A Father’s Day Special: a Splendid Report of a Brave Father Who Left Unforgettable Marks
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009The storey we all loved to listen as kids was the one about dad that would explain why his face was covered in what we as kids saw as millions of tiny dents and scars of which I will tell you all about nearer to the end of my tribute to the best dad a daughter could ever have had. His death at the early age of fifty four occurred as a shock specially when his designation for the hospital was to take a plaster cast removed only to bring him dead in the waiting room.
Eventhough the parting of the ways was sudden the fondest of memories has still held a powerful presence in my thoughts over the 26 years where I was proud to call him my dad. If I could wrench the clock back – I would tell him how sorry I was for the times I took him for granted but regrettably that self-reproach will be brought to my grave where I know being the good man that he was will be ready and waiting for me at the pearly gates with open arms full of pardon.
The idea that solaced me and helped relieve the rancor I felt was the one that goes “the good die young”.Why are dads unique – why is my dad more extraordinary than all other dads, simply because people picture the word special in many contrasting ways. So what do I see different in dad that makes him so special?
Dad and his Fathers Day Gifts served thirty-four years in the army but trouble was brewing up on communist day in Hong Kong where dad was stationed. It was the sound of alarm bells that prompted the evacuation into motion for the families living outside the barracks to return to the camp straightaway.
Eight of us were clustered into the back of a 3 ton army wagon with pillows for protection and ordered to keep our heads down of which we obeyed – the Chinese riot mobs were coming out up from the encroaches that lined the road back to the barracks amply equipped with all sorts of killing instruments – twenty one stones came in the wagon on the travel back to camp.
The convoy of trucks that accompanied behind and stopped – now stood burning wrecks.If a barrage of boulders were lunged into the back of the wagon – just what kind of state was the front of that vehicle in and that of the driver. military officers didn’t give a decoration of bravery to the driver. The reason why was because he should not have been driving at the time, so all the pats on the back went to the wrong man sitting up front.
I often inquire today this day would we all came out alive if the boot was on the other foot, if those drivers did not follow the rules.
The result of that fearful day was a truck with no windshield a driver with no face and eight living bodies that lived to recite the story – so now you have the conclusion to my story why those millions of pricks and marks, scarred us for life with exceptional memories of dear old dad.