The coming of a new year usually greets us with a renewed spirit to be a better person and to lead a more meaningful life. But as year 2002 approached us, we found it harder to live life. Especially when it comes to health. Yes, my grandfather, father to my mother, was diagnosed 3rd stage liver cancer just beginning of the year. Doctors claimed he could not live long, probably just up to 6 months. Everyone was in shock. Liver cancer? How could that possibly be? He had been very healthy before. Nobody could be sure what would be coming ahead us.
We were very distracted with this matter. How? Why? then how again? Questions rose up in our minds. We started consulting more friends and professionals. Some suggested herbs, traditional medicine and more. Some even told about how one could still survive up to nearly 10 years even after diagnosed this sort of cancer, even though doctors claimed that there would only be a few months left. Everyone of us thought positively. There must be some way.... some how....
Chinese New Year, in mid-February came. Somehow, we tried to make it as meaningful as it will always be, not realizing that it would become the last Chinese New Year we celebrate with our grandfather.
As days passed, my mother tried to get her father to be baptized. Accepting Christ means a whole lot to us. But we know with the conventional way of thinking, it was fat chance to get him to accept Christ. As expected, he refused. We couldn't say more but prayed for it, trusting God some miracles would happen.
Early May, it was a Friday. We knew it was coming to a more critical stage. My grandfather couldn't eat because his liver was soaring and pushing his intestines. My mother brought him to be warded in the hospital, where he would be provided proper care.
And then, after so long and so much refusal and negative comments, surprisingly enough, my grandfather agreed to accept Christ. We were quite shock at his decision, but we knew God was in control. He and my grandmother were baptized that Thursday. 23 May 2002.
Friday, the next day... I was at the tennis courts at Teachers' Training College. It was the last day of the inter-school tennis tournament. I called my dad to ask if he could fetch me. When he answered the phone, his voice was in an urgent tone, saying that my grandfather was in a critical situation now. I nearly cried out, but no. I was so scared.
Saturday morning... early, early morning about 5 am, my father woke us up. He rushed us and told us to see our grandfather in the hospital because he was in his last breaths. When we reached the ward, I could hear sounds of machine attached to my grandfather. He was using the sort of machine which provided oxygen for him to breath. Loud breathing sounds filled the quiet corridor of the ward. Sobs from us were clearly heard to. I couldn't control myself. Tears welled up my eyes. At that time, I just wanted someone to wake me up and tell me that it was all a horrible nightmare. But I was wrong. It was for real this time.
7 something in the morning, my grandfather stopped breathing. But his heart was still beating. We all called him, asking him to wait for my cousins from Bintulu. He heard us and his pulse went on, slowly became weaker and weaker each time. It was about 9:40 am that my aunt (my grandfather's third child) and her family arrived. Not more than 10 minutes later, he left us.
The funeral was on the following day. I remembered seeing my grandfather lying peacefully in the coffin. As I looked sadly at him, memories of the past with my grandfather kept appearing in my mind. The times when he would pop out his fake teeth to scare us, the time when he came to Kuching and we bought a birthday cake for him to celebrate his birthday, or the time when we were shivering like what in the air-con hotel room at Holiday Inn and he was there laughing at us as he was only wearing shorts and singlet, so much enjoying the cold room. and even the happy times when we went for holidays in Kelantan, Penang and Langkawi together.
I knew nothing could bring my grandfather back. He died at the age of 74. He was really a humble person. He traveled many places; China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, South Africa, Indonesia, Singapore and even on the Star Cruise, the last vacation he went on. I really didn't expect him to pass away this early. Definitely not this early.
Taken on the first day of CNY, the last time celebrating Chinese New Year with my grandfather:
