Well for the first time in my 5 years with the Bank I had to work until 2 am in the morning last Friday. It was really no joke having to stare at the paper that I was drafting and making no sense of it. It was even worse when amendments had to be made to the paper which required some skillful typing but my best clerks who had helped prepare the first draft had gone home.
Past 12 midnight and there seems to be a faint throbbing pain in my head. I was dirty, smelly and simply fed up! I had felt the oncoming wave of a blackout but thank God I felt incredible peace (at that time my life group members were meeting in my house and I knew that they must have been praying for me).
When I think about the long hours at work (working till 8 or 9 pm lately) I am really thankful for my late father. He worked 3 jobs to support the 5 of us. He was a full time book keeper, a part time nyonya kuih maker and he also worked on weekends at the turf club taking bets on the horses from potential gamblers. My father did not have any vices and he provided the best he could for the family. While my mum was the homemaker, he was the sole breadwinner. However as he was only a bookeeper there was no way he could sponsor us without the 2 other part time jobs he had. If he was alive today he would probably tell me that the hours I keep in the office are nothing as compared to his working hours when even weekends are not spared!
For this reason my elder sister chose to go out to work after Form 6 so as not to burden him financially. As for me, by God's grace I had a Kuok Foundation loan and a Lim Lean Teng foundation grant.
My third sister had a full scholarship from British Council and she went to England to do her Masters in English. She later did a degree in speech therapist and settled down in England. My dad had to sponsor my youngest sister and brother in their education. Sister no. 4 did ICSA at TAR College and my youngest brother did a Science degree (twinning program) with Campbell University. I remembered that we did not take any of our wedding dinner angpow money. The dinner was sponsored by my mum-in-law and Tim and I was fine with my dad collecting all the angpow given to us from my side of the family to help pay for my siblings' education. Those were the tough years for my dad. He had a heart problem but due to our financial situation chose not to go for any treatment so as not to divert the funds he had set aside for our education. He used to tell us that he did not have anything to leave us except a good education.
Today I hope that my children know the hard work mummy is putting in to see them through University. When friends and family enquired as to whether my children had received any scholarship or PTPN loans, we will always reply that they are on FAMA scholarship (Father & Mother)! How previleged and blessed are my children to have parents who are able to fully sponsor their education till the highest level. Now my eldest daughter has said that she would like to continue with her Masters in England and the youngest one wants to do dentistry. Well, Samuel says he would rather go out and work after his diploma....whatever their plans may be, I have faith that God will provide for them.
I was really touched by my youngest daughter who sms-ed me recently "Mummy and Daddy I just want to say thanks for everything you have given me and I am sorry if I ever take things granted. Thanks for being one of the best parents in the world. I love you both."
To get such an sms from my children makes all the late nights in my office simply worth it!
Thank you to my lovely daughters and handsome son. Please study hard and make us proud of you! And behave uprightly so that you will not bring shame to your parents!
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