ChandimaChulendraHemachandra

A memory I will always carry

One memory that still makes me laugh is going on the rides with Thath at Universal Studios Singapore. We had already gone on the Transformers ride together, which was fun, although a little more jarring than I had expected.

Then came The Mummy. Somehow, I had convinced myself that it was basically going to be a haunted-house-style attraction. Mum and my brothers had decided not to join us, but I carried on with Thath, completely unaware of what I had signed myself up for until we reached the actual ride.

Once the roller coaster properly kicked in, I spent most of it with my eyes shut, clutching everything I had so nothing would fly away and concentrating very hard on keeping my insides where they belonged.

By the time it ended, I was practically wobbling my way out of the ride, trying to recover.

Thath, meanwhile, walked out cheerful and thoroughly pleased with the experience.

I think that contrast is probably why the memory has stuck with me so well.

Something Dad taught me

One of the biggest things Thath has taught me is persistence. Not necessarily through something he sat me down and explained, but through watching him over the years.

Whatever happened: work pressures, financial responsibilities, family challenges, or uncertainty about what came next, he kept going. He has shown me that sometimes strength is simply continuing to do what needs to be done, even when you’re tired of doing it.

Something I never say enough

I don’t think I say often enough how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.

For as long as I can remember, you’ve worked, sacrificed, and carried responsibilities to make sure our family was supported and that we had opportunities in life. A lot of what we have today exists because you kept pushing forward, even when things weren’t easy.

I may not always say it, but I do notice it, and I’m grateful for it.

The Dad only we know

Thath has three favourite destinations: the gas station, the pharmacy and the ATM.

Somehow, he seems to end up at one of them often enough that it has become a running family observation.

There is also his habit of casually checking in on how everyone is doing: work, health, plans, and whatever else happens to come up in conversation. Sometimes, what he probably thinks is a perfectly ordinary chat can unexpectedly turn into a full status report on your progress.

It’s one of those things that is simply very Thath: always keeping track of what is going on with the family, even during what you thought was just going to be a dinner chat.

A memory I will always carry

There are two memories that come to mind when I read this question.

The first is actually something that still happens now. Every night when I come to say goodnight and check up on you guys, you always ask me how my day was. I end up telling you everything, and most of the time we end up talking about work.

It seems like such a small thing, but I really value it. We never really got to spend much quality time together in other ways, so having something we’re both interested in and can sit and talk about means a lot to me. It’s become our time together, and it’s something I always look forward to.

The second is from when I was younger, when you told us the story about being a Hemachandra. You told me Hemachandra means “golden moon”, and about the story your father told you. The moon stays high in the night sky while the dogs below bark and howl at it. But the moon doesn’t lower itself to their level. It stays where it is, far beyond their reach.

You taught me that we should be like the moon. Keep our heads high, stay true to ourselves and not let other people change who we are. I’ve never forgotten that.

Something Dad taught me

One thing you’ve definitely passed on to me is your curiosity with technology.

I remember watching you work with frequencies and changing channels to connect different pieces of hardware together. I can’t even remember exactly what the machine was anymore, but I remember being fascinated by it.

I grew up with things like Bluetooth and USB, where everything is made to connect easily. Watching you understand how different frequencies could make microphones and other hardware communicate felt completely different to me.

It showed me that there are so many ways to make things work if you understand how they work. I think seeing you constantly experiment, connect things and figure things out helped build that same curiosity in me.

Something I never say enough

I love you.

And I don’t think I say thank you enough either. Thank you for being patient with me, for understanding me and for always supporting me.

Even when we try to pay for things around the house, you barely ever let us. I know carrying everything yourself isn’t easy, but you never complain about it. You never made us feel like things were difficult or that we were ever a burden. You just handled it and always did your best to take care of us.

I know we’re your children and you probably see that as something you’re supposed to do, but I don’t think I can properly explain how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for us.

Sometimes I genuinely don’t know how to thank you for it all. I just hope that one day I can show you.

The Dad only we know

I actually found this one difficult because you’re quite similar whether you’re at home or at work. You’re always friendly, warm and interested in people.

But there’s another side of you that I don’t think everyone gets to see.

We get to see the tech and gadget obsessed version of you. The guy who loves tinkering with hardware, connecting different systems together, playing around with lights and figuring out how everything works. We get to see the guy who loves cooking for his family and having a great time entertaining people.

When you get really interested in something, especially gadgets or cooking, you almost become a kid again. You get completely absorbed in it. You’re learning, experimenting and just happily doing your own thing.

I love seeing you like that because it’s one of the times where you’re completely away from work and just enjoying something because you genuinely love it.

Not many people get to see you in that space. We do. And I think that’s a privilege.