Kay Pin Elevated to Father-in-Lawhood

The highlight of October was a memorable trip to West Malaysia to attend the wedding banquet of the daughter of a close university friend.

Kay Pin, the bride’s father, is a man of few words. He was my final-year roommate back in 1977, when we shared a room in a corner terrace house along Jalan 17/6 in Petaling Jaya. Like me, he was studying civil engineering, though he was a year my junior. Interestingly, the family he has raised mirrors mine quite closely - an eldest daughter followed by two sons.

One of the most entertaining moments of the evening came during the speech by the bride’s younger brothers, who spoke fondly - and humorously - about their sister. From almost the day they were born, she had taken on the role of a “stepmother”, acting as the household disciplinarian and dictating their do’s and don’ts, including how they dressed, especially on special occasions.

They jokingly concluded by welcoming their new brother-in-law as the “sixth stepson” of their sister. Why sixth? They explained - with perfect comedic timing - that the first five were: their father, mother, the two brothers, and her favourite dog.

Naturally, an occasion like this also offered a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends from our university days, sharing laughter, memories, and a sense of nostalgia that made the event all the more meaningful.

From left: Sun Nan Ping, Me, Lim Heng Seng and Teng Luen Foong.