Answering calls by the third ring

AMAZING Grace is deemed Dad’s favourite hymn. Well, partly because this is the only hymn that Dad was familiar with, apart from Christmas carols. Whenever he heard this song, he experienced so much peace, especially during the time when he was diagnosed with the Big C.

Now, when Amazing Grace is played (whatever the version may be), our tears would well up.

It has been over four years since Dad left us to go to a better place. But some of the trivial stuff would easily remind me of Dad. So, whenever Amazing Grace is played, it would remind me of those Sundays I spent with him before he passed away.

Another one that reminds me of Dad is Silent Night, especially during Christmas. When he was still alive, he would play the tune on his harmonica at almost every chance he had, come December. Now, every time Silent Night is played, in my mind, I can just picture him playing the harmonica ... .

In my boyhood, I was trained to answer the house phone as soon as it rang, otherwise I would get an earful from Dad. That made me a “champion” in answering phone calls within three rings, and each time I did that, I got such a sense of satisfaction, and the urge to tell Dad that I had answered the call in the shortest possible time. I am sure those in customer service can relate to the three-ring concept.

Whenever I told myself “I did it”, I just knew that he would have heard it from up there and, as usual, I could just hear him say: “You should do better next time.” It may seem like a chore for some, but for me, answering calls in the shortest possible time was like seeking approval and acknowledgment from Dad.

Whenever we go on tours, I can just picture him walking around, looking for local markets to visit early in the morning. He used to do that, before everyone else woke up, when we were on long trips.

Whenever I see apples in the grocery store, they too remind me of Dad. He often asked us to buy an apple for him – and we’d better buy just one apple, nothing more, otherwise we would get an earful from him.

He may not be an Oscarwinning dad but he put in the effort, however little it may have been, to raise us. What we had may not have been the best but, together with Mum, they gave their best to us.

Whatever it is, we miss him but we know that he is in a better place.