It
was 4:40 A.M. on June 13, 2016. He did
not show up yet. Five minutes, ten minutes,…..and even 20 minutes passed than
his normal arrival time, but there was not even a shadow of the same old car,
in which I saw a smiley old man that I adore as my cater-cousin in his driver’s seat humming his favorite jazz tune,
that came into the outdoor parking lot of the local gym. With the bad gut
feeling stealthily creeping inside
of me, I got out of my car with heavy mind and saw another front desk staff (who became my best friend later on) urgently passing me in her car. She looked very bewildered and distressed. As she and I were walking closer to the
gym gate, both of us could read each other’s concerns from the look upon our
faces reflected by the dawning light of the day. I said “Well…I hope Ray is
alright. Do you cover for him this morning, Patty?” It took her some moment to break the news to me….that I would
never want to hear. She took a deep
breath and poured out the four cruel words in her exhale. “Ray has passed
away.” ……………………… I was like “Pardon? ….Are you kidding me?........Are you
serious?” The air has felt the most
strangling and the heaviest among many a troublesome days recently.
Mr.
Ray James Wood was an 86-year-old man who had been opening up the local gym in the
wee hours for the past 13 years here in Peoria, IL. Among his friends, family,
and the gym users like me, he was well known for cracking up people with funny jokes
and stories. The kind of person who never scowled
at anyone or ever flipped out at
any time. A Straight shooter who
never violated laws or regulations but flexible staff at the gym at the same
time. Whenever asked how he was, he would say, "Couldn't be better. Life
is good!" giving his signature smile. Since he came to know that I’m an
English educator, he’s frequently asked me to help him solve the crossword
puzzle from his daily newspaper, which has been a fun challenge to me. I
jokingly said “Wow, isn’t it funny that a native English speaker like you asks a
non-native English user for help with his crossword puzzle, Ray? Yes, he was
such a fun-loving guy who also loved golf and working in his yard. He sang for
years in several of St. Vincent de Paul's choirs, most recently the funeral
choir. Furthermore, Ray was a member of the Peoria Jazz Society and was a
starter for the Peoria Park District's golf courses for many years. A great
friend to all, a devoted husband and father, and a loving grandfather and
great-grandfather. He loved to brag about his greatest accomplishment – his
family. Last but not least, as a native Korean, I deeply appreciate his
devotion as a soldier who was fighting for my motherland in the Korean War in
his youthful years.
Although
there will not be another day that I pick up the newspaper for him or take a
selfie with him at the front desk, his megawatt smile and those of his three
uplifting words “Life is good!” will never fade away in my heart. I miss you,
Ray. Rest in peace.
Expressions
cater-cousin: (noun)
a close/ intimate friend
stealthily:
(adverb) slowly/ secretly
bewildered:
(adjective) confused/ perplexed
to break the news to someone:
(verb) to tell someone bad news
to scowl at…:
(verb) to look at someone or something
in a way that shows anger or disapproval
to flip out:
(verb) to become crazy or angry
straight shooter:
(noun) a person who is very honest
No comments:
Post a Comment