The Winter of 2011 was so cold that I couln’t bear it, specially deep in my heart!  I  had a very tensed and tiring Christmas, in between my flying schedules, I went to the Hospital to visit my friend who was in the Intensive Care Unit whenever I was in Vancouver.

Since the first day he was there, he was kind of in a coma, I didn’t think he could have noticed that I was there seeing him stil,  I hope he could feel my spiritual supports,  the night before Christmas, his situation was so bad that, I rushed to the hospital right after I stepped out of the aircraft once I received the phone call from his sister. Luckily he could make it, and he turned slightly better,  the following 2 weeks, he regained his conciousness though he could not talk, he could response to us.

2012 silently came, maybe I was too tired, I felt sick after I flew back from New York, and didn’t go to see him cos I didn’t want to spread the virus to him or other patients within the ICU. I gave his sister a call on the 2nd night once I felt a bit better, and been told that his situation had gone bad again. How depressing, he was doing ok just 3 days ago. I went to see him the next day morning, but only had a chance to see him once after a 5 hours waiting, he was sleeping after the nurse gave him morphine injection. No choice, I had to come back the next day. 

Though I needed to fly to Hong Kong at night,  I went to see him during the day, didn’t drive cos the weather forecast there would be Snow, and I’m not a good dirver. I took the subway instead, just I was about to reach downtown, a phone call from other friends who were already at the hospital, asking me to be there as soon as possible.

Once I got there, I noticed that the nurse was removing all the equipments which were used to treat him over the past one and a half month and transferring him to a single room  which all of his friends could visit him privately.   I felt strange that when there were over 15 people gathered in the room and waiting………we all knew that he would leave that night, but frankly it’s really hard for me to see him go, I finally decided to leave and bid my  farewell to him, I was bursted into tears while talking to him,  the sad news came while I was on the public transport, I just couln’t stop the tears…..and I looked at my watch, his birthday was only within 3 days…….

I kept on going for flight, and the weather forecast was really accurate, the Snow finally came and it was the first snow storm of Vancouver this winter. Once the aircraft took off, it flew into the air, with the wind and snow, the turbulance was strong, it’s like he was crying heavily as well……While working,  it could cover my sorrow, once I was resting at the crew bunk, tears just came out…….the  layover in Hong Kong was the saddness one meeting up with our mutual friends and talking about our past was just like putting a needl into our hearts.

His funeral was only 3 days after I returned back to Vancouver and 2 days ahead of the Chinese New Year. The night before there was the 2nd Snow storm warning in Vancouver, during the funeral, I made a speech, lots of memories during that tiny 3 minutes……

Time had come, I finally had to walk his coffin with other friends and accompained to the crematoruim, Snow had gone, and turned into heavy rain just like my tears…

Lewis, we knew each other in 1986, we started out just like others eating, drinking, clubbings, talking non-sense friends, but we eventually grew together,  you became my best friend, sharing our laughters, our problems,  God knows that 2 years after you moved to Vancouver, Fate also brought me there as well! I thank you for all your supports all these years specailly my early days in Vancouver after I was being dumped, without you I might not be able to face the challenge sensibly. I know leaving us at the age of 49 is a bit too early, however as a kind person like you, God has treated you well by not further suffer in this World.

Rest In Peace my dearest friend…