Thank you Mr Bicycle uncle - written by Wu JinFeng

身材瘦削的他习惯蹲在店前埋头修理脚踏车，或许是他的姿式吧，总让人把他想像成很矮小。他蓄着小胡子，头发有点凌乱，手因为一直在认真劳作所以有点脏。地上散放的一两件工具就像他双臂的延生，能供他随时轮替使用。身后的店面如个巨大的洞穴吞噬着各种型号的脚踏车和零件，只吐出一条窄窄的通道让他可以进出。他是老板，唯一的助手是妻子，顾客都是邻里的大叔、大婶、少年和小孩。我们几乎从没交谈过，偶儿经过时，他总会抬起头和善地微笑，他知道我是他邻居书店老板的女儿。爸爸说那盘生意是他老爸留下的。我记得曾经有个行动不便的老人家，天天就坐在矮几上看着他转动着车轮，日子在一次次熟悉的转动中无阻地前行。去年初，老公突然对旧款的脚踏车车铃感兴趣，我在探访老爸时就顺便向他询问。他终于站了起来（原来他不算矮！）热心地往店里淘宝。我后来跟他买了两个已经停止生产的老牌车铃，叮叮叮，声音清脆响亮极，爸爸兴奋地说很像他年轻时用的款型。他说如果找到更旧的会帮我留住并请我爸爸转告我。回家后，老公如获至宝地将车铃装上然后愉快地骑着去兜风。过了这些时日，我已经忘了寻找旧款车铃一事。老爸昨晚回来见到了我有点沮丧地说：脚车店的老板走了，才五十多岁的人，患癌症。他走了？我甚至不知道他姓什么，我只是清楚地记得他亲切的笑容和卖力工作的样子。叮叮叮，Momo正开心地玩弄脚踏车的车铃，一岁的小表弟坐在娃娃车里听得出神，伸手想要来抓。谢谢你，脚踏车店老板
By Wu JinFeng 
In English :) 
The skinny gentleman used to squat and work daily with bicycles beside my dad bookshop at Bedok. Perhaps it was his posture, my impression of him is thats he was very short, alway fussing with some stuff in his shop. Sporting a long mustache, the hair a bit messy, the hand worn with the manual labour, stained with dirt and grease. Twelve tools on the ground and his fluid arm movements dancing a lonely tango of bicycle wheels and parts. Behind him is the Store, like a huge cave that swallows various types of bicycle and parts, only to spit out a narrow channel so that he can enter and leave. 
He is the boss, the only assistant is his wife, and customers are the neighbourhood Uncle, Aunt, adolescents and children. We almost never talked... when children came near, he always raised his head and a kindly smile. He knew I was a book store owner's daughter of his neighbor. The father said that he took on the bicycle business started by his father. I remembered the scene of the elderly folks, sitting everyday idly looking at him turn the wheel, day one familiar rotating unimpeded.. the shop closed last year. ..
Early last year, my husband (that's me:)) suddenly shared with me his interest in the old bicycle bell, when I visited Dad on the way to ask him. He finally stood up (He is not short!) Enthusiastically, he went to the store and showed me so old stuff. I later told him that I will  buy two old bells which is not longer produced. "Ding Ding Ding..", the sound is crisp loud and very, Dad excitedly said it reminded him of his youth when he listened to the bell ring.  The gentleman said that if finds older bell, he will help me to retain and tell my dad. After some months, he really passed me an old bell to me. We returned home and my husband happily the bell fitted and went riding.  After such time, we kind of forgotten about the uncle....and his shop.

Bell gift 

Dad came back last night, a bit frustrated... and he said..." the bicycle shop owner, and only 50-year-old man suffering from cancer. He is gone.."  And I do not even know his last name, I just clearly remember his warm smile and hard workong ethics "Ding Ding Ding"... Momo is happily playing with a bicycle bell, one-year-old cousin sitting in the baby in the car to hear wonderful ringing...wanting to ring the bell too. Thank you, Mr bicycle shop owner for a wonderful gift. We will always remember you!