“You walk like your dad”, Mrs Jimbo remarked out of the blue a while ago.
Jimbo’s immediate reaction was to feel a little insulted. He didn’t want to walk like his dad.
There are many things about Jimbo’s father that he does not want to emulate. Walking was one of them.
But as he thought about it and about his dad, now a man in his golden years, having lived through 2 world wars, there are a lot of things he would WANT to emulate.
Jimbo’s dad quit school early so that he could work to support his 8 siblings. He put most of them through school and got them a good education.
He worked as a sales man all his life slowly working his way up.
He wooed Jimbo’s mum, married her and worked even harder to provide for his 3 children with Jimbo’s mum and 5 children from a previous marriage.
His job required him to be transferred every few years and so he relocated his family to every state in this country save a few. Each time he found them shelter and worked hard to settle his family in a new unfamiliar surrounding.
Jimbo remembered when he bought the family the first color TV.
The first watch he bought Jimbo.
The first camera.
The first car that did not belong to the company and he allowed Jimbo to drive it.
He gave the car to Jimbo because the latter got into UKM and needed the car to get around.
The pair of gold plated pens he gave to Jimbo to show how proud he was that his son is in Uni.
The beaming look on his face when Jimbo graduated with his first degree.
The time he said “yes” when Jimbo wanted to pursue medicine in India.
Jimbo’s dad sold the house to finance that “yes” over the next 6 years. He continued to send Jimbo his monthly stipend, some times slightly late because money was scarce, but never too late.
Jimbo’s dad was not there when he graduated as a doctor, because money was scarce and so he could not fly over but he was proud nonetheless.
He went around telling everyone who would listen, that his son’s a doctor.
Jimbo’s dad funded most of Jimbo’s wedding expenses because Jimbo’s meagre housemen salary couldn’t buy peanuts.
He was there when Jimbo’s first kid, his first grandchild, was born and he love her to bits! He carried her, cooed at her, sang to her, played with her, mumbling often that he is making up for all the time he did not hug his own kids.
He did the same with Jimbo’s second kid.
He stoically agreed to surgical treatment for prostate cancer when Jimbo regretfully told him that he could not afford to buy him the RM 1200/month medications to treat the condition. Jimbo’s MO pay still could not buy peanuts.
He gleefully gave away all his precious shavers because after the procedure he needn’t have to shave ever again.
He was there when Jimbo completed his Masters. Thereafter he goes around telling everyone who would listen, that his son is now a specialist.
Jimbo’s dad is a real life Mac Gyver, a jack-of-all-trade and a master of everything! There was nothing that he couldn’t fix. Mrs Jimbo would rather call Jimbo’s dad than Jimbo if anything needs fixing!
Jimbo’s dad never complained, even when things were tough. He gave freely, even when he had little.
Jimbo’s dad taught Jimbo these qualities:
tenacity
perseverance
prudence
strength
a few Hakka foul words
hard work
sacrifice
shrewdness
faith
goodness
wisdom
moderation
experimentation
risk taking
decisiveness
the value of money
making do with less
and so much more.
So, ya, after thinking about it, it’s not so bad that Jimbo walks like his dad. If he could do half the things his dad could do, he’d be a great man.
So, Dad, Happy Father’s Day! You’re the best! Thank you for everything. And I love you. 
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