Mr Lam passed away last Tuesday morning at the age of 90. Our hearts throbbed when we heard the news. He loved us and the people from the church and we in turn loved him. His wake held over only that night was the shortest and funeral I’ve attended. The simpleness reflect upon his life and faith he had.
His name “Ah Kow” means no.9, likely referring to his position among his siblings, but we addressed him “Ah Cek”. He was a construction worker until he lost his sight and his wife took care of him thereafter. Despite the lost of sight, he senses were amazing sharp. He knew the monetary value of notes by touching them, and was always happy and generous to give out “ang pows”. When we used to take the bus back together, he always knew when the bus arrived home without anyone tell him. “Kam Sia Zhu” (感谢主, or “Thank God”), the phrase he never failed to say in Hokkien as he prepares his walking stick as the bus makes turns in the carpark to his block.
Always excited when we visited him at his home, he asks and talks events which happen recently and the people who visited him. Never do we hear him grumble or complain. Each time, he would reside the bible verses he memorised, sing the favorite hymns in dialects (十字架，主我赐平安 etc) and pray.
Mr Lam sense of time is very good. Even with my sight to see day and night, calendars and time, often I am ashamed that he could tell and remember dates and time better than I. Not too long ago, Mr Lam fell sick, stayed in a hospital before staying at a home. About 2 weeks back the last time I met him, we visited him at the home. Not being able to see, hard of hearing, without the appetite to eat, I thought that was a difficult time for him but alas, not a sign of complain or murmuring he shows us.
Instead he sings, gives praise and shared his testimony with Hokkien mixed with some other dialects. 91 years old he says he was (thats quite accurate). And he shared how he was saved when Rev Ang reached out to him in the 80s. While he was speaking, I noticed tears flowing from his closed eyes. I thought he was perhaps in pain and because we just woke him up from his sleep. But I now know his tears were of hope, and somehow he knew he was going his meet his Redeemer soon.
There may be many reasons why we loved him, but the faith he had was why we have to look up to him.
p.s. This is the 3rd elderly men I know passed away in the past 7 months. I wrote this post earlier in my book. After numerous procrastination I decided to post it online.
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