I still cannot believe wad had happened.
It all seemed so sudden and unsuspectingly.
That a life can be gone, just like that.
Right in front of my eyes.

I thought that yesterday was yet another day of normality.
Even when my necklace snapped while i was showering, i did not take it much to heart crediting it to my mere carelessness.
But thinking back now, it might have been an anomalistic indication.

I was asked to help out for the sports day of my previous company at Yio Chu Kang Sports Hall yesterday afternoon.
Everything went well, with everyone perspiring their hearts out enjoying the games painstakingly prepared by the committee.
I was the time-keeper for most of the games, and the referee for the captain's ball game(highlight of the day).

The captain's ball game proceeded as planned till the finals, where we have 2 teams vying hard against one another to get the championship.
It was a draw, 1-1.
The committee then decided to play according to the Golden Ball rule.
Chin Huat caught the golden ball. The cheers of victory resounded with my whistle affirming the score and the end of the match.

I saw a team member slapping a Hi5 with CH jubilently.
It was seconds later when a loud thud was heard behind me.

Being a cheeky guy with a corpulent body mass, the first thing that came to me was that he was too tired, or, he wanted to play a trick on us given his high mood after the victory.
But the moment i see his face and hands start to turn pale and black, i know something isn't right.

We were asked not to crowd around him, and medicated oil was applied.
The manager of CH started to do CPR on him.

Then suddenly, CH sat up, startled, as if from a bad dream.
And he laid back on the ground.

Another lady manager then slapped him continuously, asking him not to sleep.
Ambulance arrived shortly and the paramedics took over the rescue job.
By then, CH's heart beat was zero.

After much effort, a very nominal pulse was detected. And CH was rushed immediately to TTSH.

Being the youngest among them, i was told to go home and wait for the news.
One of my closest colleagues began to cry.
It really made my heart fluttered to the max, i cannot stop chanting in my heart.

I was one of CH's good friends when i was still at the company.
He would always buy me sweets and would share with me the snacks he "kapo" from other depts.
At my last day of work a month ago, he even left a friendster comment for me.
When he knew that i was coming for the sports day, he was pleasantly delighted.
One of the last sentences he said to me was, "做referee辛苦吗? 一直要跑来跑去。"

I was on my way back when i received the bad news.
It was too hard to bear, too sudden.
One minute he is there, and not anymore the next minute.
I thought i was partly responsible, for i'm the referee of the game.
I should have look out for him during the game.
I should have ended the game fast.
Many more "I should have..."

I had learnt from one of the colleagues in the main com that CH's eldest bro had passed on exactly the same way as him a year ago after a soccer game.
The doc concluded that it's a genetic heart problem.
Whoever is it, this is ridiculously planned.
That it happened when he was at the 28-prime of his life.

I will be going down to his wake tonight with Jianli.
I will be getting the same type of sweets that he used to buy for me.
Now it is my turn to buy for him.

In loving memory of my good friend and colleague: Liew Chin Huat

*posted on Saturday, 11 October 2008, 3.28pm*