THERE are clusters of old men at the various coffee shops, whiling away their days; those who are fortunate to be able to move around on their own. Many of their compatriots – long-time friends – are confined to wheelchairs or bedridden, or have long departed.

The conversations of these seniors, if they actually engage themselves, are superficial, repetitive and usually morbid; most of the time, they are going through their routines, poring over newspapers, nursing their drinks or staring off into space. It is clear that their lives are spent, their experiences and achievements of no interest to anyone, sidelined from the activities of their younger family members. Left to fade away…

And then, there is Uncle Tan.

Uncle Tan and his wife, both in their early 80s, moved into our neighbourhood about a year ago, all the way from a village near Kulim. After a lifetime there running a provision shop, they uprooted and transplanted themselves about 500km away. Their daughter, who married into a Sg Pelek family, successfully talked them into such a life-changing move; they were fearful that the distance between them and their daughter would prove disastrous should any emergency occur.

And so, they sold off their business and properties, said their goodbyes to friends, and trucked their worldly possessions (including their worn furniture and bed – much to the annoyance of their daughter, as the transport charge could easily buy them new sets to match the large new house they were moving into) to Sg Pelek. It was going to be a strange new world for this elderly couple.

They first caught our attention when another neighbour told us that the old man had climbed over our gate (a sturdy five-foot-high, double-span unit). We were away, and our bamboo plant pot had fallen on its side. The old man was concerned as the plant was drying up. So, he climbed over – with his wife giving instructions! – and righted the pot, and watered it and all the other plants on my porch. I have since given him the key to the gate, and stored away the auto-watering set-up that I had used. He said he would be happy to water my plants when we were away, as it gave him something to do.

Uncle Tan has been keeping himself occupied since he settled here. He has joined a group of seniors who do daily morning exercises at a nearby park. He is the only male in the group of chatty aunties, most of them long-time friends, but it doesn’t faze him. His wife doesn’t join in because of her arthritis, but they dutifully walk around the neighbourhood every evening.

Uncle Tan has also joined the local singing club, encouraged by his callisthenics partners. A few evenings ago, he stopped by, and proudly showed off photos of him and his club members with their trophies. In between singing snatches of his winning song, he gleefully confessed that when he first joined, he couldn’t get the words to come out of his mouth. After much encouragement and coaching, Uncle Tan has been taking to the mic with gusto.

He is now greeted more often on his walks; his circle of friends is ever-growing. His wife is rather bemused by the attention from the aunties. But she, too, is getting more familiar with the locals, as they have been going on the many excursions organised in such communities – day trips or overnighters to nearby tourism destinations, and even to Singapore and Thailand. He delights in telling us details of these adventures. One of the most amusing was when the coach driver refused to give him his allotment of casino chips while on a gambling junket… to save him from losing his pants!

Uncle Tan happily goes about his chores or explores the neighbourhood on his trusty bicycle, the same one he had bought for his daughter to go to school with some 40 years ago. He has lovingly maintained the Japanese-made bike. It is serving him well in his newly adopted village, allowing him to cover a lot of ground. Together, they make a familiar sight.

This old man clearly has no time for brooding or living in the past. It is heartening to see him finding out about things around him, breaking the ice with total strangers, making friends, and being invited to join in and do things. He is inspirational. – July 21, 2019.

* Mel Lee earned his way to an early retirement from his car magazine business, and moved to a small town with his wife in search of an eco-lifestyle. In their exploration of new places, backpacking on motorcycles or bicycles, they are looking for the extra in the ordinary.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.