Is there Life after Death?

Upon waking up late in the morning on Saturday, I heard from my sister that our grandmother has gone in a coma, with our father already rushed down to the hospital. Needless to say, my sister and I headed down to the hospital, and fortunately (in a certain sense) for us, we managed to catch a glimpse of our grandmother before she left us.

Grandma was supposedly admittted to Tan Tock Seng early on Saturday morning, with most of us expecting her to recover after some treatment. Instead, things took a turn for the worse and she fell into a comatose state. However, I believe that Grandma still had some awareness of her surroundings even though she could no longer speak or move freely. Why do I say so? When my sister and I arrived, we greeted her. Perharps it was my imagination, but I am pretty sure that she responded. Furthermore, her heartbeat was initially consistent around the 90 range, until Grandpa arrived, with it falling to the 80s. Finally, when her eldest son arrived, her heartbeat began to fall drastically. Deep down inside of me, I know for sure Grandma was waiting for everyone (those who can make it and those whom she seldom see) to arrive before leaving for the next world. Thus, I must make a point to remember the date: 9 June 2007.

The funeral is still ongoing and right now, I am at home because the various family members are taking turns to stand vigil at night. I do feel upset at her death, though most of the tears were shed by Grandpa and his children (my dad, my uncles, my aunts, etc). There is a certain extent of regret in myself, lamenting my lack of communication with Grandma due to the language barrier. I understand Cantonese, but I am unable to speak the dialect with ease. Nonetheless, memories of my Grandma remain, with one of the most important being her wish for me to do well in my studies during my younger days. Neither can I forget the photograph of my 3-year-old self with Grandma.

Grandma, wherever you are now, do know that your husband, children and grandchildren love you, even though some of them may speak loudly towards you in the past, with others seldom meeting up and communicating with you. On the surface, our actions may not seem like it, but at the end of the day, all of us wish the best for you. It was evident at the hospital and now, the funeral.

Without Grandma, my father would not have existed, and neither would I. Thanks to your strict upbringing, it in turn, made me into the moral person that I am today, or so I hope. Please have a smooth and peaceful journey, without worries, into the next world Grandma, which I believe would be a better place as compared to the one I am living in right now. Goodbye and take care, Grandma.