Gregory was raising his son Oscar alone after the death of his wife. When Oscar turned 18, he received a letter to serve his National Service. "What am I supposed to do without you?" Gregory asked with great consternation. "You know, you're the only one I have since your mom passed away." Despite Gregory's concerns, Oscar assured him that he is now a man and that he was fulfilling his obligations towards his home country, Hong Kong.
When the day came for Oscar to report for his National Service, Gregory asked him to be safe. "It will be okay, Dad. Don't worry about me," Oscar reassured his father. When Oscar left, Gregory felt a sense of emptiness. Every day, he could not help but think about his son. But at least Oscar had promised to write to him, which warmed his heart.
A month had passed, and Gregory went to check his mailbox. He was disappointed that there were no letters addressed to him during the past month. Just then, he saw the neighbourhood mailman Mike pass by. He went up to Mike and asked whether there had been letters addressed to him. "Unfortunately no, Mr Cheuk," he said apologetically. His reply left Gregory disappointed. Despite this, he refused to give up, hoping that he would get a reply one day. However, as the days went by, there were still no letters. Distraught, Gregory confided in Mike, who comforted him, saying that sometimes, it would take a while for letters to be delivered. "Your son will be okay, you'll see," Mike reassured Gregory. He brought the middle-aged man back home. Gregory treated Mike to tea and shared about how he had raised Oscar single-handedly since the death of his wife. "If anything happens to him, my heart can't take it," hesaid. "Don't worry, he's just busy," Mike replied. "I'm sure he remembers about you."
2 days later, Mike went to Gregory's house with happy news. "Mr Cheuk, come out quickly. You have a letter," he said exceitedly. Hearing this, Gregory heaved a sigh of relief. "What, a letter? Finally." He cried and reread the letter multiple times. "I told you he's okay," Mike said. "He wrote that he misses me and promises to be back soon," Gregory said excitedly.
From then on, Gregory would receive letters more often. He would read the letters and invite Mike to come over to his house for tea whenever the latter dropped by. As Mike had grown up in an orphanage throughout his childhood and had yet to start a relationship, he enjoyed spending time in the comfort of someone else's company. With Mike keeping him company, Gregory no longer felt lonely. Over time, they became friends.
Time passed, and for Gregory, it was no longer hard to wait for Oscar, as from the content of his letters, he was doing fine and had promised to be back soon. One morning, Gregory was still asleep when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and to his surprise, Oscar was standing at the door, now a decorated soldier.
"Oscar, son, is it really you? I can't believe my eyes," he said. "Yes, Dad. It's me," Oscar replied. Both father and son embraced. "I knew you'd come back safe and sound," Gregory said.
Father and son settled onto the couch. "Dad, I apologize for not having written to you over the past few months. There have been issues with the mail. You must have been worried about me," Oscar said apologetically. Hearing this, Gregory froze in shock. "Hang on," he said, but before he could continue, therewas a knock on the door. "Let me get the door," Gregory volunteered. He opened the door and saw Mike stand outside.
"Mr Cheuk, you have a letter from your son," Mike said. Just then, Oscar appeared at the doorway.
"Do you mean a letter from me? That's interesting," he muttered. Mike's eyes widened in awe. "I can explain," he said. Gregory and Oscar invited him into the house, where Mike admitted that he had written the letters on behalf of Oscar. "I'm sorry for lying to you, you were so worried. It hurt me to see you like that. That's why I wrote those letters," he said apologetically.
Upon hearing the revelation, Gregory patted Mike on his shoulders. "If it hadn't been for those letters, I would've lost my mind," he said. Mike similarly apologised to Oscar to having posed as him when writing the letters, to which the latter readily forgave him, and thanked him instead. "You've actually helped us," Oscar said. Gregory and Oscar welcomed Mike into their lives, and he became part of their family, thereby putting his lonely past behind for good.
When the day came for Oscar to report for his National Service, Gregory asked him to be safe. "It will be okay, Dad. Don't worry about me," Oscar reassured his father. When Oscar left, Gregory felt a sense of emptiness. Every day, he could not help but think about his son. But at least Oscar had promised to write to him, which warmed his heart.
A month had passed, and Gregory went to check his mailbox. He was disappointed that there were no letters addressed to him during the past month. Just then, he saw the neighbourhood mailman Mike pass by. He went up to Mike and asked whether there had been letters addressed to him. "Unfortunately no, Mr Cheuk," he said apologetically. His reply left Gregory disappointed. Despite this, he refused to give up, hoping that he would get a reply one day. However, as the days went by, there were still no letters. Distraught, Gregory confided in Mike, who comforted him, saying that sometimes, it would take a while for letters to be delivered. "Your son will be okay, you'll see," Mike reassured Gregory. He brought the middle-aged man back home. Gregory treated Mike to tea and shared about how he had raised Oscar single-handedly since the death of his wife. "If anything happens to him, my heart can't take it," hesaid. "Don't worry, he's just busy," Mike replied. "I'm sure he remembers about you."
2 days later, Mike went to Gregory's house with happy news. "Mr Cheuk, come out quickly. You have a letter," he said exceitedly. Hearing this, Gregory heaved a sigh of relief. "What, a letter? Finally." He cried and reread the letter multiple times. "I told you he's okay," Mike said. "He wrote that he misses me and promises to be back soon," Gregory said excitedly.
From then on, Gregory would receive letters more often. He would read the letters and invite Mike to come over to his house for tea whenever the latter dropped by. As Mike had grown up in an orphanage throughout his childhood and had yet to start a relationship, he enjoyed spending time in the comfort of someone else's company. With Mike keeping him company, Gregory no longer felt lonely. Over time, they became friends.
Time passed, and for Gregory, it was no longer hard to wait for Oscar, as from the content of his letters, he was doing fine and had promised to be back soon. One morning, Gregory was still asleep when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and to his surprise, Oscar was standing at the door, now a decorated soldier.
"Oscar, son, is it really you? I can't believe my eyes," he said. "Yes, Dad. It's me," Oscar replied. Both father and son embraced. "I knew you'd come back safe and sound," Gregory said.
Father and son settled onto the couch. "Dad, I apologize for not having written to you over the past few months. There have been issues with the mail. You must have been worried about me," Oscar said apologetically. Hearing this, Gregory froze in shock. "Hang on," he said, but before he could continue, therewas a knock on the door. "Let me get the door," Gregory volunteered. He opened the door and saw Mike stand outside.
"Mr Cheuk, you have a letter from your son," Mike said. Just then, Oscar appeared at the doorway.
"Do you mean a letter from me? That's interesting," he muttered. Mike's eyes widened in awe. "I can explain," he said. Gregory and Oscar invited him into the house, where Mike admitted that he had written the letters on behalf of Oscar. "I'm sorry for lying to you, you were so worried. It hurt me to see you like that. That's why I wrote those letters," he said apologetically.
Upon hearing the revelation, Gregory patted Mike on his shoulders. "If it hadn't been for those letters, I would've lost my mind," he said. Mike similarly apologised to Oscar to having posed as him when writing the letters, to which the latter readily forgave him, and thanked him instead. "You've actually helped us," Oscar said. Gregory and Oscar welcomed Mike into their lives, and he became part of their family, thereby putting his lonely past behind for good.
Support Yong Choi Chin
