When Papa comes home

The call usually comes at 430pm.

My mobile phone spews out its Nokia ditty, and all three of us at home stop what we are doing because the sound of a ringing phone is so rarely heard around here.

Once I end the call, I grab Dee's pink toy stroller, bundle the kids into their jackets and shoes, head out with the house keys in my fleece pocket and nothing else.

For we aren't going far. Just 100 metres down the road, at the end of a tree-shaded lane, to Bardon Park; a place we very imaginatively call the "green field".

Straight to the centre of the field where there is a cricket strip, I sit down watching the darkening sky as the kids take turns to push the stroller, draw faces in the sand with twigs and play with the many dogs who are chasing tennis balls.

Then KK appears over the crest of the hill. Backpack on, sweaty from his 30-minute trek from school, the University of New South Wales.

That's what everyone is waiting for. Squealing, the kids abandon twigs and stroller so they can run toward their papa unencumbered.

Day lives for the sweetie which his papa always has in his pocket; Mentos, gummies or chocolates.

Dee, still sweetly baby-ish, has no agenda and is ecstatic just to see her dad.

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Celebrating KK's life

This blog is dedicated to Loh Kar Kheng, known to his friends as KK or Kheng. He died unexpectedly on Thursday, 21st October 2021, in an accident. He was a Professional Engineer who loved his job, an inspiring coach and mentor, a passionate and gifted sportsman, a leader, a biker, a dedicated father. In the years from 2004 to 2017, I maintained a family blog. These extracts celebrate his life. They capture his resilience and drive, overcoming the odds, to become a top-notch engineer (he just won a BCA award 3 weeks before he died, for his work on the new State courts - stories here and here ), his sporting passions and his love for his children. The blog goes hand-in-hand with a memorial page here . If you have a story about what he said, what he did, if he inspired you or what you remember of him, do leave it there. It would mean a lot to us. Thank you so much. Love, KK's family

The conclusion?

Finally, today, 16 months after his death, I receive the police investigation report and Coroner's Certificate for KK's death in my inbox. Apart from a few small things, this would be the last chapter in the book of things I have to settle. The findings do not tell me anything. I have bolded the main conclusion. Extracts from it: Further investigations revealed that around 11.00 a.m. on 21 October 2021, Mr Loh had texted his friend inviting him to go for a kite surfing session together. Later that afternoon, at about 1.30 p.m., they met up at the west side of Bedok jetty beach front and prepared their equipment. They had set off separately, with Mr Loh's friend starting his kite surf first, followed shortly after by Mr Loh on his hydrofoil board. That was the last time the friend saw Mr Loh. As they were surfing separately, the friend had assumed that Mr Loh decided to surf far down west and did not take further notice of him. At the material time, there were also other f

Steak dinners

A month passes. We are doing fine. The kids will forever associate KK with steak dinners, on Sunday nights. Day takes over. He tosses the steaks into KK's beloved cast-iron pan, bastes it furiously with butter. Fries up some mushroom sauce, the way his Papa used to. Its either too rare, or slightly over. "Can you buy good steaks which are of even thickness? I can't cook it evenly if its thin one side and thick the other," Day scolds. We have dinner with KK. The kids giggle. They usually end off with Don Don Donki-quality sweet potatoes in the oven toaster. I'll get those potatoes next time.

Stories of KK

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