Providence

Once again, I found I was caught up by time and that it was almost a month since I posted my last blog when I mentally thought that I had posted one inspired by the lifting of the masks which by now was nearly three weeks ago.

But first, let me recall some significant events around me during the time in between. My left leg had been aching from thigh downwards since end of last month. I could walk reasonably with ease and did my treadmills without pain, but it was rather painful to put on my socks and pants. I reckoned that I had strained some leg muscles or ligament from either too strenuous exercise or inadequate stretching. I then recalled having consulted Sam, or Latin Dance coach, some years back for referral to sports injury therapists who had helped him professionally. Sam came back promptly with the lead and I presently called the outfit operating in Tsim Sha Tsui. It was 2^nd March, I recalled. The young man on the phone gave me an appointment for 10^th March, which was the best he could do. I mentally thought or hoped that by then the pain would have gone by itself. Meanwhile, a brother who was known to have helped friends with similar injuries offered to help and I went to his clinic for a few sessions, which helped somewhat; but I decided anyway to make the appointment with the physiotherapist Sam had referred me. It turned out that it was the same clinic I had consulted some four years before, but they have different therapists now. To cut the long story short, I was given some effective help and advice which appeared to work better on my muscles, and I was given a second appointment, on 20^th March. It had to be a rather busy or popular clinic; or my injuries were uneventful. In the meantime. The pain appeared to have lessened such that I could put on my socks and pants with the least pain.

The second event I am about to share also took place on 10^th March, in the evening. I had agreed to attend the AGM of Yuk Chi Centre at the Gold Coast Hotel in Tuen Mun. This is the charity I helped to set up when I was the District Officer there, or more than 30 years ago, and of which I am still a Director of the Limited Company which oversees it. The meetings and the dinner brought back very pleasant memories and I caught up with some old and good friends. After dinner, the Chairman of the Executive Committee, a Dr. Ting, offered to drive me back to Mei Foo, for which I was very grateful. I sat in the back of the car because he had another passenger who lived in Ho Man Tin. After he set me off in Mei Foo, I tried to call Su; and to my horror, the phone was not in my carry bag as I thought it was. I quickly got back home and reported the matter to Su. Where could the phone be? I could have left it in the back seat of Dr. Ting’s Mini Cooper; or I could have left it on my seat at the dinner table. I did not have Dr. Ting’s phone number, but fortuitously, I had Chan Wuching’s stored on Su’s phone somehow, which is another story. Wuching was my dinner host and he knew the Hotel well. He called the Hotel and the staff reported that the Club had closed. At Su’s request, he called Dr. Ting who found the phone on his car’s back seat and who kindly undertook to bring my phone back to Mei Foo in 30 minutes. By 11:15pm, Dr. Ting turned up in his Mini Cooper at Mei Foo a second time in less than an hour. I was so thankful to him, feeling so lucky and grateful. Su was by my side with her phone throughout to keep the line of communication open. It was simply Providence. The episode brought back memories of an incident some ten years back when I was supposed to be back in our flat at Park Road well before midnight after a black-tie function, but when I became incommunicado even by 3am. I had made a detour to a watering hole in Wan Chai and thought I had texted Su of my whereabout. Alas, text messages those days were case sensitive and it failed to get through to Su’s phone. She thought I could have returned to our other flat at Conduit Road, which I had done before, so that shortly after 3am, she tried to catch a taxi from Park Road to Conduit Road. She saw a taxi across the road with a passenger climbing out. She ran across and found that the passenger was none other than her husband. It was Providence indeed.

The Hong Kong Flower Show returned to Victoria Park this year in full colours and splendour after three years. Su went by herself on the second day and took me there last Sunday. We had a great time. Again, it was Providence that we had enjoyed the Show, together.