Six Years of Loving

Six years ago today, I made a journey from Penang to Kuala Lumpur alone. Every step of the way was crammed with anxieties. I had no inkling what laid before me. Getting to the airport was easy. Mum and Aunty Ah See were there to send me off. Beyond that, it was all a new world to me. I have never travelled by myself since being disabled. Whenever I had to go out, I was escorted by people who knew how to handle me.

Nevertheless, MAS had a staff of trained ground and air crew who were adept in handing a disabled passenger. From boarding the plane right up to having to carry me down from the plane at Subang, they served me with a smile. Subang at that time was already operating without the aerobridge.

William, Cynthia and Eric were there to pick me up. We had a lunch of chicken rice near Bukit Bintang Plaza. They dropped me off at the Legend Hotel afterwards. Rosalyn had booked a disabled room for me there with special rates plus breakfasts for the duration of my stay. Being in that room, it suddenly dawned on me that I had travelled all the way from Penang and I was truly alone in that room. The silence was deafening. I have never been in a place as quiet as that.

At around seven in the evening, there was a knock on the door. I took in a deep breath but that did not slow down my rapidly beating heart. The door knob was rather tight I had problems turning it and pulling the door inwards to open it. Several attempts later, the unmistakable voice from outside said, “Move back. Let me open it.”

I reversed my wheelchair, the door opened and there stood before me the woman who had been chatting with me in the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and over the phone for the past three months. My heart beat even faster. My chest felt tight. I mumbled a customary “Hi” and took a good look at her. A great exhilaration rose in me as our eyes met for the first time. Trying hard to suppress the excitement of meeting the woman who had so enthralled me, I managed to hold back from smiling too gleefully. The emotion at that instance was just extraordinary. Those few unforgettable seconds when our eyes met and our souls connected will be permanently embedded in my mind.

Wuan, thank you for six years of love, devotion and never-ending encouragement. My life has been enriched because of you. You have filled my days with nothing but thoughts of happiness. You have instilled in me a sense of belonging. You gave me the confidence to climb back up every time I stumbled and fell. You have been unwavering in your support. You have been steadfast in your affection. There has never been and there never will be one like you. May we be blessed with many more six years like these. I love you.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook. View all posts by Peter Tan