Life is short but precious. We have to treasure every single minute of it and not take everything for granted. Looking back, I could not imagine how rebellious and disobedient I was.
It all began 5 years ago when I was a secondary three student. Back then, I had undergone a gradual change both in my physique and way of thinking. I was nonchalant to the type of people I was mixing with. To me, whoever could provide me with excitement, fun and laughter would be my buddies. Thus, I fell into the hands of a bad company. Money was everything to me. I would not hesitate to buy branded items and because of that, I would get into endless clashes and quarrels with my parents, my father in particular. Very often, I refused to go to school and stayed away from home for days or even weeks with my so-called ‘buddies’.
Day after day, my life went on as usual until one day….
It was just another warm and humid afternoon. I was packing my bags for a camping trip to Changi Beach with my ‘buddies’ when my mother received a telephone call from the hospital, informing her that my father’s bike had collided with a car. He was admitted to a hospital
My mother burst into tears and wanted me to accompany her to the hospital. Of course, I refused since I had kept a promise with my ‘buddies’ to meet them at the beach. Besides, I thought that my father whom I considered to be a very tough and rugged man could not have been injured too badly. Thus, I turned my back to my mum and left for the beach.
I remembered having a wild and crazy time with my friends at the beach. I ignored the incessant ringing from my mother as I did not want her to spoil my fun. When I dragged myself home , it was close to midnight. I knocked at the door wearily for a while, but nobody answered. Uncle Sammy, my neighbour, came up to me.
“Where have you been, Dave? Don’t you know your dad is in a very critical condition in the hospital? He’s dying!”
I gaped at the word ‘dying’. My face was drained of blood. Without much thought, I hailed a cab and made a beeline to the hospital. Tears began swimming freely in my eyes as I feared the worst.
Upon reaching the hospital, the sight of my mother and two sisters weeping told me the whole truth that I was late, I was way too late.
“Slap, slap.”
Two tight slaps landed on my face. I deserved that slaps from my mother. I knelt down before my dad and wept.
It was at that moment I realised that I had actually taken my dad’s love for granted. I had never appreciated and valued whatever he had given me when he was with me. His demise had woken me. In the midst of my crying, I thought I heard my dad’s voice , “Son, I forgive you. Please, repent.”
From then on, I was ‘born again. “Thank you, Father, I will always treasure you and our family in my heart!”