to quit school to work, and he was the one who got scolded first if any thing wrong happen. He also told me that he had to cook and look after the rest. Which I guess wasnt an easy task at the age of 15. Somehow or rather I feel that he felt it wasn’t fair. But I guess, just like how people in the past use to be stronger, he gritted his teeth and forgo studying, enjoying blah blah.
In a way, during his younger times, he got into bad company. Which I think was rather really bad company. But the 1 thing I felt was a good thing to do was, he never had any tattoos (Sherry are you reading this).
My dad met my mum about the age of 16-17, my mum studied Cedar Girls school. In a way, its rather funny why they would be together. Because Cedar girls school is a reputable school. I don’t know how my dad did it, but he even manage to make my mum stop schooling!
So after knowing my mum, my dad enlisted into the army. He was assign to be a chef. Somehow or rather, he manage to improve his cooking skills more in the army. But he hated the army, just like me. He felt it was a waste of time and he wanted to work. The army pay was too little. I have to add, I remebered everytime my dad went for range, he was a marksman. Cause I remember taking the badge and pinning it on my clothes =)
After army, he started trying to work in odd jobs. Being non-educated, he obviously had difficulty in finding jobs. So he decided to start his own company, fixing doors for toilets. It is sort of a contractor/ Carpenter job. But it was his own business anyways. Business was ok, not too bad. Good enough to survive. But as with how things works, greed got the better of everyone. He started to gamble, and being stress, started to drink. So from this you can understand that, my mum know my dad before he was an alcoholic. He gabmbled his business away and was a total wreck.
I remembered having no house to stay in Primary 4. But no one to blame though, family is about sticking together. So we stuck together for a couple of years before grandma came to help.
At that point of time, with his ego badly bruised, I guess it was hard for him to find a job outside too. So he went to the temple to work. Being a tyrant that he is, after working for 1-2 years, he manage to fully intimidate the aunties there (which was damn funny). He is known to be the person who has a bad temper and straight talking.
I guess some people appreciate an honest person, while some might find him crude. For me, in a place like a Hokkien Temple, you are in Rome, live like the Romans.
In life we all have flaws, we make mistakes. But during the mistakes that you make, do you swallow in self-pity, or do you stand up and try to rectify the mistakes. I remembered he said ”You grow up in this environment, not those high class 1, bo pian eh, dont blame anyone, cause this is God’s will. But blame yourself, if you don’t make the best out of it.”
This is not meant to be a emotional post. I can’t fill in everything that I remember or all the thoughts in a blog. I just want to say, my dad made an impact to my life. He wasn’t a very ambitious man, but something he can be very proud of is that he love us more than anything. Best part is, he have never cheated on my mum. And as a guy, we know how difficult that is. I know he loves my mum a lot, cause my mum is also his first love.
1 incident during a car ride home. The radio was on stations 95.8fm. My dad suddenly remarked ” Knn this Dj, i know him, last time always ji siao your mum, I wanna whack him lah, next time don’t listen 95.8fm” ”Expletives x 100”. I remember i nearly laugh till siao. Cause he was obviously angry over a matter that happen like 8 years ago. So in a way, that proves he loves my mum a lot. Which I think for a woman, its all that is important.
As my dad got older, he mellowed. His temper was very good, in fact better than my mum’s. He got much much closer to my sister which is something I am really happy about because they use to quarrel a lot. He got so close to my sis that sometimes I was jealous (not in a bad way lah).
My dad was a kind person, though crude, but fact is he had a good heart. Tell you guys 1 last incident. I remembered we were damn poor, and my dad only had about 400 plus in the bank. A friend of his whom is a drug addict came round to the temple to borrow some money from him. He didnt say much, and pass him the $400. My mum of course got into a fit. But he felt that this friend of his needed the $400 more than him. And this is how I derive that the amount of help a person helps you doesnt come from the help given. As in it doesnt mean a person lend u $400 compare to a person whom lend you $4000, he is helping less. Rather help can be calculated by, how much it affects that person after he helps you.
I love my family, everyone knows that. We are very close knit, which I am happy about. Long may that stay, and may God be kind to my dad.
日头这么大
天气这么热
爸爸你甘会嘴甘
拿手巾来给你檫汗
长大我会做好子
