Band of Brothers!
Boisterous support for each other
Mr Lam Hock Seng squints, his eyes focused on the target board, fingers firmly but nimbly grasping the end of the arrow, left arm stretched taut, steadily holding the bow.
Whoosh!
He releases the arrow and the whole room erupts in cheers as he hits an inch away from the bull’s eye.
One might wonder, why such jubilation for a miss?
But this Band of Brothers at LB AAC @ Bendemeer 32 are known for their boisterous support for each other, especially during their daily games and activities at the centre.
Hock Seng, 75, who is also known as Mr Bendemeer, is the AAC’s appointed ambassador to encourage more male seniors to participate in the centre’s activities.
Cheering for Hock Seng’s (standing on the right with the bow) near-miss shot.
Welcoming each senior as one of their own
I come here every day to meet and have fun with my brothers here. We even go out together for makan, and talk. I feel comfortable with them and there’s this sense of kinship among us. Sometimes we don’t even talk at the kopitiam, but just enjoy each other’s company,” said Hock Seng, a member of Lions Befrienders since 2023.
“He always wants to be the one who belanja us; sometimes there’s a scuffle among us to just pay the bill,” interjected Mr Tan Guan Keng, 78, while tapping on Hock Seng’s arm playfully. The pair had been colleagues for the past 43 years until retirement, and live in neighbouring blocks!
Guan Keng, a senior volunteer at the AAC, is also one of the centre’s pioneer members, having joined since 2005. “I have been here for such a long time and have seen many of them come and go (pass on),” he quipped. “That’s why every day is extra special as I come here and meet my friends and know that they are fine. When a new member joins, we will give them our own orientation. Just like in school, we get excited when the new ones show up!”
Guan Keng also remembers welcoming Mr Tan Cheh Joo, 67, to the centre a year and a half ago, and how Cheh Joo, or CJ, became one of their own.
CJ, who lives in a purchased flat, recalls he had chanced upon the AAC ever since he moved into the Bendemeer neighbourhood. “I knew of this centre a long time back, but they were only allowed to have members from rental HDB units then. The moment I knew that membership was open to all, I came to the centre and signed up!” he said, adding that he formed a strong connection with these seniors once he started coming for the centre activities.
Tan Guan Keng (standing, left) showcasing his talent in playing the darts, and Tan Cheh Joo (standing, right) trying his luck with cornhole while their peers look on.
AAC as the melting pot of the neighbourhood
He remarks that the forming of this brotherhood with different types of personalities wouldn’t have been possible if not for the AAC, which is the melting pot of the neighbourhood.
“You can definitely sense that Guan Keng is the most talented amongst us – he sings, dances, acts, cooks, and more! But he is known here as the one who does not stop talking,” said CJ to the loud guffaws of the others.
“I come second in the non-stop talking category. The neutral one would be Hock Seng, and the only man of few words in our brotherhood is Hay Chuan,” continued CJ, while patting on Mr Phua Hay Chuan’s shoulder. Hay Chuan, 72, smiled widely, saying he only speaks when necessary and enjoys the prattle of his loquacious friends.
Pua Hay Chuan (standing, left) making others laugh as usual, and him with his regular archery mates at the LB AAC @ Bendemeer 32.
A bond that gets stronger every day
When asked about his career before retirement, Hay Chuan said he ran a Char Kway Teow stall until he decided he couldn’t withstand the physical labour anymore. His friends gasped – none of them knew he was dishing out amazing Char Kway Teow despite them being so close! Each one of them reacted differently; Hock Seng asked him to cook some for them soon; CJ asked him what else he could cook; and Guan Keng reached out to Hay Chuan’s left knee and inspected it, asking if he had any knee problems due to his long standing hours tending to the wok. Amidst the conundrum, one can clearly see that this band of brothers, while developing a close bond with one another, still have some more stones to turn over about each other.
The Band of Brothers – from left, Tan Cheh Joo, Lam Hock Seng, Pua Hay Chuan, Tan Guan Keng of LB AAC @ Bendemeer 32.
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