At the hospital...and a few more other places

On 20th March 2010

6.25pm:
Dad meets me at the Outram Park MRT bus stop leading up to Singapore General Hospital.

6.35pm:
We reach Granpa's ward in ICU. Before that the nurse had already called us while we were registering ourselves downstairs. Told us that he was almost going and told us to come down to the hospital now.

6.50pm:
Grandpa leaves this world, after Dad and I spoke to him. He was not able to open his eyes by then but can see and hear his breathing change as Dad and I spoke to him.

It was a long night after that. We waited at the mortuary for an hour at least. For the first time, I see a corpse being transported from hospital room to the mortuary and then into a vehicle.

There was another long wait at the police station where we had to get the real death certificate in order to get my Gramps cremated. It was such a joke (sorry policemen). Three men standing in front of one computer and receiving all sorts of calls and handling all sorts of cases except serving us, the ones sitting right in front of them. There was not even an acknowledgement of our presence. I do not need an apology. A "please hold on" would have been nice for someone (me) who had been up since 5am and working from 7am.

Anyway, by the time Dad, Mum and I reached home, it was already 12 midnight. Tomorrow will be another long day.

Rest in peace Gramps. I will miss you.