What Mr. Brown cherished most........

Robby had only one dream, one vision when he grew up as a boy. He wanted to be a high flying successful businessman. He never thought about anything else since he went to school right up to getting his MBA. He did not want anything to get in the way of his concentration - no relationships, no entertainment, cut back on movies, no time even for casual reading. Robby's daily schedule for seven days a week was to get up 6am in the morning do pre-read up on whatever lectures that was going to come up for the day. After lectures, he goes straight home freshen up and do post-read up on his lectures.

Achieved his dream he did! Robby is now a well known person in the business of trading of seafood. Robby actually shifted away from home to a different state to keep his focus. To Robby, nothing mattered more than the future. Managing his business was always a top priority and he hardly spent time with his wife and daughter.

While in his office on a Monday morning, Robby's hand phone rings. He takes a look, the number displayed belongs to his house. "Must be mom. Wonder what's up.", mumbles Robby and answers the call, "Hi mom! What's up?" His mom replies, "Hi there Robby. How's it going there? Busy is ever my dear son?" Robby goes, "Yea mom, business is pretty good and I am doing fine myself."

Robby's mom go on, "Anyway Robby, do you remember Mr. Brown from next door?". "Yup, I sure remembered him. I used to drop by his house every evening after dinner just to hang around and play around the wooden puppets he made for a living. What about him?". "Well, Mr. Brown passed away last night from a sudden heart attack.".

Robby went quiet.......... "Robby? Robby? You still on the line?", his mom said. Robby just went blanked and realised he hadn't said anything for a while, "Sorry mom, just felt so surprised. He was a nice guy. It's been a while since I last spoke to him."

"Mr. Brown never forgot you. Every time he saw me, he'd definitely ask how you are doing. He always talked about how you spent hours with him just chatting in his small house." Robby's mom told Robby.

"Yea.... I sure remember those times. He pretty much was a dad to me ever since dad and you divorced when I was 5 years old. When's the funeral?" Robby said.

"Funeral's the funeral at the usual church Mr. Brown goes to." Robby's mom replied. "I'll be there as soon as I rearrange my schedule for tomorrow. Thanks for letting me know mom. See you there." Robby said. As soon as Robby hung up, he reworked his schedule and was on the next flight back home for Mr. Brown's funeral.

The following day, after the funeral, Robby and his mom went to look at the small house Mr. Brown lived in for the last time. Robby just sighed, "I am going to miss him. He was always around to encourage me to do what I wanted to do and really strife to do well in my studies. I remembered each time I walked up these very steps into his house, he'd have tea waiting for me on the table knowing I would like a relaxing tea drink after studying."

As Robby took a last around the house, he suddenly remember something and went looking for something. Robby's mom was puzzled and asked, "Robby, what are you looking for?". Robby, panting while searching said, "Mr. Brown had a very special wooden puppet in a very nicely carved wooden box he made himself. He always said that it was like a daughter he never had. I remembered he placed it just beside the tv shelf. It was always dust free and clean. He'd never let me touch it, not even with my baby finger! Where had it gone to?"

Robby's mom said, "It's been a long time since you were here, he might have sold it." Robby let out a sigh of disappointment, "You might be right mom. Thought I might take with me for keepsake."

The very next day, Robby was back at work as usual. He got back home late in the evening about close to 10 o'clock at night. His wife greeted him as usual, "Hi hon, dinner's ready on the table warm the way you like it. By the way, a package came in this morning for you. I placed it on the dining table." "Thanks a lot sweet heart", as Robby approached dinner he picked up the package which read, "To my best young pal, Robby. From the guy next door, Mr. Brown."

Robby unwrapped the package, and found the beautifully carved wooden box that carried a beautiful puppet Robby was looking for back at Mr. Brown's home. In the hands of the puppet held a letter. Robby, opened the letter and read it. As he read, tears were trickling down his cheeks.

The letter read:
"Robby boy, if you are reading this letter that would mean you got my most precious puppet and probably the best puppet I ever carved in my entire career as a puppeteer. Most importantly, it would mean I have passed on. I sure hope I didn't look like a dried prune lying in my casket! Anyway Robby boy, pick up the puppet and be careful with it and take a peek on the back side of the puppet."

When Robby turned the puppet around, Robby saw what was carved and started crying. At the back of the puppet Mr. Brown carved out very finely and accurately which said, "Thanks for your time, Robby boy!".

Robby just sat at the dining table while his wife held him close to her bosom as he wept.

"What Mr. Brown cherished and appreciated most was my time with him," said Robby as he cried.

As Robby held on to the puppet, the following day he called his office and cancelled all appointments. His assistant, Rosanne was startled and asked, "What's happening in these two days?"

"Nothing much," Robby replied. "Just want to spend more time with my wife and my daughter. That's all. Oh yea, and Rosanne...... thanks for your time!"

5 more minutes.....

During this week, Wednesday to through Friday because of the festive seasons for our Muslims friends. Sadly, work got in the way of the holiday and I had to put aside all other plans I had for the three days and use the time to rush out some urgent matters for my superior. I expanded a fair bit of energy and effort to turnaround everything by the end of Friday so I could still have the weekend to myself.

Saturday evening was surprisingly cooling and I decided to had of to a nearby park to take a sit and enjoy the quietness. I haven't been fishing to close to a year now after my fishing mate went overseas to further his studies.

At the park, I shared the bench with a middle aged man who looked intently over this girl of maybe 5 or 6 years of age, who was cycling around the park. To kill boredom I thought I might as well break the silence and asked him, "Is that your daughter?". He replied with a nice smile, "Yup! That's my girl!".

It was reaching about 6 in the evening and he decided to call his daughter back, and his daughter replied "Dad, five more minutes please?". He then said okay. Five minutes went by and when he called his daughter back, she would ask for five more minutes. As I watched the sunset, the little kept asking for five more minutes and he'd say okay. Watching that happen, I made a passing statement, "Geez, you are a very patient father".

He then looked at me, and somehow I could see some sadness in his eyes. He then said, "Three years ago, I had a son who died at her age in a car accident. Being busy with work, I never really spent time with him and now I'd do anything to get just five more minutes with him. I don't want to repeat the mistake I made three years ago. Right now, she thinks she gets five more minutes to cycle, but in fact I get five more minutes to see her play."

After the two of them left when it was close to dark, I think I sat there thinking about what he said for a good half an hour; I snapped out of thinking when I realised some mosquito was biting me in the foot. Know what? Life is about priorities and 5 minutes to us could be a short time, or sometimes even dreadfully precious when work deadline lingers closely around the corner. But, sometimes 5 minutes isn't about rushing things out or meeting deadlines. 5 minutes could mean spending precious time with a loved one or never having a chance to spend that time anymore with a loved one.

Knowing your days are numbered....

It is not wrong to say that all of us go through our daily lives doing the routines we do everyday without thinking about dying. Not surprising since no one really wants to die too soon, neither is death a wonderful thought to have.

But when we go through an experience that really puts us close to the white light, the thought of death really becomes a serious thought that goes through your mind. Death questioning experiences really emphasises the fact that our lives are nothing spectacular but like fine thread that can be cut off very easily, or like a candle that can be blown out.

I heard a song, and it is a song that I truly like. It is a chinese song entitled , "If I had only one day". I won't go into the full lyrics but the gist of the song is that, if a person had only one day to live, all the money in the world would be of no use and a simple drink of water, food and a roof over one's head would be sufficient. Everytime I listen to that song, I get reminded about how fragile my life is - I may be writing this tonight and I might be dead tomorrow.

Not often we get reminded about how we can lose our lives so easily. One week ago, I lost my squash coach, who was also a good friend to cancer. A nice guy who taught me a lot about playing squash and being a good samaritan. It is just so sad that someone has to pass on. I never had a chance to speak to him before he passed on.

Always treasure this fragile life of ours...................