Son not willing to believe father’s sudden death, holds and chats with body on the side of the road
Summary: A sixty year old man collapsed in an underground tunnel, and died by the time emergency workers arrived on the scene. His son, upon arriving, refused to believe his father has died, saying, “Dad…” “We spoke on the phone only this morning…”
The son, not willing to believe that his father has died, continues talking with him. Photo: Xu Wen Ge
In an underground tunnel of the Feng Hu local dried food market at Dushu village in Luohu district, a sixty year old man suddenly collapsed and died. Photo: Xu Wen Ge
At 11:30 am yesterday, the old man's son hurried to the scene. "Where's Dad?" He frantically ran into the tunnel while crying, picked up his dead father and ran out of the tunnel again, putting him down adjacent to a basketball court. Photo: Xu Wen Ge
"Dad..." he said to his father, "we spoke on the phone only this morning...". He clutched his father's hand in his, and kept talking to him. Photo: Xu Wen Ge
Son’s love deeply moved passers-by
At 11:30 am yesterday, the old man’s son hurried to the scene. “Where’s Dad?” He frantically ran into the tunnel while crying, picked up his dead father and ran out of the tunnel again, putting him down adjacent to a basketball court. His hands were shaking, friends lit a cigarette for him, and then, after taking a few sharp puffs, propped his father up against the wire netting of the basketball court.
“Dad…” he said to his father, “we spoke on the phone only this morning…”. He clutched his father’s hand in his, and kept talking to him. He didn’t believe his father had passed away, and kept touching his father’s chest. By then he didn’t have any more tears to cry, and could only persist in talking to him, and would even smile every now and then… But his mother on the other hand could only hold her granddaughter at one side crying.
The son looked to the civil police officer nearby; “What’s wrong with my dad?” he asked. The officer answered quietly, “The forensic investigator says it was a heart attack.” He touched his father’s chest again, and said in a distant voice, “Yes, dad had had something wrong with his heart…”
In the sunshine, he continued chatting with his father, but his father’s head fell to one side. The touching scene caused strangers passing by to wipe the tears from their eyes, with some even saying cautiously, “Is that guy’s father still alive…?”
After preliminary investigation from Luohu police, it was determined that the old man had died suddenly. According to civil police on the scene, a forensic examiner had found that the man had had a history of cardiovascular disease.
Comments from Netease:
Mobile Netease user from Guangdong:
My dad also passed away suddenly from this kind of disease! I cried more than I ever had before!
I hope dad’s doing well up there, I also wish everyone down here health and safety.
Netease user from Bingzhou, Shandong:
Actually, sometimes a quick death can be a blessing~~ a lot better than living in misery!
Mobile Netease user from Nanjing, Jiangsu:
Your father made me cry during the New Year celebrations!
Netease User from Yangpu, Shanghai:
On November 29 2009 my father also, was having breakfast at home when he suddenly slid off his chair. We called 120 but by the time the ambulance arrived he was gone. I wanted to carry him to his bed, but I just couldn’t do it. I can’t write any more my tears are pouring down my face.
Netease User from Mars:
Chinese people, it seems, are still very filial, just sometimes bound by too many restrictions, and thus unable to do their filial duty.
Netease User from Baoan, Shenzhen:
My heart is aching. Old man, your son loves you, rest in peace.
Mobile Netease User from Shanghai:
I get the feeling that family is so important, he should should rest in peace, the young one should be a bit stronger, the road ahead is long… I hope your father has someone to talk to him in heaven.
Netease User in Pudong, Shanghai:
I’ve cried yet again, I’m sad that I don’t have this brave guy to help me be a better child to my parents, but the more I think of my dearly departed father, the more I want to be a good child to my mother!!
Netease User in Beijing:
Respecting one’s parents is traditional in China~ But nowadays in order to allow their parents to live a happy and fulfilling later life, their children rush about making money. But when they’re away from home they can’t look after their parents…Parents want their children to be by their side~ but if they are they can’t make any money… Unless you’re a high-ranking official… How could we fart people ever show our parents the respect they deserve….
I love my mum & dad more than anything… Whenever I go to temple I pray for their health and safety. But to make money I’ve left home, and have no way to stay with them and help them… a real catch 22.
After I read the story, I cried for a long time… so cold and lonely…
Netease User in Hunan:
The only thing you can count on in this world is your family, no one can tolerate us or look after us like our parents. If unfortunate things happen, it hurts a lot.
Netease User from Weihai, Shandong:
There’s nothing more tragic in life than when a parent dies!!! That kind of pain goes straight to your heart, you cry and cry. People whose parents are in good health can’t understand how it feels.
My dad also died suddenly. It took me no less than six years to accept this reality. I used to be afraid of the dark more than anything else, but after my father died I stopped. Sometimes in the middle of the night I sought out dark places to see if my father was there. Once, after work, I saw my father walking in a park not far ahead of me. It looked just like my father, his height, his figure, his weight, the way he’d walk, even his clothes looked like clothes that my father had owned. I rode my bike around to face him, and saw immediately that it wasn’t him. I was so puzzled, how could it be that it wasn’t him? I definitely had seen my father. The old man looked at me too, then walked away. I stood there lost in thought, I couldn’t work out what was going on. But I wasn’t scared at all, sometimes I really want to see him again!!
Note: Please don’t tell me off for this, I’m telling the truth. Reading this story today has made me remember the past. I want to say one last thing: those of you whose parents are still healthy, treasure them, cherish them, treasure them again! No matter how stern they were with you when you were younger, as soon as they are gone all you have left will be regret.
Agreed, it just don't work like that in China. Either you oppress someone yourself or they put a leash on you and make you walk on all fours. In a Chinese r ...more »
Fuck this is stupid. Fucking post modernism, can't stand this shit. ...more »
Yeah, it's fucking pathetic. It happens all the time in Shanghai. An entire generation of men taught to follow with no initiative. And they call such behaviour ...more »
He's busy crawling on the ground.... ...more »
Oh boy.....that's like releasing the Kraken! ...more »
Well said ShanPao. ...more »
You're correct. Women these day gone very far, far more worse than men. ...more »
I wonder what Lady Hongjian thinks of this... ...more »
China and equality are two words that should never be used in the same sentence. ...more »
I always followed this web site, but I never write any comment. But this time I really can't hold anymore. Licking shoes?? Only this 3 bastard can do it. Becaus ...more »