Shengliver’s Note: Teen Chen Yue misses his late uncle.

Last night I had a dream where I met my late uncle. I can’t remember much of the details, but it evoked my memory of the days when he was with us.

He passed away this summer because of cancer. When the disease was detected in him, it was already too late. He refused to go through radiotherapy or chemo. He had been a doctor himself.

My uncle got retired earlier than usual because of some special policy. After retirement he was hooked on collecting antiques. All his savings were spent on his collection but he got little return on his investment.

The last time I visited him was the beginning of the summer vacation. I saw him seated there in an armchair with great difficulty in breathing. Although speaking was no easy thing for him, we managed to talk a lot. I listened to him carefully and patiently. That night I washed his feet. It was the only thing I could do for him.

My uncle was as stubborn as a mule when he was alive. Having been a doctor, he knew what it meant to him when his disease was diagnosed. He said that the recommended therapy would get him nowhere, and therefore he said no to any recommended treatment. All of us knew that he would not add to his daughter’s financial burden.

I don’t think my uncle was a black sheep although most of my family members do think so. Still fresh in my mind is the scene where he asked my aunt to cook me a bowl of noodles with the only eggs left in the fridge. It was his last act of kindness to me.

Hearing the news of his fall, I cried. My 80-year-old grandfather wept all the time that day. My grandma was just as sad.