Fridays With My Father
Published by simon on February 25, 2009For most of my growing up years, my dad worked for the government away from home, only coming back on Thursday evenings by express bus and going back away on Friday nights. His weekend was on Friday, my school weekends were Friday/Saturday.
Friday mornings were always spent with him in town. I’d follow him to Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, the biggest bank in town (now known as HSBC). Banking was different in those days, customer service was non existent (well maybe somethings haven’t changed that much) so to get all your banking done, you’d have to line up in multiple long queues. I’d pass the time by counting the number of people in front of my dad in the queue.
After banking my dad would treat me to a cup of white coffee at the kopitiam next to the bank on chettiar row, where all the lawyers and chettiars (moneylenders) had their offices, facing the river. a cup of coffee cost 55sen, and dad taught me how to stir and lift the spoon so that it cooled down faster.
We’d then come home for lunch, and after reading the newspapers, checking the oil in the car, some gardening, almost too soon after that, it was time for him to catch his bus back.
Those were my Fridays with my father. I’ll always remember the good times.













