Remembering the 60s

Uncle Meng
Uncle Meng was the older brother of Daniel’s mother by 3 years. He passed away in May 1968. He died in his sleep, when one Sunday morning, he just lied in his bed and refused to get up. Doctor said he died of natural causes; his heart simply stopped beating in the middle of his sleep. He died a bachelor, at the age of 48. Daniel cried and mourned him for several months since his passing away. He felt a void in his life without Uncle Meng. For Uncle Meng was his favourite uncle. Even thinking about him now in the plane makes his throat all lumpy and eyes misty. Daniel adored his Uncle Meng a lot for they had so much fun and laughter together. Daniel is very fond of him as he was of Daniel. They spent many happy moments together and he has taught Daniel many things during his formative years. Parents could only teach their children so much and it was the uncles and aunties who fill the gap. They are the most caring, loving and sincerest teachers. He remembers when he was young kid, Uncle Meng would come to the house to visit the family and play with his nieces and nephews. He would buy them candies, ice cream and take them to toy shops. He also treated them to the cinemas to watch Cantonese movies from Hong Kong and sometimes Westerns movies. He liked to show off Daniel to his friends because they all loved his baby faced infatuating smile, appealing innocent eyes and Daniel was a polite little lad. He would come to the house to pick up Daniel and ask his sister (Daniel’s mother) to dress him up nice and tidy in his new clothes, comb his hair with Brulye hair cream. He nicknamed Daniel as his ‘Little Prince’
Uncle Meng was a jovial kind of fellow; forgiving and gentle. His friends liked his company because of his generous, kind and gregarious nature. He made them laugh with his off-colour jokes which he picked up from his customers as well as his colleagues while working as a salesman in Nestle. He also picked up the habit of smoking and drinking from them. He told Daniel that this is part and parcel of his job to entertain his customers. As a bachelor, he seldom ate at home, preferred to have dinner with his colleagues, most of whom were bachelors like him. They were from outstations and worked in KL. They would eat at the coffee shops around the Bukit Bintang area which served home cooked meals and Tiger beers. They loved their beers. It would only take a glass to gear up a free-flow conversation. Even the most timid would swear in the name of whoever, that their stories were all true. They found temporary refuge in their friendship, solace in the their company and let the beers do the talking! A few coffee shops accepted long term arrangement with them with monthly payment. This was fine with Uncle Meng and his friends because they were sure of home-cooked meals and this arrangement would also free them the trouble of running around choosing which coffee shop to go to for their meals. Uncle Meng would usually be the first to pick up the bill for the Tiger beers. Later his friends would split the bill with him, but occasionally, one or two of them would conveniently forget about sharing the bill. But, Uncle Meng never reminded or brought it up with them. Daniel remembers the occasions when Uncle Meng took him along to have dinner with his friends. They really enjoyed their evening meals together and never failed to share their personal stories, especially after a few drinks. They talked about their companies, mostly how they were treated badly by their supervisors to meet sales targets and their fellow colleagues. They also boasted about their love stories and their ‘adventures’ in wooing female companions. Men gossiping. But, Daniel never heard of his uncle talking about his personal love story. He wondered if he ever had a girlfriend at all. During one such dinner outing, Daniel followed Uncle Meng to his rented flat on his trusty Mazda car. He told Daniel not to believe everything in what his friends had said over the dinner table. He taught Daniel that dinner conversations are just that, conversations. He then switched on the gramophone and played some catchy popular tunes from his collection of vinyl records. He has a vast collection of records which ranged from Rock & Roll, Jazz, Country & Western, Pop to Classical. He could not resist the urge for a drink and took a bottle of beer from the fridge, lighting up a cigarette, enjoying the music and conversing with Daniel in between. After some time, Daniel felt that Uncle Meng had become quiet and solemn. He sensed a tint of sadness from the look of his eyes. He has never seen him like that before. He thought it was the beer that made him drowsy.
Years later, when Daniel was about 14 years old, he remembers one time when he was riding in his new Toyota (by this time, Uncle Meng has been promoted to become the Sales Manager ), Uncle Meng was playing music from his cassette tape. They conversed in between songs and the conversation was mainly about Daniel’s school life. After some time, Daniel observed that Uncle Meng’s eyes were fixated into the horizon and looking forlorn. He seemed lost in the song playing from the cassette tape. It was a duet. They sounded like some American Country & Western singers. Uncle Meng’s face became mellow and pale, just like the way he looked when Daniel was in his flat, after having dinner with his friends few years ago. “Are you Ok Uncle Meng?’, Daniel asked him. “Oh, I am Ok. Why do you ask Dan?’, Uncle Meng was caught by surprise. “Because I saw the same expression in you when I was in your flat sometime in past”, Daniel recalled. “Mind telling me what’s is bothering you, Uncle?”, Daniel continued. “No, it’s Ok. Just remember someone in the past. But it’s not important now”, Uncle Meng replied. One evening about 7pm Uncle Meng came to the house. “Where has everyone gone to Dan?”, he enquired. “Mum and Dad have gone to watch a movie and brother and sister have gone for tuition class. They would not be back till 9.30pm”, answered Daniel. “Have you had your dinner yet?’, Uncle Meng was concerned. “No. Not to worry Uncle. Mummy has cooked my dinner before she went out. I will have it later’, Daniel tried to reassure him. Uncle Meng then suggested, “Forget about your dinner. Let’s go to Bukit Bintang for measl. Today is Saturday. They have an open air food court which sells some very delicious seafood there. Let’s go!”, Uncle Meng insisted. And so they went to Bukit Bintang. Uncle Meng was a hefty eater. He ordered food for 3 people although there were only two of them. He always ordered more than he could eat. Uncle Meng would order the best of dishes, especially when Daniel was around. After dinner, they went back to his house (Uncle Meng has bought himself a nice double-story link house in Petaling Jaya). He sat down on the sofa and gestured Daniel to sit down too. Daniel sat on the other side of the sofa, looking apprehensively at him. “Daniel, about what you asked me the other day when you were in my car. It has been in my mind since. I know you had asked me the same question before. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I am only waiting for the right time. It’s an experience of my personal life. It is a secret which I have been keeping all this years and I have not told anyone about it; not even your mother”, Uncle Meng finally explained. “I am here to listen, Uncle”, Daniel replied expectantly. “You see Daniel, Love is Love. It is ageless and timeless. It is for the taking, not for the waiting”, Uncle Meng began. “Stop, stop Uncle. What are you talking about Uncle? This is all too abstract for me!”, Daniel exclaimed in frustration. “Dan. Have you come across things that are dear and precious in front of you, that you didn’t notice, and when you finally noticed, it is too late?”, Uncle Meng again replied in oblique reference. “Well, you mean like you don’t appreciate a good friend until one day you don’t see him anymore and it is too late?’, Daniel tried to reason. “Yeah, something like that.”, replied Uncle Meng. “Love is also like that Dan. Sometimes it is right there in front of you and you don’t appreciate it until it is too late”, Uncle Meng continued. By now, Daniel grew rather impatient and even crossed. “I am only a teen Uncle. You are talking about grown up stuff”, Daniel replied in desperation. “You will grow up one day, Dan”, his uncle told him. Uncle Meng then proceeded to unveil his love story. This is what happened.
Uncle Meng studied in a Chinese-medium school during his primary education. His father took him out of it and enrolled him into an English-medium private school, where he obtained his “O” levels Cambridge External Exams. His father reasoned with him that it is better for Uncle Meng to study English because with an English education, he could land a well paid job. He scored a grade 2 and decided he has enough of studies and wanted to come out to work. At that time it was common for students to leave school after a Form 5 education. He applied to Nestle for the position as a junior sales representative. He got the job, but the vacancy was in Johore Bahru and so he had to leave Kuala Lumpur to take up the appointment in JB. He rented a room with a family and quickly settled down into his new environment. His landlord family was extremely friendly and caring towards him. Mr. Gan, the landlord was working as a clerk in a public transport company. Mrs. Gan was a housewife. They had 3 children; two boys and a girl. The children were well-behaved, studious and respectful to elders. They welcomed him into the family and straight away took a liking in him. They treated him like their big brother. Uncle Meng was particularly touched by their youthful innocence for they seemed to always ask him questions. They wanted to hear from him life in the big capital city where he came from, whether he liked to work in JB and his company Nestle. Uncle Meng was 18 years old at the time. The boys were born a year apart. The boys were 14 and 15 years old and their sister was 12 years old. They were all schooling. At 18, Daniel felt ‘old’ in their company. Uncle Meng also treated them like his own brothers and sister. He missed his happy life at home. Uncle Meng would take them out for sight seeing, shopping, eating out at food stalls during weekends. They would go to the waterfalls, armed with his camera and trekking gear. He loved to take photographs of them and with them. Later, he would develop the photos and arranged them neatly in chronological order into his photo album. He would scribble the places or activities with dates that they took part underneath the photos. Sometimes, Uncle Meng would send some photos to Daniel’s mother. They did a lot of things together. Uncle Meng really enjoyed living with this family. The children would ask Uncle Meng questions on their school homework. Uncle Meng mostly taught them English and Maths. Siew Li, was the baby of the family. She was a bubbly chubby girl who has an innocent appeal about her. She wanted to learn things and asked questions all the time, so much so that Uncle Meng would give an ‘I don’t know’ answer just to avoid her. But, she was also very caring and helpful towards Uncle Meng. She would heat up the food reserved for Uncle Meng when he came home late from work and she would wait at his table until he finished his food and washed his dishes for him. Uncle Meng thought the people in small town are such nicer people to live with. They have such innocent and unspoiled mannerism and outlook about them. Of course, in the course of his meals, he would also have to put up with her tirade of questions! Uncle Meng remembered an experience during their sightseeing trip to the waterfall. His friend, Teck Joo who was also a neighbor of the family joined the trip. Teck Joo was of the same age as Uncle Meng. He also worked in tobacco and beverage industry, albeit with a smaller local company. He liked Uncle Meng’s company as he felt that he could learn much from Uncle Meng who came from the big capital city and working for an international organization. He liked Uncle Meng to the point of worshipping him. They had changed into their swimming trunks and jumped into the pond beneath the waterfall; swimming, frolicking and having fun. Siew Li did not join the boys this time. Instead she chose to swim alone in the smaller pond next to the one occupied by the boys. She did not change into a swimsuit. She was swimming in her tight blouse and short pant. She was 14 at the time, and started to feel shy about the way some people looked at her body. After about an hour, they decided to get out of the ponds to head for home. As Siew Li pulled herself out of the pond, water was dripping down from her tightly covered body by her wet blouse. Uncle Meng could not but noticed her changing features. Siew Li has turned into a young lady with a growing chest and lovely curves. Siew Li turned to look in his direction, Uncle Meng blushed, quickly turned away to avoid eye contact with her. But, Teik Joo stay fixated with his telling eyes. “Keep your eyes to yourself Teik Joo? Shame on you! Let’s go!”, Uncle Meng blurred his vision and shut out his thought.
One day, Siew Li came home crying and hid in her room the whole day. Uncle Meng came home after work and later joined the family for dinner. Siew Li was conspicuously missing from the dinner table. He then enquired her whereabouts. Her mother explained that Siew Li came home crying because of an incident happened in her school. She would not answer any questions and just locked herself in her room, refusing to speak to anyone. Later, during the night, out of hunger, Siew Li came out to the kitchen to have her dinner, which was saved for her by her mother. Uncle Meng was affected by Siew Li’s earlier behavior. He waited for her to come out of her room and went to the kitchen and sat at the dinner table beside her. “What’s wrong Siew Li?”, he enquired softly. “The headmaster punished me today. He ordered me to write one hundred sentences”, Siew Li cried. “What did he want you to write?”, Uncle Meng continued his enquiry. “I am sorry. I will behave in school and I shall not do it again”, Siew Li revealed what she was asked to write as her punishment. “Why did your headmaster punish you?“, Daniel continued. “He said a boy was admitted into the hospital because I put poison into his mee soup”, Siew Li replied. “Well, did you?”, Uncle Meng was not sure if he wanted to ask her this question. “Of course NOT!”, Siew Li shouted. “ The boy wanted to play truant and did not come to school yesterday. When he was questioned by the headmaster when he came back to school this morning, he blamed it on me and said that I had caused him to become ill by putting poison into his bowl of mee soup”, Siew Li answered in between sobs. “Did you tell the headmaster you didn’t administer the poison then?”, Uncle Meng went on. “Of course I did. But he won’t believe me. The boy’s father is a rich business man, he is a Datuk and he sits on the school’s board of governors. Now, even you don’t believe me….wo..wo..wo…”, Siew Li was overwhelmed by emotions, she covered her face with tears rolling down her cheeks and ran towards her room, shutting her door loudly behind her once again. Uncle Meng didn’t sleep well that night. He felt her pain.
Next day, during recess, Uncle Meng took leave and went to Siew Li’s school. He wanted to hear from her headmaster to have a fuller understanding of the incident that had caused her and her family so much unhappiness and anguish. The headmaster told him exactly what Siew Li had explained to him the night before. “But, how do you know it was Siew Li?”, Uncle Meng probed. “Because the other boys said they also saw Siew Li sprayed some poison powder into his soup” the headmaster replied. “And how do you know that the boy was poisoned? Have you checked with the doctor?”, Uncle Meng demanded. “Now, don’t be smart with me young man. I am a busy man. I do not have to go round checking with every doctor in town whenever my students fall sick! I am in this business for a long time. I just know”, the headmaster replied defiantly. “But, you have to be sure. I know she did not do it. If you punished her or any other person without proof, I think you are not fair to them”, Uncle Meng did not back down. ‘And how do I check smart man?”, the headmaster replied mockingly. “I think if he went down on poison, he should go see a doctor and get a medical report for you”, Uncle Meng pointed out. Realising that Uncle Meng was not about to give in and also he knew Uncle Meng was right, the headmaster then called the boy to his office. “Seng Guan, you said you did not come to school the other day because you were having stomach ache and were vomiting right?”, the headmaster related the boy’s story to him. “Yes, Sir”, Seng Guan replied without a blink. “So, did you go to see a doctor?”, the headmaster enquired. The boy was taken aback. He rolled his eyes and started to think nervously. “Err…I did not go to see a doctor, Sir. I just took ‘Poh Chai Yuen’ pills and rested the whole day Sir. Many times I have to run in and out of the toilet. My stomach was purging and I was vomiting. It was awful Sir”, the boy answered matter-of-factly. “Ok. You may go now Seng Guan”’ the headmaster shooed him out of his office. “Is that it? You believe in what he had just said?”, Uncle Meng demanded. “I think you should also call his parents to check out whether he was actually sick the other day”, Uncle Meng suggested. The headmaster has no choice but to pick up his phone and called Seng Guan’s house. “Yes, this is Dato Tan’s residence”, the housekeeper at the other end of the line answered. “I am Mr. Wong, the headmaster of Seng Guan’s school. Can I speak to Dato please?”, he asked. “Oh, no Sir, Dato is overseas and Datin has gone to play mahjong in Datin Ng’s house”, replied the housekeeper. “By the way, did Seng Guan go to school two days ago? Was he down with stomach ache and vomiting ?”, the headmaster wanted to know this time. “Why do you ask Mr. Wong? Was there anything wrong with Seng Guan?”, the voice at the other end of the line trembling. “No, there was just a misunderstanding in the school, I just want to make sure and to clear up things. Not to worry, you can tell me”, the headmaster reassured her. “No, Sir, Seng Guan was not at home. He was in school the whole day”, finally the answer came from the housekeeper. “Thank you. Have a nice day”, the headmaster put his phone down with a grave look on his face. He now realized that the boy had told him a lie and he had punished Siew Li wrongly. “I think there is a miscommunication here. You are right. Please tell Siew Li not to write the hundred sentences. I will deal with the boy myself.” , the headmaster reversed his decision, but fell short of an apology. Headmasters are one of the most dignified individuals on earth! From that incident, Siew Li’s respect for Uncle Meng grew even more each day.
One day, Siew Li asked Uncle Meng, “What is love?”, suddenly out of the blue. "Love? Why do you ask?", Uncle Meng found the question awkward to answer. “Today after school, one of my friends asked me what I think love was”, Siew Li explained. “Well, I don’t know. Love can mean so many things to so many people”, Uncle Meng replied uneasily. "So what do you think it is?" , Siew Li insisted. "I guess it's when you care about somebody and you can go to great length to do things for that somebody. And when that somebody gets hurt, you hurt too.", Uncle Meng offered the answer after a careful thought and a long pause. “Have you loved someone before?”, Siew Li wanted to know. “Of course. There are many people dear to me whom I love”, Uncle Meng replied without answering, but more of trying to brush her off. “I mean have you been in love before?”, Siew Li asked pressed nervously. “You are too young to talk about such thing ok? Such thing is for grown ups. Just concentrate on your studies for now ok?”, Uncle Meng excused himself and rushed straight to his room.
Another year has passed. Uncle Meng was now 21 and Siew Li was already 15. One day over the diner table with all the members of his adopted family present, he dropped them a news which was received with mixed feelings. He told them that he has been offered a promotion by his company, but if he accepted the offer, he would have to head back to Kuala Lumpur to work in the head office. “Are you going to take it?”, Siew Li was the first to ask him. “Well I am seriously considering it. They give me a good increment and moreover, I could take evening classes in sales management to improve myself and my career prospects. I couldn’t find any night classes in JB. “That means you are going back to KL?”, Siew Li asked quietly, with a sad look. “Yes. If I were to take up the offer”, Uncle Meng answered, sensing the inevitable departure from this family whom he grew to love since moving in to live with them 3 years ago. “Well, when are you leaving Daniel”, enquired Siew Li’s father. “3 months’ time uncle”, Uncle Meng replied.
He has packed all his belongings ready to leave JB the next day. When he came back to the house after bidding farewell to his mates, Uncle Meng noticed an envelope slipped beneath his door. It was from Siew Li. He went to sit on his bed and opened the letter. It reads, “Dear Brother Meng. I feel very happy for you that you have a promotion in your company. I know you love your job very much and you are a dedicated man in all you do. I am sure you are going to have a bright future in your company. But, my family and I are also sad to see you leaving us. I don’t know how or where to begin. But, I know that I have to let you know, I have to let it out, otherwise, this feeling inside me is killing me. Brother Meng, at first I thought it was only a little girl having a crush on a teacher, and that I would grow out of it one day. But, it didn’t. My feelings for you grew more and stronger each day. Before you came, I had a low esteem about myself, throwing tantrums, argumentative and living in my own world. Thanks to you I am more open, believing in myself and am more confident now. You taught me so many things in life, have made so much changes in me for which I am very grateful. I think of you often Brother Meng; when I am awake and even in my sleep. Time can only prove to you how much you mean to me. I really want you to know just how special you mean to me, as my feelings for you grow with each passing day. You give me a reason to wake up with a smile on my face every morning, and each day a day to look forward to. You once said that love is when someone you love gets hurt, you get hurt too. How very true! When I see you are unhappy due to pressure from your work or when you have a misunderstanding with your superior, I feel unhappy too. You told me that I am only a little girl, I am too young to talk about love. But, what else can I talk about now that you are leaving me, without knowing my feelings? If I am too young, I can wait for you. I will grow up one day. I will grow up for you. It’s only a couple of years away that I will finish school. Please come back Brother Meng. I will wait. Signed… Yours, Siew Li.” “Oh My God. What have I done?”, Uncle Meng covered his mouth, trying to control his emotions. After he steadied himself, he wrote in reply to Siew Li. “My dearest Siew Li, I read your letter with a lot of soul searching. I want to let you know I am so very fond of you too. You are a good natured girl, caring, loyal and you have given me so many happy memories during these past 3 years. But, I am so sorry to learn of your feelings for me in this way and that I am sorry I can’t reciprocate in the same way. Can you see I am 21 years old and you are only 15. You are still too young to have a love relationship Siew Li. I look upon you and love you as my little sister and it is wrong of me to think of you in the way you wanted me to. During these past 3 years that I stayed with your family, it was the happiest moment of my life. Uncle, Auntie and your brothers and especially you have given me so much happiness. I have watched you grow up from a chubby, stubborn little girl to a young woman today who is caring, poised and confident. One day you would find someone your age to fall in love with Siew Li. You deserve a good man and I wish you the very best from the bottom of my heart. Our age is far apart and I have no time to get tied down now. I have to think about my career first, save up some money, buy myself a house before I can think of a love relationship. Signed….With all my love, Brother Meng.” And then, he left JB
Uncle Meng settled down in his new job in KL quickly. He submerged himself in work, aiming for more promotions and started to make new friends. He loved his life here. But he did not forget the family he used to live in JB. At first, he wrote letters to them and told them about his new job and his life in KL. However, later the letters became fewer and fewer and after two years, they stopped writing altogether. And when, Uncle Meng wrote the last time, his letter was returned. He found out that the Gan family has shifted. Uncle was now more than ever caught up in the rat race. He worked in the day and attended sales management course at night. His hard work and studies paid off and he was promptly promoted to Sales Manager. Uncle Meng was now 28 and still a bachelor and he has achieved what he set out to achieve. He then started to remember the family in JB. He remembered Siew Li. “What is Siew Li doing now? Wonder where is she? How does she look now? She must be 22 now”, he thought to himself. He remembered The Letter from her. He remembered every word she wrote and meant. At that time, he did not take it seriously. But, he began to look at it in a different perspective now. He is now 28 and she is 22. The more he thought of Siew Li, the more his feelings grew for her . Soon, his feelings for Siew Li became so intense that it became evident that she was the one he loved. How thoughtless of him to reject Siew Li. How heartless of him to reply her with such blunt words! The barrier of age begins to break down when we grow older. It was already 6 long years since he left JB. One day, Uncle Meng could not wait anymore, he decided to head down to JB to look for Siew Li. He went to her old address and was informed by the new occupants that the family had moved to Singapore to follow their sons who now worked in Singapore. He asked for Siew Li. The occupant told him that Siew Li was still in JB and that she worked in the Standard Chartered Bank. They added that Siew Li was a very friendly bank officer and was well-liked by the bank customers. Uncle Meng could not wait, he felt his pulse rushing and his heart beating faster. He rushed to the Standard Chartered Bank. “Can I speak with Officer Siew Li, please?”, he enquired from the cashier. From a distance he saw her coming towards him. “Gosh! How she had changed!”, Uncle Meng told himself. Siew Li has turned into a beautiful lovely woman, with curvy features, full lips and a welcoming smile looking every inch a sophisticated lady. “Remember me?”, that’s all he could muster. At first she hesitated, then she covered her mouth and screamed, “Bro Meng! Is that you? Oh My God, it has been 6 long years! What brings you here Brother Meng?”, Siew Li could not control her emotions “Can we go for a drink Siew Li?”, Uncle Meng wanted to be alone with her. They went to the snack bar next door. “Sorry, I have not been in touch with your family for awhile. You know, caught up with the rat race in KL. How have you been keeping Siew Li?”, Uncle Meng broke the ice. Siew Li smiled and said, “ I am doing just fine and I got married last year.” Uncle Meng was fighting hard to steady himself. “Who did you marry? What’s his name?”, his stomach churning inside. “I am married to Teik Joo. We are going to have our first child in May”, replied Siew Li. Uncle Meng’s felt a lump in his throat, he could hardly speak, his stomach churned up side down. He could not hide his feelings anymore, but it was too late Suddenly, he stood up, apologized and excused himself; he wanted to run, he needed to get out of this place as fast as he possibly could. He kept walking to nowhere, his mind was empty. Suddenly it started to rain. He did not stop, he kept walking in the rain; oblivious to the people looking at him. Finally he came to his senses and sat down on stool at the bus stop, with tears rolling down his cheek, looking forlornly at into grey horizon. An old lady noticed his behavior and walked towards him, “ Are you alright Sir? Is there anything wrong? Do you need any help?:, she asked out of pity. Uncle Meng went back to KL. He never mentioned Siew Li to anyone again. He has changed a lot since then. He became reclusive, preferred his own company by working, reading books and listening to music.
After the funeral rite ended and Uncle Meng was laid to rest, Daniel went to his house to tidy up his things. He saw the same record still lying next to the gramophone. The record that reminded Uncle Meng of his past. Out of curiosity, Daniel put it on and played the record. And this is the song.
Don’t Cry Joni
Chorus:
Female: Jimmy please say you'll wait for me, I'll grow up someday you'll see
Saving all my kisses just for you, signed with love forever true.


Male: Joni was the girl who lived next door, I've known her I guess ten years or more
Joni wrote me a note one day and this is what she had to say

Chorus:
Male: Slowly I read her note once more, then I went over to the house next door
her teardrops fell like rain that day, when I told Joni what I had to say
Joni, Joni please don't cry, you'll forget me by and by
you're just fifteen I'm twenty-two and Joni I just can't wait for you.

Chorus:
Male: Soon I left our little home town; got me a job and tried to settle down
but these words kept haunting my memory, the words that Joni said to me

Chorus:

Male: I packed my clothes and I caught a plane, I had to see Joni I had to explain
how my heart was filled with her memories and ask my Joni if she'd marry me
I ran all the way to the house next door, but things weren't like they were before
my teardrops fell like rain that day, when I heard what Joni had to say.

Female: Jimmy, Jimmy please don't cry, you'll forget me by and by
it's been five years since you've been gone, Jimmy I married your best friend
John.
Uncle Meng died of a broken heart. “You can Rest In Peace now, dear Uncle”, Daniel prays.