Honouring our departed 悼念亲人

I was rudely awakened at about 6:30 am this morning by the sound of fireworks.

It is Ching Ming season, a Chinese festival honouring our departed loved ones. The Hokkien Association cemetery at the back of my house already teeming with cars and people coming to pray at the tombs of their loved ones.

To avoid traffic jam and crowd, my wife and I went in the afternoon to Sendayang Chinese Cemetery at Port Dickson Road near Seremban to pay respect to my departed eldest brother and sister in law.

My father died when I was about 5 years old. My eldest brother had to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of a family of 7 siblings plus a youngest brother in my mother's womb. He was 17 years old then.

He passed away in 1996 and his wife about 10 years later.

I missed them very much... my wife and children too. Both my brother and sister in law were very kind to us, like parents to us. They would cook for us our favourate home dishes whenever we went back to hometown to visit them. My brother would make his specialty - "Kao Yok" for us.

I have no more opportunity to express my gratitude and repay their kindness and love for us and to care for them... never ever more.

I missed them very much.....


大清早六点半左右，我被烟花的爆发声音从梦中惊醒过来。

是清明节的时候了。天还没亮，我家后面的福建义山充满了汽车及人群的喧哗声音了。好的人已经来到这里扫墓了！

为了避开塞车及人群，我和太太在中午过后，才到芙蓉附近，波德勝路的山打杨华人坟场，去我大哥及大嫂的墓穴扫墓。

我爸爸在我大约五岁时去世了，我的大哥就得扛起照顾这个七个兄弟姐妹，还有一个在妈妈胎中的遗腹子弟弟的家庭。当时他只有十七岁。

大哥在1996年逝世，而大嫂则在五年前也离开人世了。

我很怀念他们，我的太太及孩子也是如此。长兄如父，长嫂如母，他们我对们非常的好。每当我们回家乡探访他们时，他们都会烹煮我们最喜欢吃的家乡菜肴，包括了我哥哥最拿手的“扣肉”。

如今子欲养，而亲不在，再也没有，永远没有机会继续报答及照顾他们了。。。

我很想念他们。。。