(24th April, 1960 – 11th August, 2021)

Here I was, about to release my blockbuster of the week article with a little sense of humor (at least to me); and you decide to crash in, or check out, whatever it may be; without saying “bye” to all of us. You did not pull the rug from under us; you pulled the whole floor! (I would like to add a few cheeky words, but best not to; though you’d agree and laugh whole heartedly!)

Growing up with Nigel, was colourful, to say the least. He did things first, including his fist; then talk later. His friends in school… La Salle School, Klang had a subsidiary at 21, Jalan Ladang, Klang – our house. It was a very comfortable house with a large garden surrounding it.

Our house had a badminton court, too. You guessed it – Almost everyday, we had 30 or 40 boys – Nigel, Terence, Malcolm and my friends at our house. Jen and oh ya, my parents had their friends and family over, too but not as consistent as the guys from La Salle. We had badminton on the court, hockey in the garden at the side of the house, table-tennis (mainly Malcolm’s friends) – it was a daily hive of activity, from morning to night.

Nigel has always been a vain pot. Hmmm…. sounds familiar. Aah yes… our late sister, Jen. I used to say that “no camera could ever escape Jennifer.” It’s true! She was always insistent that we take loads and loads of pictures, especially at our very oft family gatherings.

Coming back to being a vain pot; you’ve always been a poser, Nigel, making sure you always looked good in the shots. Here, you were more a perfectionist and because of your eye for detail; you always made sure you looked good for every picture taken.

Nigel was a stickler for being tidy and clean. When he arranged things in a particular way, it stayed that way. Nothing out of place, even the tiniest object, would escape his eye. Friends and family would often, purposely put Nigel to the test by moving things out of place. He would walk by these things, and instinctively move them back to their original positions. Another quirk he had was that the kitchen sink had to always be empty, cleaned and dried; before going to bed. All things in it had to be washed and put away. He would do the washing of dishes himself; to make sure the kitchen was tidy.

Nigel loved a good family gathering. You just have to call and he, Shirley and Sarah would be there. And when there was food; it had to be Asian – rice being the primary dish. He loved spicy, Asian food, especially the wide variety of Malay food.

Nigel did not have much material wealth, but he always gave more than his heart, always! He was generous to those in need. His friendship reached far and wide to Affendi – a gem of a guy and trusted mechanic, the plumber, the electrician…and the list goes on. In fact whenever we needed repairs to be done in the house or car, or needed to get something at the best price with trustworthy services, we will turn to Nigel for his contacts and recommendation.

Nigel loved to sing, besides being the live wire in any conversation or party. He was always full of jokes and always shared jokes in our family Whataspp group. The only thing he watched on tv were comedies. He will rattle away all the episodes that he had just watched, the actors, actresses and their punchlines.

I know that no matter how much I write, I say or I do; it is never going to bring you back. Ever. I love you, Nigel!

No matter what, you come back now, yer hear!