Wednesday, August 10, 2016

DAD'S DEATH ON 1 AUGUST 2016 WAS SADDEST DAY IN MY HAPPY LIFE

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
IF I CAN CHOOSE, IN A MILLION REINCARNATIONS OVER COUNTLESS KALPAS, I STILL WANT TO BE REBORN AS THE SON OF KEE NAI SENG, NOT AS CROWN PRINCE OF MIGHTY EMPEROR, KING, PRINCE OR POTENTATE.

MY FATHER KEE NAI SENG. AS MY MOTHER SAID, HE HAS GONE TO MEET PUTCHOR (HOKKIEN FOR BUDDHA) SO HE IS A BETTER REALM. BUT EASIER SAID THAN DONE AS WE STILL WEPT BUCKETS
 SIMPLE FUNERAL UNLIKE MY GRANDFATHER WHICH WAS SO COSTLY AND ELABORATE COMPLETE WITH STREET PROCESSION, STILT WALKERS AND PROFESSIONAL WEEPERS!
 MY FATHER'S ALTAR AT KELANTAN BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION
 MY FATHER DIED AGED 95 WHICH EXPLAINS WHY THE FLOWERS ARE ORANGE AND BRIGHTLY COLORED AND NOT WHITE AS HE WAS SO OLD. IF DAD HAD DIED AGED 100 THE FLOWERS WOULD BE BRIGHT RED!
 MY FATHER'S COFFIN OR 'GRAND MANSION' (TUA CHU IN HOKKIEN)
 I STOOD HERE FOR HOURS TO WEEP
 MY FATHER!
 SLEEP WELL PAPA
 SO PEACEFUL
 BUDDHA GRANTED MY WISH FOR HIM TO HAVE A PEACEFUL, PAINLESS, PERFECT DEATH
 DAD DIED IN HIS SLEEP. NO PAIN, NO SUFFERING ON HIS PART. NO SUFFERING OR WORRIES FOR MY MOTHER AND ME
 DUE TO BUDDHA'S BLESSINGS, DAD DIED IN HIS SLEEP, CAUSING HIS WIFE AND SON NO PAIN, FEAR OR WORRY.
 ONE DAY I WILL BE LIKE THIS ALSO
 PUTCHOR (HOKKIEN FOR BUDDHA) AND AVALOKITESVARA AND MANJUSRI
 BUDDHA AND GODDESS OF MERCY AND GODDESS WHO DISPELS IGNORANCE
 AS ONLY CHILD, I HAD TO SLEEP NEXT TO FATHER'S COFFIN ALONE FOR 2 NIGHTS FROM MONDAY 1 TO WEDNESDAY 3 AUGUST TO ACCOMPANY MY FATHER. I BEGGED HIM TO FORGIVE ME FOR NOT GIVING HIM A GRANDSON/DAUGHTER AND THAT I WOULD REPAY HIM IN MY NEXT LIFE
 MY BED ROOM FOR 2 NIGHTS. DAD DIED ON MY BED IN MY BEDROOM IN KOTA BARU AROUND 4 AM AS WHEN MUM TRIED TO WAKE HIM AROUND 6.45 AM HIS HANDS WERE ALREADY COLD
 DATO KEE HUA CHEE AND HIS FATHER'S ALTAR
 AS I FLEW IN FROM BANGKOK I HAD TO BORROW WHITE T-SHIRT AND BLACK PANTS FROM COUSIN KEE HUI PENG
 SADDEST TIME OF MY HAPPY LIFE
 DATO KEE HUA CHEE AND COUSIN FROM MOTHER'S SIDE RICHARD KOE
 RICHARD KOE, LUCY KOE AND DATO KEE HUA CHEE
 SON AND HIS PAPA

 DATO KEE HUA CHEE, MUM ANG SIEW SOH AND LUCY KOE
 WITH RICHARD KOE

 DESOLATE
 FIRST WREATH FROM GINTELL GROUP OF COMPANIES. THANKS SO MUCH ALY WONG, I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU AS YOUR GINTELL WREATH WAS FIRST TO ARRIVE

 DAD WENT TO SEE PUTCHOR AGED 95 SO HIS PHOTO WAS FRAMED WITH BRIGHT, HAPPY ORANGE FLOWERS
 NO LENGTHY HOSPITAL STAY, NO LIFE RESPIRATOR, NO PAIN BUT STILL INSANELY SAD FOR HIS WIFE ANG SIEW SOH AND ONLY CHILD DATO KEE HUA CHEE 
 KEE NAI SENG. A SMALLTIME BUSINESSMAN, NO BUSINESS EMPIRE, NOT AT ALL FAMOUS, NOT AN EXPERT IN ANYTHING, A MR EVERYMAN BUT I WOULD NOT CHANGE HIM FOR ANY OTHER FATHER
 IF I CAN CHOOSE, IN A MILLION REINCARNATIONS OVER ENDLESS KALPAS, I STILL WANT TO BE BORN AS HIS SON
 HAPPY HUED FLOWERS AS DAD LED SUCH A LONG AND HEALTHY LIFE TILL 95. IF HE HAD REACHED 100 THE FLOWERS WOULD BE BRIGHT RED
 DAD PROMISED MUM HE WOULD LOOK AFTER HER WILL HE WAS 95 AND HE DID!
 DAD SAID IF HE REACHED HIS 96TH BIRTHDAY ON 8 SEPTEMBER 2016 HE WOULD LOOK AFTER HER TILL HE WAS 100
 BUT BUDDHA LOVED HIM AND WANTED HIM BACK
 DAD LOOKING SO PEACEFUL AS IF ASLEEP
 HE CAUSED NO ONE GRIEF IN LIFE AND SAME IN DEATH
 MY FATHER KEE NAI SENG THE BEST DAD IN THIS KALPA
 SLEEP WELL PAPA WE WILL MEET AGAIN
 ALL SAID HE LOOKED REMARKABLY YOUNG FOR A 95 YEAR OLD MAN
 DAD'S COMPLEXION STILL SO SMOOTH AND RELATIVELY UNLINED
 DAD HAS HARDLY ANY WRINKLES LIKE HIS SON
 DAD LED A PEACEFUL LIFE AND WAS REWARDED WITH PEACEFUL DEATH FOR HE DIED IN HIS SLEEP AFTER DINNER WITH MUM. HE ATE KOLO MEE, ORANGE AND APPLE AND TOLD MUM THE DINNER WAS DELICIOUS. THEN AROUND 10 PM ON SUNDAY NIGHT 31 JULY 2016 HE WENT TO SLEEP AND NEVER WOKE
 KELANTAN BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION BUILDING AT LEFT

 PRAY TO BUDDHA
 SIMPLE FUNERAL AS DAD OUTLIVED ALL HIS FRIENDS


 TUASOH WITH FRIENDS
 CHINESE LAYMEN AND WOMEN CHANTING BEFORE PICTURE OF BUDDHA AND BODDHISATTVAS IN MANDARIN
 WE HAD THAI MONKS CHANTING IN THAI EARLIER


 MY TUASOH (WIFE OF MY LATE COUSIN KEE HUI KANG), DATO KEE HUA CHEE, LUCY KOE AND MUM ANG SIEW SOH

 RELATIVES AND FRIENDS

 DESPAIR
 DESOLATE



 I WAS DAZED AND CONFUSED. THESE PHOTOS TAKEN BY COUSIN RICHARD KOE


 KEE HUA BOON AND HIS COUSIN DATO KEE HUA CHEE


 KEE HUA BOON AND DATO KEE HUA CHEE WERE PLAYMATES WHEN KIDS






 BUDDHA GRANTED MY WISH BY GRANTING MY FATHER A LONG, HAPPY, HEALTHY LIFE AND PEACEFUL, PAINLESS, PERFECT DEATH BY LETTING HIM PASS AWAY IN HIS SLEEP SO WHEN HE WOKE, HE WOULD BE IN HEAVEN WITH BUDDHA. SO THANK YOU BUDDHA
 MY COUSIN'S SON KEE HUA LIANG WHO ACCOMPANIED ME TILL 1 AM ON MY SECOND NIGHT SLEEPING NEXT TO MY FATHER'S COFFIN OR 'GRAND MANSION' (TUA CHU) AS THEY CALL IT IN HOKKIEN
 PICTURE OF DESPAIR
 NOTHING IS SADDER THAN LOSS OF A PARENT
 NOTHING MUCH MATTERED NOW
 DATO KEE HUA CHEE WITH LAST FAREWELL TO FATHER 
 TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY 3 AUGUST 2016) MY FATHER'S COFFIN WILL BE TAKEN TO CREMATORIUM AFTER FINAL RITES AT KELANTAN BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION IN KOTA BARU
 DATO KEE HUA CHEE AND HIS FATHER KEE NAI SENG
 SON AND FATHER TOGETHER
 MUM SELECTED THIS 'GRAND MANSION' (COFFIN) HERSELF
 2 BRO---KEE HUA HEANG AND KEE HUA BOON
 COUSINS OF DATO KEE HUA CHEE
 WITH KEE HUA LIANG AND FAMILY FRIEND FROM PASIR MAS

 MY COUSINS RICHARD KOE AND KEE HUI PENG
 RICHARD KOE AND KEE HUI PENG
 TAKING A SNOOZE BEFORE CARRYING OUT DUTIES
 IN DEEP SLUMBER FROM WHICH THEY WILL WAKE
 IN DEEP SLUMBER FROM WHICH HE WON'T WAKE!
 OFFERINGS TO MY DAD KEE NAI SENG
 MOURNERS
 DAD OUTLIVED ALL HIS CONTEMPORARIES AND FRIENDS!
 AFTER ME CAME MY MOTHER AS 'GEK KIM' (SILVER CURRENCY) IS PRESSED FROM FOREHEAD TO FEET BY AH SIANG THE UNDERTAKER
 MY MOTHER ANG SIEW SOH
 THE COFFIN COVER IS FULLY LIFTED
 LUCY KOE
 THIS IS THE LAST TIME WE WOULD SEE MY FATHER IN HUMAN FORM
 FOR HE WOULD SOON BE CREMATED
 FROM ASHES TO ASHES






 CLOSING AND NAILING OF MY FATHER'S COFFIN!
 DAD! FARE THEE WELL! WE WILL MEET AGAIN!
 DATO KEE HUA CHEE AND MUM ANG SIEW SOH HAD NO MORE TEARS LEFT
 LAST LOOK FROM GRIEF-STRICKEN SON AND WIFE
 YELLOW CLOTH WITH SACRED INCANTATIONS FOR A SAFE, SPEEDY PASSAGE

 RELATIVES PAY LAST RESPECTS




 RICHARD KOE AND SIS LUCY KOE





 BOWING TO MY FATHER KEE NAI SENG
 ONLY COFFIN LEFT NOW
 MAY BUDDHA AND KUANYIN TAKE CARE OF MY FATHER!
 I LOVE MY PAPA SO MUCH!
 VAN TO CARRY THE GRAND MANSION

 SOME WORKERS ARE MALAY MUSLIMS AS WE LIVE IN HARMONY HERE
 MY FATHER INSIDE THE COFFIN!
 ENTERING THE HEARSE
 I SAT IN FRONT WITH DRIVER WHO WAS MALAY MUSLIM WHO DID NOT MIND LISTENING TO BUDDHIST CHANTING FROM CD WHICH PLAYED NONSTOP FROM KOTA BARU TO KAMPUNG DALAM WHERE THE CREMATORIUM WAS LOCATED

 SIANG LEONG PROVIDED FUNERAL SERVICES AND LAST RITES
 I CRIED TILL MY LEFT CONTACT LENS FELL OUT OF MY EYE AND DID NOT REALISE IT TILL I WANTED REMOVE THEM TO SLEEP
 I ALMOST PULLED MY LEFT EYEBALL OUT BEFORE REALISING THERE WAS NO CONTACT LENS INSIDE
 PICTURE OF SORROW
 DRAINED, BLURRED AND CONFUSED
 EXHAUSTED
 A MIRACLE! I THREW THIS 'GEK KIM' PAPER OUT OF WINDOW GAP ABOUT AN INCH LIKE I DID 2 PREVIOUS PAPERS. THIS TIME, IT SLID SLOWLY BEFORE MY ASTOUNDED EYES FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, NEATLY ENTERING THE TINY SLIT AND STAYED THERE INSTEAD OF FLYING OFF! I STARED AND OGLED IN DISBELIEF AND THEN THE TOP END FLAPPED A LITTLE AS IF MY FATHER WAS SAYING GOODBYE TO ME BEFORE IT TOOK FLIGHT AND WAS BLOWN AWAY! I KNEW THEN MY DAD WAS BIDING FAREWELL TO ME WHICH COMFORTED ME SO MUCH. MUM SAW A BROWN BUTTERLY AROUND 6.45 AM AT HOME WHILE EATING BREAKFAST AND KNEW IT WAS HER HUSBAND! THE BUTTERFLY APPEARED MIRACULOUSLY ATOP KITCHEN DOOR BEFORE FLYING IN CIRCLES THRICE. MUM CALLED OUT, "SENG, I KNOW IT'S YOU! THANK YOU FOR COMING HOME'. SHE WENT TO WASH HER HANDS, TURNED AND THE BUTTERFLY WAS GONE.
 WAT CHONPRA CHUMTAT CREMATORIUM
 MY FATHER'S COFFIN ENROUTE TO FURNACE!
 I WAS GRIEF STRICKEN AS I KNEW DAD IN HUMAN FORM WOULD BE BURNED INTO ASHES AND BONE FRAGMENTS!
 FINAL PRAYERS

 I ALMOST FAINTED WHEN I SAW THIS! MY FATHER ENTERING FURNACE IN HUMAN FORM TO EMERGE AS ASHES
FROM ASHES TO ASHES! I FELT MY HEART WAS SPLINTERING INTO ASHES TOO! DAD I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. MAY YOU ENTER NIRVANA AND BE PART OF BUDDHAHOOD OR ENTER A BLESSED REALM OR BE REBORN SPEEDILY INTO ANOTHER GOOD PERSON! ONE DAY I TOO WILL BE INSIDE SUCH A COFFIN AND WE THREE WILL BE REUNITED AGAIN! 


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