An Incident

lim peh ka li kong

Heard an incident from my friend, Ah Lee and this is what he told me...

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Friends who know me will know that I usually go home for dinner every night after work since I got married.

There was this one night when I headed home after work for dinner and along the corridor, I saw Pei Qi standing outside her house, looking very sad.

I had to walk past her house before reaching my own unit.

Pei Qi is a young 18-year-old girl who had just completed her "A" levels and she is staying with her grandmother beside our house.

Pei Qi is a very polite, caring, and pleasant girl who has been staying with her old grandmother since she was 3 years old after both her parents died in a car accident.

As we are neighbours who stay just next to each other, my wife and I treat her like our own daughter.

Lately, Pei Qi has been telling us that she would be applying for Scholarship to do her degree in the States but she is worried to leave her grandmother behind alone should her application be granted.

We have known Pei Qi´s grandmother for the past 20 over years and she is, in fact, like a mother to us.

Actually we are like 三代同堂 (3 generation family) living in 2 units side by side.

Both my wife and I have spoken to Pei Qi and told her should she have the chance to go abroad for further studies, she should go and we will definitely keep an eye on her grandmother and take care of her grandmother during her 3 years absence.

So when I saw Pei Qi standing outside her unit sadly, I asked her: "Hi, Pei Qi, why are you standing outside your house? Have you had your dinner?"

"Hello Uncle Lee. No, I haven´t eaten my dinner yet..." Pei Qi looked very sad while talking to me.

"Pei Qi, is there a problem? Come tell Uncle Lee what is it. Don´t worry, my wife and I will help you with anything you need."

"Uncle Lee...sobs...sobs..." Tear drops started to roll down her cheeks.

"Ai-yo, Pei Qi, big girl already, 乖 don´t cry. Tell Uncle Lee what´s wrong and don´t you worry about anything."

I am very scared to see lady cries, once they cry, my heart pains.

"Sob...sob.... Uncle Lee... I have to trouble you and Aunty Lee to help me take care of my grandmother..."

"So your application for Scholarship is granted already, is it? It´s a good thing, no need to cry one la." Young people are like that, can´t bear to leave their family behind.

"Uncle Lee... sob... sob... please take good care of my grandma, ok?" Pei Qi´s tears are like coming out from tap, cannot stop.

"Pei Qi, don´t cry. We will definitely look after your grandmother, that goes without saying. You just have a peaceful mind and concentrate on your studies when you are there in the States, ok?"

"Thank you very much, Uncle Lee..."

"Don´t worry Pei Qi, now wipe away your tears and don´t let your grandma see you crying in case she thought Uncle Lee bully you. Go in and have your dinner and don´t think too much."

After seeing Pei Qi went into her unit, I walked back to my unit and expecting dinner to be ready for the "大嘴蚶" cos I was very hungry.

But no leh, dinner was not ready and in fact my wife wasn´t even at home. Hmmm... just as I was scratching my head, my wife opened our door with her key and walked in slowly with Pei Qi´s grandmother.

Pei Qi´s grandmother was crying and so was my wife.

"What happen? Is it because Pei Qi going to the Sta..." I talked half way and was interrupted by my wife.

"Pei Qi is dead. She met with a fatal accident this morning and we have just collected her body from the Mortuary..."

My mind just went blank............

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After hearing what Ah Lee said, my mind also blank.

lim peh kong wan liao