Just got home from school after admiring my masterpiece - done up my CCA board. *chuckle* It looks quite crappy but it's much better than what it was before! *nods self* Anyway, I was surprised. As I was approaching my door, I heard noise coming from my house. English speaking people. On TV.
Okay, cos what happens is that, every day at this hour. (4.30 to 6.30pm) My grams would be hooked on some taiwanese show or some local chinese show. It's always some mandarin conversations going on, and some dramatic background sound to go with it. This time, it was silence in the background, just serious talkings. And my dad was watching the TV intently as well. (Oh yes, my grams doesn't understand English.)
Queer? I know. I sauntered into the house and realised they were watching the farewell speeches made to Dr Wee Kim Wee, more affectionately known as our People's President. Then, I stood to watch the bit when his son made the speech. He made this statement. "Many of you would wonder why I brought my daughter along on stage with me. She is here to make sure that I delivered the speech properly after the most draining period of 5 days." After which, he quickly brushed away his tears rolling down his cheek.
I felt so bad when I found out about his death a few days ago. After the whole big issue about his funeral and such announced on the radio, I was like... Dr who? I had no clue. But that's only because President Ong took over in 1994, according to my brother. And I would be 5 then, so how'd I know who was Dr Wee? And when I asked around, the older people (*cough* that means my brother) could only shake their heads in utter disgust and disappointment, then tell me, "He's a very nice man." It's quite sad, isn't it? The younger generation (like myself) never got the chance to appreciate how much of a people-person he was. While people griefed over the loss of a great man, I had no idea how he was like, how he looked like, what he did, or who on earth he was!
His son went on to say, "He (Dr Wee) never had former education. He told me that he only started learning when he first took on a job and earned his first dollar. He was earning $80 a month then. And that was a lot of money." Wow. Uneducated but one hell of a person, according to everyone.
"He had met the Queen, the Pope, and all the world leaders." WHOAAA. I wanna meet the queen! *curtseys* My respects to your royal highness. Or however you say that. lol.
"Join me in celebrating his life." Okay, now that is something I will NEVER be able to say if I lose a loved one. It'd be more of like, I thank all of you for moaning over the loss of a precious one. And go on grieving. Man. And, he just went on brushing away tears occasionally. It was so sad, I didn't feel like picking on the way he mumbled his speech at all. (I'm NOT being sarcastic here, I swear. Cross my heart and hope to die.) It made me feel like straining to catch every word he was saying. Oh well, deepest condolescences. Wish I'd gotten the chance to know how he was like when he was in control.
4 Comments:
ooh. my bro seems to remember him very very very well though. i was waaaay too young to remember a thing. never even heard of his name :S but you make sense =) but afterall he's an ex-president, it's bound to be a big issue when he's left for another world..
My sentiments about your post. Never knew the deeds of the man, wish i did. =) nice one.
i've known that he was our ex-president since i was little. but that's only because there's a picture of him with my uncle on the walls of my grandma's house.
but everything else about him, i didn't really know (except that he was a nice man). it was moving to hear that he actually did many helpful things for the poor and yea, i saw his son make the speech.
i think that anyone, especially one who went through the world wars and tried to put singapore together should be well respected.
thanks shawn :) wish i did too.
seige, i agree. i didn't even know he was such a fab man, until recently. cos i've not HEARD of him in the first place! haha.
Post a Comment
<< Home