【明報專訊】「我可以自己返學的，不用擔心！」就讀錦田一間小學的9歲女生施滛琳，每天上學都由父親送到校門前，惟昨因不忍稍後要往醫院覆診的父親 辛苦送返學，主動提出可自己回校，詎料在學校附近甫下巴士，從「車罅」走出過路時，即遭馳至客貨車撞拋墮地，頭部重創，搶救後命懸一線，其父在病房外激動 自責。
父原每天送到校門
捱撞的施滛琳，在錦田波地路聖公會錦田聖約瑟小學讀小二，與父母及4歲妹妹同住。施父從前協助友人從事雲石工程，月入萬多元，現自行在外接工作，妻 子則在多月前失業。施父每天都陪伴滛琳乘車上學，目送其步入校門始離開上班，未料滛琳昨獨自上學便遇上意外。
滛琳的父母、親友及學校教職員等昨往醫院探望。據親友轉述醫生說話，滛琳頭部重傷，腦有積血，要動手術在顱骨開一個4毫米的洞降壓，但她一直未有蘇 醒，在屯門醫院 兒童深切治療病房留醫，情况危殆。
父激動自責 「有送佢就無事」
眾人在病房外表現擔憂不已，其中施父更表現激動，不斷自責。他說，女兒成績不算好，有點散漫，但甚為懂事。他續稱，因自己患眼疾，昨早需往屯門醫院 覆診，乖巧的滛琳聞言不欲父親奔波勞碌，提議自己上學，更不斷勸父親不用擔心，施父遂陪同女兒乘巴士到學校附近，讓她獨自下車步行上學，自己繼續乘車往醫 院。「我在她落車時仍千叮萬囑，要她小心過馬路……最衰都係我啦，如果我有送佢就冇事啦！」施父說。
昨早7時許，滛琳乘巴士至錦上路近波地路時獨自下車，該處並無行人過路設施（見另稿）。滛琳之後從一輛旅遊巴及私家車之間走出，擬橫過馬路往對開波 地路再步行返校，其間疑未察覺對面行車線有客貨車馳至，有途人見她衝出，曾大聲喝止，惟未能阻止意外發生，客貨車猛撼滛琳，將她彈飛對面馬路倒地。
滛琳捱撞後陷入昏迷，一名老師目擊事件即上前了解，並報警及致電通知施父，而校長及其他老師聞訊亦即趕至看望。施父在巴士上接獲消息，慌忙下車跑返 現場，看見女兒昏迷不醒，嚇得掩面，稍後陪同女兒到博愛醫院 ，再轉送屯門醫院。肇禍客貨車事後衝前30米始停下，33歲南亞裔司機 Tahir在場協助警方調查，並通過酒精呼氣測試 。
Several years ago, I thought of a project about people who are facing death. It was inspired by the news of people who were leaving at the same time. At the time, it was my first year in Hong Kong actually. A small group member's cousin committed suicide. A girl who I used to go to Chinese art class with contracted a killer virus, some kind of disease from a trip in Xian, China. She died after several months in the hospital. She was around my age, only 22-24 at the time. She had a nice loving boyfriend and she herself is a very nice person. I feel crap about being late to her memorial service, so late that I couldn't make it in.
In America, my friend's friend, a husband and a teacher was killed. My friend described how the school was sadden by the news and how students cried in hallways and classrooms. She herself was barely able to get through the day.
An old rich woman who is dying from cancer with her children fighting over her because of the inheritance she would leave behind. Her daughters fighting at her bedside as she lay unconscious.
There was also a news about how a young girl and her father were ran over by a truck as they were crossing a road.
It is suppose to be a story about several characters, who they are and how they faced the ends of their lives. Kind of like 21 grams and crash and how stories are related. Death related these stories which do not necessary interweave together.
BRAVE FACES, the title, originates from another idea of a project about everyday people who keep a brave face on despite of the difficulties and challenges of their daily lives. For example, it could be a fireman, an old lady who collect paper for survival, a teacher who keep a smile on and a motivational force for her student despite of all the challenges of being a teacher nowadays in Hong Kong, etc.
I think it can be used as the title of people who get killed? Not sure. Maybe not.
When I was back at the UCR CMP, there was a series of photographs of street views from the roofs of tall buildings. As I found out, they were from the perspective of people who jump off to their deaths. I can't remember the artist name. Found it! it's Sachigusa Yasuda's flying!
Life is precious, don't take it for granted. We don't really have control over death. We don't know how long our days here on earth will be. It's an examination of death, which is the end of life, which is also the contrast of life. So it is also an examination of life.
