Another Sad Goodbye
May 9, 2011 1 Comment
It is one of those sad goodbyes when we kept tears in our hearts. All 3 of us share the same type of life. We are lonely in our own ways. But our jovial personalities helped us overcome all these. Elkan loves us a lot. He enjoys “family hug”. Whenever Felicia and I are walking on the streets, he likes to pull both our hands together. He is always reminding us to be lovely, dropping us love notes from time to time.
We hate to shed tears during goodbye. Because tears can be brutally more contagious than yawn. Today was another familiar scene at the departure gate. It wasn’t my son’s tears which broke my heart. It was his innocence, sensitivity and maturity that moved me.
I saw that coming. In fact, I tried many times refusing Elkan to send me off at the airport. I even tempted him with toys and other distractions. He insisted sending me off. While we were in the airport, he just wanted me to play with him. “Daddy, give me maths questions or anything we can do together.” In the end, we were folding paper planes and throwing them across the concourse. He was very happy.
When it was time to go, Elkan fought hard not to cry. He showed me an expression that I only see in adults. Big watery eyes, putting on a sad smile. There was no need for words. We hugged tightly. I left. Between the thin glass wall which separated us, Elkan wanted to tell me something. But I couldn’t hear him. He quickly condensed the glass wall with his warm breath. On the misty screen, he wrote “I love you Daddy” and waved goodbye.
There were we. Father and son…standing by each other, separated by a wall of glass. I felt so so sad. Unable to watch his teary eyes, I walked towards the immigration counter with red teary eyes. The officer saw what happened. She gave me a smile and offered me some kind words.
Perhaps God has a special way to make us cherish each other. My absence builds strength in my boy, my wife and myself. We appreciate the simplest form of enjoyment – as long as all of us are together as one family. No material gains would bring this depth of happiness. We recognized the true value of family. Yes, this may not be the usual typical “everyday family life” but every second bring joys to our hearts. All these reunions and separations taught us the importance of kinships and love. And I have the best wife, best son and best life. I love you guys very very much.
12 years away from home - Singapore. Writing my stories here for my lovely mum & dad, friends and most importantly, for my wife & son back home. A self-confessed gadget freak, a spontaneous prankster on the outside and a warm loving heart inside. Enjoying a happy life with loving families, friends plus a dream job. Realising mum’s motto – “Exceed Yourself Every Day”. Always believing that “Simplicity is Beauty”.
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