DADDY

Father’s day is celebrated on 21st June 2009. Fathers are called affectionately by many names.  Daddy, Pa, Ayah and many more.  But these all mean the same.
It is quite interesting to note that Father’s day is celebrated just after the month of Mother’s Day.  I have not figured out why yet.  But my conspiracy theory points the finger at commercialism.
Most of us have different relationships with our fathers.  Some fathers would come up as a friend but in most cases they appear to us as disciplinarians. Most of us remember our fathers in different ways.
For me, my father is a person who spoke little when we were young but his actions were larger than words. As we grew older and started our own families, my father became someone whom we can also talk to, just like a friend. Of course, this opened opportunities to livelier debates, but I think my father enjoys them now.
My father worked in the government sector. Back then the sector was well respected.  I cannot say the same now and my father is silent on this.  He would always tell his friends and colleagues that he would not want his children to be in the government service, reasons only known to him.  We respected that.
I remembered how he had to pack up when the government gave transfer orders which directed a transfer of between 24 hours to a few weeks at the most.  In our case, it was always a matter of hours or just days.  Perhaps, this was one of the reasons.  Then, I wondered whether working for the government was worth it as they do not seem to have any humanity.
He is now known as the expert packer in the household.  My father can pack items like no one can and his packing,  I am certain would be a great business venture if he ever went to business.  He is also very good with sharpening blades and we would always get him to sharpen our knives when he comes to visit us in Subang Jaya.  These two skills are something which we all endeavour to learn.
I fondly remember my father taking us to school daily and insisting we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together. He would pick us up from school during his lunch break to eat lunch together. In the car,  we would hear Lobo over and over till we could recite the lyrics.
My father was also an avid golfer and I never did pick up on the same path.  I cannot understand the thrill of hitting a puny ball over the grass towards a small hole with a stick in the stifling sun or downpour. Alas, he still did well to win chickens, television sets, pots, cookers and such on a relatively frequent basis.
However, my addiction to football was my father’s “fault”. In 1986, as he had no one to accompany him in the wee hours of the morning, he got me to do so.  This he did as I was in Form 1 and in the afternoon session.  In 1986 was the Mexico World Cup where this small fellow called Diego Armando Maradona did his magic. 
My father always reminded us to be thrifty and to remember that education is the way to solve most things in life.  He used to tell us his stories about his entry into Carleton University in Canada through hard work. 
He frequently reminded us of how he read the scraps of newspapers he got from the wrappings for the vegetables and groceries they got as he went with my late Grandfather to barter trade rubber and pepper. This was how he learnt to improve his language skills.
I think fathers play a very important role in the bringing up of their children. Mothers have their importance too. For us, it is with much appreciation that his sons, Aron, Alvin and I proudly regard in high esteem our father who has done so much for others that many have not given him the acknowledgement he deserves.  We remember.
Father’s day is a day where we remember who all fathers are.  How we address and respect our father is who we are in soul and being. Have I followed in my father’s footsteps from tiny feet to a man’s feet?  I do not know.  But I do know that my father’s wish for us to always learn and to always analyze has indeed been formed within us.
To all the fathers out there, I pay tribute to all of you. To our beloved father, from Aron, Alvin and I, “Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!”

Our columnist Anthony Dylan just recently got married. Congratulations to both Mr & Mrs Anthony!