大侠行天下日记 我见我闻我思 01/26/2021

我见 我思 我闻

我们好兄弟赫特走了

跟我们已经二十一年的阿墨哥弟兄赫特，今天离开了我们美南大家庭，才四十二岁， 实在太年轻，在员工们的追悼聚会上，我说:“赫特之离去令我们无比悲慟，他是我们的亲人和好兄弟，过去二十一年来，他忠诚地无私的贡献了他短暂一生，美南新闻广场的每个角落皆烙下了他的足跡，人生是多麼难予预料，我们大家都要保重。” 语毕时，我心情澈盪，想到赫特，我仍然无法制止自己的涙水......

这是二十多年前的往事了，在百利大道上的美南新闻中心大楼正在完工内装修阶段， 记得那是德州休斯敦最炎热的夏天，我正在督导电工和木匠之安装，大门口来了一对貎似父子的老墨，他们说是油漆工希望找份工作，来得正巧 我正需要工人完成油漆工作，经交谈工钱谈妥后 他们父子第二天就来上工，资深的父亲带着还未满二十岁的儿孑赫特，在他们父子非常纯熟之工艺及勤快的技能下，把整个美南新闻大楼粉刷出非常亮丽之色彩，当工程完毕之后，年纪未到二十的赫特来见我并且要求留下来继续打工，不论什麼苦工都愿意，我看了他一眼，觉得这大男孩长相老实，面带笑容，而且英语尚可沟通，就一口答应他来上班。

当我们在二OO一年正式搬入大楼时，真可说是“千头万緖“，尤其是印报工厂是二十四小时运转，每天的美南日报是午夜十二时截稿，还有加印其他社区报， 整个印刷厂常常人仰马翻，一片混乱，我经常看见赫特廝守在机器旁毫无怨言。

二年后我们的第二栋美南国际贸易中心大楼也相继落成，在将近二万英呎的贸易中心大楼内先后入驻了三十个客户包括休斯敦联合国协会、国会议员格林办公室、衣索比亚驻休斯敦总领馆、巴基斯坦商会、菲律宾商会、加勒比海商会、徐建勋律师楼，近年来，除了政要到访，各种讲讲餐会绎络不绝，这都是由赫特安排指挥。

休斯敦遭遇多次洪水，尤其是二〇一七年的哈威颶风，当天上午不断之豪雨横扫休城， 全市处於万般焦虑状态，我电话赫特当晚到报社查看，当时已至深夜 他到达时立即告诉我情势不妙，印刷厂已经开始进水，工厂旁的大洩洪道水势不停，全市停电， 一片漆黑，当时他告诉我决不可前来，恐被水冲走，他答应驻守大楼，我当时心急如焚不知如何是好，总算等到黎明到来，我绕道回到办公室，当我踏进印刷厂时，水已烟没整个印刷机器，大约有三英尺之深，整个工厂之白报纸筒都泡在水中，当时我真的吓呆了，我们的家当都全泡在水𥚃了，赫特看到我的惊慌无助时，他还安慰我，李先生不要太伤心。

这㘯突如其来的灾难，把我们打入深渊，被淹的机器和厂房真使我欲哭无泪，只有在废墟中打起精神重建 ......我不断地告诉自己绝不能倒下去。

去年二月初，又一个灾难-新冠病毒席捲全球，我们也未幸免，当去年三月下旬开始全市进行封闭时，除了电视台的阿伟外，赫特是唯一早起晚走留守在两楝大楼的「战士」，他不顾生命安危，保护住美南新闻中心大楼从除草、消毒、修理，他从无怨言的对美南新闻默默贡献，一直到五十天前的一个上午，我离开前我还交待他要整理隔壁的铁栏杆，刚离开不到半小时，办公室同仁来电，赫特因心臟极痛已被救护车带走，我立即回去但已见不到他。过去五十多天赫特一直和病痛奋战，但是他还是无法回到我们中间，今天他真的走了，也许他到了另外一个极乐的世界。

在我过去数十年的人生事业之奋斗歷程中，可谓阅人无数，赫特跟我超过二十寒暑，他的足跡和身影永远活在我们美南新闻之大家庭中。

谨以此文，含涙祝福赫特一路好走。

Our Brother Hector Rests In Peace Now

More than twenty-one years ago. Brother Hector joined our Southern News family. He was only 42 when he passed away last week. Today in the employees’ gathering I told my colleagues, “Hector was one of the most loyal employees and family members for us. Hector’s life was too short, but we will remember him as a brother and his contribution to Southern News is forever. Today we all remember Hector and his footprint will always be a part of our campus. Life is so very unpredictable. All of us need to take care of ourselves.

I remember in early 2000 when we were finishing our news building on Bellaire Blvd. in the hot summer in Houston, Hector and his dad came to our jobsite and asked for printing work. I saw this nice and friendly father and son I hired them the next days. His father was very skillful and did very professional work. When they finished the whole printing work, he brought his son Hector to see me. He wanted Hector to stay with us and continue to work here. When I talked to Hector in English, he could reply very well for a young man not even twenty years old. I could tell he wanted to work and wanted to help his family. I finally hired him to be a helper in our company.

In the summer of 2001, our new Southern News Group building was opened with the new press room and many other new facilities. We were operating 24 hours and our daily newspaper deadline ended on midnight every day. Along with printing our own newspaper, we also printed a hundred of other community weekly newspapers. In many cases our press room was always busy and sometimes in chaos. I always saw Hector standing there rolling the newspapers, sometimes working day and night. He never complained.

Two years later, our new International Trade Center building was inaugurated. With a size of almost 20,000 square feet, in the “ITC” we housed the Houston United Nations Association, Congressman Al Green’s office, the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce. We have  hosted hundreds of functions and festivals for more than twenty years. And Hector was the one who set up each event and did the whole job. He never complained.

In the summer of 2017, the destructive Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas. On the night that the hurricane hit, I called Hector to check the building. When he arrived, he called me and said, “Mr. Lee, it is very serious now. The water has started coming in on the printing press, the floors are flooded as well as the paper rolls.”

When I received his call I wanted to come to the company, but Hector told me, “Don’t come because it is very dangerous.” So I didn’t go until the next morning. When I walked into the press room I saw the whole printing press was flooded and the water was about three feet deep. And the newspaper rolls were wet and had fallen down to the ground. It was the first time I felt that all of our “property” was gone. I felt very helpless. Hector looked at me and said, Mr. Lee, don’t be too sad. Let’s rebuild our company. I will still be helping you as long as you want me to. Since then, we have faced the most difficult time of our whole life. We still have to face it. I have no choice but to continue to manage and to survive.

In February 2020, the coronavirus hit our nation and all over the world, including Houston. The city and county announced that citizens should stay home. The virus attacked and the city has become quiet and idle. We have let our employees work at home. Only Hector was the only one who came in every day to take care of the building. He never complained. He insisted this was his duty to do so.

One morning almost two months ago when I left the office I told Hector to fix the fence on the ground. Right after I left I received a call from Jennifer my assistant who told me that Hector had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. By the time I came back he was already gone.

Since that day Hector never woke up and just a couple of days ago he passed away and probably went to Heaven and to a better place. In his whole life Hector never stopped working. Maybe he was very tired.

In my whole business life career, I have met hundreds and thousands of people. Hector was the only one who always remained so loyal and diligent over the years. And the guy never gave up and just kept trying to fix everything that was broken.

In the compound of Southern News Group, even though you are gone Hector, but your footprint and legacy are still with our group.

We are so sad to say goodbye to you, Hector. We all hope you can relax in another happier world.