After lying on the bed, paralysed for 3 years, Uncle Eong said he passed away when he told him he wanted to sleep. Uncle didn't know much about health and medical stuffs, at least he never let go his grasp from Grandpa :) He was already weak by then, and the doctor got the biopsy result that grandpa had lung infection.

I don't recall much memories with him. When I was young, we only went back to Mukah once every 2 years. By the time the government gave the government servants the priviledge to return home every year and I begin to learn how to think, Grandpa already had a stroke and paralysed. Its tough to think that I don't have much memories with him together. 

I don't even recall the last time I heard his voice.

I don't even have the chance to tell hin I got the Maybank scholarship and show him all those pictures during the Maybank ceremony personally.

Damn it.

I was attending the Maybank Scholars Boot Camp at Broga, Semenyih when I got the call from Mom. She was beating around the bush at first, until I sensed something was wrong with her tone of talking. I mean, she always have that nagging voice whenever she called me, but it was different then. Her voice was a bit cracky. 

I was shocked. And I cried as I started to realize the regrets of not spending enough time with him. 

When we reached le grandparent's home, there were quite a number of people and it was hectic. Grandpa wasn't placed in the coffin yet because all the family members need to be preseny to do so. I didn't have the courage to see Grandpa under that piece of white cloth. Ah Kiong was crying and I saw Ah Mei for the first time in years. 

A proper family reunion when Grandpa passed away. 

Its a terrible thing when you thought about it further, isn't it?

Anyway, around 3pm, the monk led the prayers and the body is placed in the coffin. I think his body had started to decay because there was an unpleasent smell but then, it isn't the right time to ask anything like that ><

I blindly followed the prayers and whatever the monk asked to do. Actually, all of us followed blindly. 

Why do we need to burn all these paper money?

Dunno.

Isn't burning money Taoism?

Dunno.

The monk didn't asked us to do those actually, it was the Nirvana staffs that told us to do so. I didn't dare to ask the monk, because Mom told me to shut up the entire session. 

We didn't sleep much that night, I slept at 2am and Ah Kiong, whom slept the latest, took awful photos of us sleeping in the living room ==

Anyway, the house was alive by 4am. We started to prepare breakfast for the guests, clean the house a bit, prepare for prayers and so on. 6.30am, we started praying. 8am, we were on a 3 hours bus trip from Mukah to Nirvana Sibu. 

The burial started around 11.30am, there were more prayers and we bid our wishes to Grandpa as we placed flowers on his coffin.

Surprisingly, nobody cried.

Like Mom said, the reality was already well accepted by everyone.

Then, we went back home wearing bright colored shirts as an indication to Grandpa that we are happy and he hadn't need to be worry in heaven :) 

He lived 88 years on Earth. The monk said we should be happy because he had passed the great years of his life.

Maybe she is right even though he spent the last 3 years of his life on a bed paralysed :( 

We had a big dinner in a restaurant at night.  Everyone was invited, right from Sibu to Mukah :) 

While we were eating, the monk gave a short speech and she passed the microphone around to the family members.. First was the brothers in te family, then the eldest sister. Third was the husbands, Dad went up to speak. Then, the wives. Then, to my horror, the grandchildren. Only 2 though, one the inner grandchildren and one the outer.

Ah Kiong went up first because he is the inner grandchildren. 

HE CRIED IN HIS SPEECH ._.

Then, when the monk called for one outer grandchildren, we looked around and then I decided to volunteer.

I NEARLY CRIED TOO ._. 

My speech was pretty simple, and I'm relieved it ended with a great round of applause from everyone.

 Thank you thank you for listening to my 30 seconds speech ^^

Haha.

Hmm, its been tiring actually and not enough sleeppp! 

But really, the trip there and back are filled with regrets, for me at least.

You never knew how much something is worth until you lose it, I guess :/

Let me curled up and cry for a while. I'll be fine.

Ciao.