by KHOO HSIEH JUNE

A feature story for my News Writing and Print Media (NPM) newspaper project. It is a soft news which appeals to the emotions. I chose to write about Tian Leng because I know that he meant a lot to not just me but every one that knew him. It is somewhat similiar to my previous post because i took some points from there too.
This is a tribute to you Mr Khoo Tian Leng. Remembered always as the day goes by till we meet again.


The Best I Ever Had
By KHOO HSIEH JUNE

Time passes by so fast. In just a twinkle of an eye, it has already been 1 year and 11 months. I’m counting down the days till it reaches two years. It just seems like just yesterday I said ‘Bye’ to you during the humid Sunday afternoon of November.

I can still remember your favourite worn out red t-shirt paired with your black short quarter pants with slippers on your feet. As you take up that backpack of yours and left for college and I said ‘Bye’. I did not know that when I said ‘Bye’ to you on that afternoon, it would be the last goodbye.

Sometimes, I feel like I am holding back something. Then I realized that I was holding back my past. I was still holding on to the past I did not want to let go of it. I could tell my loved ones to cheer up, move on with your life. I thought I was strong enough but turns out that I am not as strong as I say I am.

Losing someone close to you is something that hurts more than anything on earth. Imagine living all your days with that person and one day, that person is no longer here anymore, how would you feel? Depressed, remorse, frustrated, pain was what I felt when I lost my beloved brother.

Looking back at his pictures, my tears came running down my cheeks. How I wish that he in that picture would move and talk or turn his head and smile at me. How much I wish that he would come back home and open that door like he would always do on every Friday afternoon.

There was one thing I regretted the most when he left us. That is not spending time with him. I used wonder why he doesn’t take me out to hang out with his friends. I mean like it would be great but after I understood that he doesn’t want me to be exposed to all the negative influence.

He was just doing his duty as a responsible and protective brother.

I used to think that he was overprotective and he is poking his nose in my life. It’s like I’m tied up with him because he wants to know everything about me. It was so irritating and annoying but now I am missing it. It is like I lost my pillar of support. I felt insecure without him around.

It is amazing how people are remembered and appreciated when they are gone. For my brother, it was the same but he was always remembered even when he was still around. He is the best son, brother and friend that any individual could have.

Reading all the testimonials written about him by his friends on a blog that was created for as a tribute to him after his departure really moved me to see that my brother had made such an impact not just in my life, but also theirs.

I felt like part of my joy and happiness, part of my life is gone with him. He is like the sun that shines in the darkness, bringing happiness to everyone around him.

No matter how dull the day can be, he somehow manages to make the clouds go away and make the sun shine bright with a stripe of rainbow across it.

Seeing other people or my friends with their elder brother by their side, I would wish that was me and my own brother. I see them having fun, annoying each other. I envy them but at the same time I feel happy for them.

My brother’s departure had given our family and all of his friends a wakeup call. It reminded us that life is too short to be wasted and we should appreciate those around us.

That is why now, I believe in living my life to the fullest and savour every moment whether good or bad, appreciate and love each and every one of those around me in case tomorrow never comes.

God has better plans for him. However, though he is gone, he is never forgotten. Thank you for touching our lives Tian Leng. We shall meet on that beautiful shore one day.


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Khoo Tian Leng.

(01/02/1986 - 03/12/2007)