Somethign about dad

Mum told me something about dad I never knew before. At least, more things in detail.

When dad first began working at the bank, he was selected to go abroad for training for a few months. It was the US, in NYC on the East Coast. This was probably the early eighties, and I don't think I was even around at the time. Though, I've seen pictures with yellowing edges that captured moments back then. One is of dad lying on the floor, next to a transparent glass table. On the surface of the table were bills. Dollar bills, spread randomly. I forget what denomination they were, but there was definitely a lot of money just lying around on the table. And dad had a proud smile on his face as he posed for the camera. I never figured out how he got all that money, or whatever happened to all that.

Until today... Mum said when he went to the US, he was so thrifty that he did not spend much. Everyday he would save his daily allowance, and spend the bare minimum. Probably because he converted everything into Taiwan dollars, and found everything too expensive to buy (I remember once he told me whenever he buys something, he stands there calculating the price, comparing the products and thinking about it before really buying it...)

So at the end of the few months of his training, he came back home with a lot of cash. Over US$5000, which I imagine was an enormous sum. Mum said dad looked scruffy when she and my brother went to pick him up at the airport. Scruffy, with uncut hair and dirty-looking clothes. He looked so bad that even my brother, a baby then I imagine, did not want my dad to hold him.

But dad did it all because he wanted to save money, to save every single penny he could so that we, his family could benefit and be better off.

When I heard that, I was again touched and reminded of dad's silent kindness and care. Care that seem more eminent now that he has passed away...