by Wong Sher Maine

In his youth Roy savoured life in the fast lane – he liked to race cars on tracks in Johor and Kuala Lumpur.

But when it came to his last wish, all Roy wanted was to spend it quietly with his best friend and a small group of AWS volunteers at a quiet pavilion along Changi Beach, where his parents used to bring him when he was young.

It was enough for him that we sing Christian worship songs together and enjoy a simple lunch spread, and he could spend serene moments gazing at the calm horizon.

The only concession made to speed was that Roy, who has liver cancer, was ferried to the beach in a souped-up car. The soft-spoken former personal driver kept emphasizing, “I don’t want to trouble all of you”.

It was no trouble, not when Roy, who walked ably with a walking stick, greeted all our simple efforts to make it a day to remember with shy smiles and a soft “thank you”.

Foldable chairs were lugged to the pavilion in a luggage bag; a table was set up; a spread of beehoon, satay, fishballs, otah, sugarcane juice and chendol was prepared; a guitar was brought along to sing songs including “Amazing Grace” and “Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me”, even as planes soared overhead in the noonday sun.

In thanks, after the two-hour session, Roy sent us a message:

“From my heart to yours, thank you for a memorable experience.”

Roy, thank you, too. For your prayers, sweet messages and showing us how you walk the final path with grace and humility.