A 'Chinaman's' love letter to his wife (sweetheart) of 52 years.
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My Darling wife,
When I took you away from your father's house fifty-two years, I promised I will look after you.
I will never let you go hungry or give you cause to regret our marriage.
Your mother eyed me with suspicion on the night I made my proud declaration and reluctantly gave her blessings.
She knew our marriage wasn't going to be easy.
We were from two different worlds.
I was a street-wise kid and you were a chin-kum-siew-cheh.
And your mother was right. Everything went wrong from the beginning.
We were poor and there never seem to be enough food on the table. We argued frequently and you would give me 'cold wars'.
The little salary I earned as an apprentice in the kwai-loh firm was hardly enough.
You had to work as a seamstress, ran a dhobi and raise our family.
We slogged our guts out!
I used to feel really terrible when you wouldn't talk to me for weeks but in the end, you will take pity on me and smile again.
You kept our young family fed and clothed with our meagre earnings and you were so good at rationing our food which allowed us to set aside a small amount of money to eventually
start a small workshop.
I always say that you are the matriarch.
Without you, I wouldn't be where I am and my life would be totally different.
Thank you, Honey.
In the early years of our marriage, on many occasion, I know I was an insensitive brute with a horrible temper. A real pain in the ass and caused you a lot of distress!
But then you were no angel either.
Every time, we quarrelled, you ran home to your father's house
and won't come back until I have to go down on my knees to beg you. Sometimes I have to use (crocodile) tears!
Your father's shotgun which he use for wild boar hunting was a constant reminder that should I so much as harm a hair of his daughter's head, I would be dead meat.
Your father was very fierce.
But I also know that you are very precious to him and your mother.
Fifty-two years we have been together.
Now the children are all grown up and they have families of their own.
Our youngest boy and our daughter-in-law are expecting their second child.
With the arrival of baby, our family will grow to 33 + 1. We need a bigger table for the Chinese New Year reunion dinner!
You, my Honey, have helped me build a home and made all this possible for me.
What am I but just an unlearned and 'uncouth' Chinaman.
But it was you who made me believe that I can be anybody I wanted to be.
You stood by me and helped me built our business together. When we started our first factory, you pawned all your jewelries that your family gave you as marriage gifts. I owe you so much.
With that we struggle to grow our business
And eventually gave our children good education and provided well for our retirement.
You are the one who took charge. At that time, I resented it but later on, I realized that what you did was correct.
Honey, I am sorry I caused you so much suffering but I am so glad you did not give up on me.
When I look at you, I still see this little girl who defied her parents to be with the boy she loved.
You were so sure of what you wanted then and no one could convince you otherwise.
And through the years, you have demonstrated this unwavering stubbornness in our marriage, in raising the children and in so many other important decisions in our life.
Thank you, honey, for sticking with this stubborn old fool.
I cannot imagine my life without you. I would rather be dead.
Who would boss me around? There is no one who would fight me for the TV channel?
What fun is there when you can 'watch all you want, when you want'.
This is what you would say when you are irritated because I will monopolize the telly and you won't be able to watch your Korean movies!
No one cooks mui-choy-chee-yuk, the way you do; with plenty of chee-yuk and little mui-choy!
And your specialty pak-cham-kei. No one prepares steamed chicken the way you do.
I have never been a romantic. You knew that from the beginning.
And how often in the past you have clobbered me for being a 'kayu'.
And you are right. I am 'kayu' when it comes to 'lovey-dovey' stuff. I get all tongue-tied but I am learning from our grandchildren.
And I just want you to know something.
The first time I saw you when you were just sixteen, my heart went 'beety-boom- beety-boom-beety-boom-boom-boom' and it has never stopped pounding in that exciting way since then.
I love you, Darling
