Father died on 13 July 2006.  It came so quickly and suddenly that by the time the family rushed to the hospital, he was gone. This is a huge regret.

We are deeply saddened by his departure.  However, the consolation is that he is eventually released from this chronic agonising and anonymous illness that had deprived him of everything in his final years. Our love and care was a relief but no cure.

He was a loving father and he lives in our hearts.

The wake will take place at 6:00pm on 24 July in Room 306, Hong Kong Funeral House, North Point and the funeral at 11:30am on 25 July at the Main Hall on ground floor.

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父親 － 我的片言

我父生於國共內戰時廣東省惠東縣平海鎮一地主之家。祖母於他四歲時在戰亂中逝世。祖父沉迷鴉片，而繼祖母不仁，故他由姐婆教養。我對父親童年之事所知甚少。

祖父名趙碧光，惟父親對祖母已一無記憶，我想此為他一生中的憾事。

中國赤化後，隨之而來是恐懼，家產遭掠奪，他亦成為階級鬥爭的目標，受盡淩辱､折磨，所有年青人應享有的如教育，對他來說遙不可及。

早年的不幸使他沈默寡言，絕少流露感情。他從無提及在國內時的一切，我對他的過去的所知，都是從親戚交談之中拼湊所得。

他在五十年代末逃至香港，年份不詳。對只有小學教育程度，而又舉目無親的他來說，當時的生活甚為艱苦。

他和母親於一九六一年結婚，共有四女二子，在家中我排行第二。生活雖然清貧，父親拼手抵足，為所有子女供書教學。在六十年代及七十年代，女孩被迫綴學好使家中男孩能繼續學業的情況十分普遍，父親卻無重男輕女。

在家中他的形象是傳統的嚴父，不苟言笑，他說的我們都要聽從。然而他關心家庭，盡責承擔。

他堅持工作直至此病令他行動不便。退休後的生活是在與病魔搏鬥中渡過，過去四年，他只能臥床，完全不能動彈，對一個神志清醒的人來說，何其難受。

我最後一次帶他看醫生是在二零零一年。他早已放棄治療，幾經苦勸，他才同意往看中文大學的一位教授，可是結論一樣，原因不明，無從對症下藥。自此，我再無向他提及再找醫師或其他治療方法，當日他失望的神情歷歷在目。

他最大的成就是教導出六個正直誠實的人。如今我們都已長大成人，各有事業，父親應可安息。借此，我感謝母親在這幾年間對父親的照顧。

永遠懷念父親，願他來生幸福健康。

Father – My Side of the Story

Born to a rich landlord family in Southern China during the civil wars between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party.  My grandmother died in the war when he was four.  My grandfather was an opium smoker and had little time for him and his step mother was never kind to him.  He was raised by a great auntie.  That is all I know about his childhood.

My grandfather’s name is Chiu Pik Kwong and father had sadly no recall of anything about his mother at all.

When China turned red, years of terrors befell him.  Family fortunes were looted and he was a target of class struggle, suffered from fear and humiliation and deprived of education and all what he should have been entitled to as a teenager.

The misfortunes in his early years had made him a man of few words and emotions.  I have never heard him mention his life in China. Knowledge of his past is gathered from talks with relatives.

He fled to Hong Kong at the end of the 1950s; the exact year was not known to me.  Life was hard as he had no education and no other family support in Hong Kong.

He and mom married in 1961 and together they raised six children – four daughters and two sons.  I came second.  Though poor, he endeavoured to give all his children a good education.  None of the girls in the family was forced to quit school and join the workforce to spare the money for the education of the boys, which was common in the 1960s and 1970s.

He assumed the conventional father figure in a Chinese family – serious, stern, rigid.  His words were final and there was little room for discussion.  Yet, he was devoted and dedicated to the family and we all know he was a loving father.

He lived a frugal life and insisted to continue to work till he was struck by his mysterious illness. His retirement years were spent on constant struggles with illnesses and he, a sane and alert man, was eventually held captive in an immobilised body in the last four years.

The last time I took him to a doctor was in 2001.  He had given up hope and with much persuasion I convinced him to see a professor in the Chinese University of Hong Kong.  Again, no diagnosis could be given and nothing could be done.  Since then, I never raised the idea of trying any other doctors or alternative treatments again.  It just hurt to see the disappointment on his face.

The greatest achievement in his life is that he raised six upright and honest persons. Now that we all have our careers and life, may he rest in peace.  And thanks mom for the hardship she has gone through in these years.

I miss him much.  May he be blessed in his other life.

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如網頁內中文字未能清楚顯示，請在工具列中按「檢視」，再按「編碼」，然後選擇「繁體中文(Big 5)」