I was already into my 2nd job since I left Seri Costa... I was the Guest Relations Officer at Orkid Hotel in Melaka. Work was fun (if you say meeting all these funny, weird, hard guests as fun) but luckily I had only need to do two shifts... either am shift (7am until 3pm) or pm shift (3pm until 11pm)... Female employees are not to work the graveyard shift (11pm until 7am) as the management disallows it.
Anyway, continuing my story....
I was working the am shift ... came a call from him at the hospital... asking me to come over... I couldn't possibly do as I just started my shift and none of the other staff has clocked in... So I said I will get mom to go over.... Called mom and mentioned that... She said she will try as she was going to work herself that time... No choice, I tried another alternative... I managed to get a family friend to go over... Watched over him and cared him while I tried to finish my shift ASAP.
I dropped by during my lunch break, but things didn't look too great.. he seemed to "lose" his eye sights.. the motions still persisted.... no appetite.. but none of the nurses or doctor came by to see him. That was what the family friend said. I was furious. I told him I would be back later after work. And things didn't get better, I would catch hold of them myself.
My heart didn't feel right after that short visit, but I simply ignored it.
I finished work earlier that day at about 2.30pm, after mentioning a few circumstances to Mr. Alex Kuah (my immediate boss that time)... I rushed over to the hospital (luckily it was just opposite the hotel withing walking distance).
He looked so pale, so grave... I was thinking back... how he was in our family... yes, plenty of flaws but not excluding his strengths... but he was still my father, the one who played a part in bringing me into this world. I almost argued with the nurses that day for failing to see to him. Immediately that evening, from the ICG test taken, he was being admitted to the ICU. Twice! Twice, the doctor gave us a fright.... Blood pressure low, every single reading was not doing justice for us.
Cut the story short, he left us that evening - 6th December 2001. A sad day for all of us. I am not sure how others felt, but his non-presence left an empty place in me for a few years.
The Late SEOW NYET FAH
(1950 - 2001)
Rest in peace, papa... You will always be remembered.
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