A Morning With Gung Gung

Time: 9:46pm
Mood: Tired (lablablahlah)
Song of the moment: Tyler Hilton - When It comes

Last night I was lying in bed and as usual I was having trouble sleeping. Usually when that happens, my mind wanders. My mind keyed in on one particular memorable afternoon I spent with my grandpa (Gung Gung).

My Gung Gung is my favorite person. I don't know much about his past, just that he used to work for the HK gov't, used to smoke (I helped him quit!) and that he has a big heart. When I was younger and still living in HK, he used to play kickball with me (and that game stuck with me when I moved to Canada.. I can't count the number of times I begged my dad to play kickball with me when I was a kid). Everytime I talked to him on the phone he would constantly ask me what little Hello Kitty things I wanted. He also taught me a grave lesson about eating too much candy: "Karen.. if you eat too much candy, this will happen to you" And that's when he smiled to show me a row of pink pearly gums.

This particular memory happened on a usually hot and sunny day, August 1998 in Hong Kong. I was there visiting after spending 7 fun filled weeks on the Taiwan "Loveboat" Study Tour. This particular day didn't start out unusual. I was staying at my uncle's apartment, which
was a few subway stops from where my grandparents lived. During the two weeks I was there, it was pretty much the same routine in the morning: get up, take the subway to my grandparents house and have breakfast there.

The subway pulled into Sau Kei Wan. I exited the subway, walked down an alley way, up some concrete stairs and immediately I catch the sight of my grandparents apartment block... Block B. I walked up the stairs to the third floor. My grandparents' door was open.. they were expecting me. The apartment is really old, made up of concrete everything: concrete walls, concrete floors. My mom spent most of her childhood in this very apartment. It was a small two bedroom apartment, all shared by my grandparents + 5 kids. The apartment had it's own distinct smell, a smell that when I think of it, I think of comfort. Usually my Gung Gung gets up early in the morning to get me fresh chinese buns and a bottle of milk for breakfast, but on this particular day, I was greeted by my grandma (Pau Pau), who informed me we were going out for lunch (yum cha). Gung Gung and my Aunt Fanny were already at the restaurant.

We had a wonderful lunch. I was constantly told to eat more, but to be honest with you, I love the food but I can never eat too much at a chinese restaurant. After lunch, my Gung Gung asked me if I wanted to take a walk. Of course I jumped at the chance. Time alone with my favorite person came at rare opportunites. We walked around the neighbourhood, where he pointed out personal landmarks. Here's where your mom used to go and buy candy! Here's where your Pau Pau goes grocery shopping. Here's where I used to come down to meet with my friends.. we chatted for hours!. Here's where I come to buy you breakfast every morning. Then we stopped in front of a horseracing betting establishment. He whispered in my ear "Karen.. are you 18?" I nodded. "Ok good! Let's go get you a lotto ticket!". We walked in (of course I got carded) and my Gung Gung bought me a lotto ticket. "Remember to check the numbers tomorrow to see if you won!" said my Gung Gung.

We headed back to the apartment after that. As we walked up the stairs I noticed that he was struggling, having to stop every few steps. Over the past few years he began to have some health problems and you can tell it was taking its toll on him. He told me "I'm old, I get tired whenever I walk up these stairs. Don't worry about me, just go on ahead up to the apartment." I smiled at him and said "Gung Gung, I want to keep you company." He smiled at me in a way that I will never forget, and we continued up the stairs. I will never forget that day.

That will possibly be the last time I would ever be able to take a walk with my Gung Gung. A series of strokes and old age has left him in a wheelchair, and he has no memory of me whatsoever.

Even though I lost, I kept that lotto ticket in my wallet.. until my wallet was stolen from me. Even though that lotto ticket is gone, the memory of that day lives on, and it brings me warmth every time I think of that wonderful day.