i was so elated when i opened my post-box last afternoon. i instantly recognized that handwriting on the envelop and felt it was really god-sent to receive something from someone whom I have tried to write to, search for for the last few years! the envelop bore kathy's handwriting but the letter itself had been typed out and printed. my happiness was short-lived when i read the letter. i felt a lump in my throat.
the year was 1993. i had been sent to canungra, queensland for a course. canungra was in the mountains about 45 min drive from brisbane. 5 min from my school was this little convenient store that i would frequent to get my groceries and stuff. one fine day, on my way back to my dorm, i saw this chinese lady by the side of the road. seeing an asian in a predominantly ang-mo country was certainly refreshing and quite surprising for me, and i guessed for her too. we exchanged smiles and self-introduced. she told me she was waiting for her husband ron. that chance encounter was the start of a very warm and endearing friendship that i shared with them both. kathy and ron would bring me around brisbane on weekends for barbeques, shopping etc. kathy would also cook me all her malaysian specialities on evenings when i was free. she took it upon herself to make me feel at home. to me, kathy and ron were my family and their home was my home, away from my home.
we kept in touch after my 6 weeks stay in australia. they had a child, natasha, 2 years later and they brought her to visit me in 2000. that was the last time we corresponded. we lost contact after that. my attempts to trace them thru emails, etc did not meet with any success. i had left their address stucked on my notice board and frequently i would see it and wondered how they were. other than that, i knew i would never be able to trace them again.
until i received the letter.
when i read the letter, i was shocked and so very affected to learn of ron's passing on. he had a heart attack 3 years ago and left behind kathy and 9-yr old tasha. it broke my heart to learn that someone whom i really cherished had left this world and i had not been able to keep in touch with him all these while. the rest of my day was in the pits.
nonetheless, i was glad that i am able to reconnect with kathy. i wrote her an email in the evening and managed to get a reply today. kathy told me that ron became a buddhist before he died. his ashes had been placed around the world. kathy has since moved on and she is slowly piecing her life together again.
to ron, rest in peace. and to kathy, i wish her well.
the year was 1993. i had been sent to canungra, queensland for a course. canungra was in the mountains about 45 min drive from brisbane. 5 min from my school was this little convenient store that i would frequent to get my groceries and stuff. one fine day, on my way back to my dorm, i saw this chinese lady by the side of the road. seeing an asian in a predominantly ang-mo country was certainly refreshing and quite surprising for me, and i guessed for her too. we exchanged smiles and self-introduced. she told me she was waiting for her husband ron. that chance encounter was the start of a very warm and endearing friendship that i shared with them both. kathy and ron would bring me around brisbane on weekends for barbeques, shopping etc. kathy would also cook me all her malaysian specialities on evenings when i was free. she took it upon herself to make me feel at home. to me, kathy and ron were my family and their home was my home, away from my home.
we kept in touch after my 6 weeks stay in australia. they had a child, natasha, 2 years later and they brought her to visit me in 2000. that was the last time we corresponded. we lost contact after that. my attempts to trace them thru emails, etc did not meet with any success. i had left their address stucked on my notice board and frequently i would see it and wondered how they were. other than that, i knew i would never be able to trace them again.
until i received the letter.
when i read the letter, i was shocked and so very affected to learn of ron's passing on. he had a heart attack 3 years ago and left behind kathy and 9-yr old tasha. it broke my heart to learn that someone whom i really cherished had left this world and i had not been able to keep in touch with him all these while. the rest of my day was in the pits.
nonetheless, i was glad that i am able to reconnect with kathy. i wrote her an email in the evening and managed to get a reply today. kathy told me that ron became a buddhist before he died. his ashes had been placed around the world. kathy has since moved on and she is slowly piecing her life together again.
to ron, rest in peace. and to kathy, i wish her well.
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