2020-06-14
My father had sweaty hands
Before i was born, dad had sweaty hands. Maybe a coincidence, or i was the cure. Mom told me he used to make typewriter rust, while working in Hong Kong, doing paperwork for his uncle's import and export company. Forty years ago, he came to Germany with the hope to work in the kitchen, where sweaty hands don’t matter, since everything is wet anyway. On cold winter days, his sweat would freeze. And mom stuck to him.
My father was into electronics too, but this issue prevented him from going in this direction. Now, for almost two decades, his hands are rather too dry, with occasionally cracked skin. Because during his shift, he has to clean them a lot, for handling and checking manufactured goods in the factory. He has been working there for 18 years, always ready when they call, around the clock. I never had sweaty hands like that. Lately, i got more into electronics, and i like to think this makes him happy.
Since he started working for Kautex in 2002, he had no real vacation. The only time he took a break was when his brother was about to die in 2015. He booked a flight to Hong Kong to see William Cheung, a Senior Project Manager at Hong Kong Construction. The last time he saw his little brother was 7 years ago, in 2008. And that's only because we had to renew our HKID cards and do some paperwork. My father slept on a sofa in the apartment where my grandma and my aunt have been living. He stayed there for 7 days to say goodbye. Mom and i stayed in Germany, because she had to work, and plane tickets are not cheap. Rest in peace, uncle William.