Dear Diary,
         
                   I am Ah Hock, the eldest boy in the family. I have two younger sisters and two younger brothers in my family. Today, my father passed away. My whole family was overwhelmed with grief and sadness, as we mourned for my father, the man who loved and cared for my family whole-heartedly.We wore black, as a symbol of death and respect. My mother could not control herself and cried non-stop as Ah Nya, the oldest girl in the family tried to console her. I was hurt seeing my mother's eyes constantly filled with tears. However, I could not do anything.I had mixed feelings. I was sad, for the fact that my father, the sole breadwinner of the family, passed away. Nevertheless, I couldn't lose control of my feelings, as I knew that I would soon take on the role as the head of the family and the sole breadwinner of the family. I would have to give up my studies and go out to work to provide for the family. My siblings cannot afford to give up their studies for work as they are still young and by completing their studies, they would be able to take on a better job, have a higher pay and also, Mother would not have to worry about us.
                  As I remembered about what Mr Chong said to me about offering me a job in his provision shop, I decided to tell Mother about my decision to work at the provision shop. However, I did not know what I would be doing at the provision shop as I did not have any working experience.I hoped that this sacrifice of mine would enable Ah Nya, Ah Kee, Ah Seng and Ah Lin to work hard in their studies and get a good job in the future so that Mother would not have to work so hard as she is growing old.

-Ah Hock

(Done by Vanessa Yeo (21) from 1K4)