6 July 2019
One day an elderly client came to the car workshop to pick up his Mercedes Benz from my brother.
Benz owner then took a drive together with the mechanic to become better acquainted with the car’s personality.
As my brother was describing some of the finer details of the car during the ride, the old man suddenly asked if he was related to a person called “Ah Ong.”
He had been watching my brother, and found his mannerisms reminding him of an old friend whom he hadn’t seen for years.
“Ah Ong” happens to be the name by which my late father was frequently addressed by relatives and friends.
It turned out that the old man knew our dad.
My brother then told him that “Ah Ong” had passed on a few years ago.
When the car ride ended, the elderly Benz driver said to my brother, “Your father bought me lunch when I had nothing. Everyone is scared of poor people, except your old man. If you’re ever in need of food, just call me. I’ll buy you all the meals you need.”
My brother thanked him for remembering our dad and agreed to keep in touch.
My dad wouldn’t have expected or known that the ONE lunch he had bought for someone facing hard times years ago, would end up contributing to the future livelihood of my brother and turn into promises of food relief should the need ever arise.
Lisa Ong 