Deep in focus, Mr Tan, 74, is at a second-hand bookstore in Bras Basah Complex, in Singapore. He mulls over what books to buy his son, who is in prison. He plans to visit soon and has promised to pass his son more reading material, which keeps him preoccupied behind bars.

He turns to Gary Huang, a volunteer with Cassia Resettlement Team, for suggestions. They decide on a few collections of Sudoku puzzles, which Mr Tan’s son enjoys solving.

Ever generous, Mr Tan shows his appreciation for Gary’s help by treating him to a drink and snack at a nearby food court. He will not accept “no” for an answer.

During this time, Gary learns about Mr Tan’s various ailments, and his concerns about not being able to afford the medical treatments he needs.

Besides an issue with his thyroid, there is the problem with his teeth. He has lost most of his front ones, and cannot afford to have dentures put in.

His eyes are also failing, and most of the time Mr Tan is unable to see much through them. His field of vision is near zero and everything looks hazy. This affects his mobility, as he is prone to falling and knocking against people.

Finances are also tight. Gary learns that Mr Tan has been expecting some welfare assistance from the government to be deposited into his bank account. But he has not received anything yet. Gary gets on the case immediately, making calls to the bank and to the social service organisation.

None of these concerns dampen Mr Tan’s sense of humour. He is still quick to tell a joke, or poke fun at life. His way to stay positive is not to take life’s ups and downs too seriously.

One of the things he looks forward to is visiting his son at Changi Prison in eastern Singapore. The face-to-face meetings take place once a fortnight and are booked in advance. There is also a video conferencing option every other week at a local community centre.

On another morning, Gary drops by Mr Tan’s home to see if he needs any help with chores or errands. Gary arrives at Mr Tan’s one-bedroom flat at Block 52 Cassia Crescent to find him reading the mail, which can be tedious with his failing eyesight and inability to read English very well. Mr Tan reveals that his son used to share the flat with him – he seems to miss his son’s company.

A widower and a sociable man, it can get lonely at times living alone. Mr Tan welcomes the company of others and gets very chatty. There is no judgement or anger when he talks about his son’s troubles with the law, even though this is not the first time his son has been imprisoned. The protective father is worried for his son’s future and does what he can to support his grandchild.

A few bags of groceries have been donated recently, and Gary sits down with Mr Tan to check each item. Not all will be useful, especially products that need to be cooked. Many elderly like Mr Tan do not cook in their new flats, because there is no separate kitchen, and it is not conducive without piped gas installed in the block.

In public housing flats in Singapore, it can be a challenge to get your clothes dried in the sun, unless you hang them on bamboo sticks and put them out of the window. This can be a challenge for older residents. Mr Tan makes use of the morning sun at his living room window to get the job done.

Under the arm – a popular spot to keep his daily paper secure on the way to breakfast. After his favourite bowl of noodles and a strong cup of coffee, Mr Tan will likely hop on a bus to Bedok housing estate further east to meet his friends there. A sociable man, Mr Tan would rather be out than home alone. He used to run a coffee shop in the area until an accident forced him to shut it.

When at home, Mr Tan spends a lot of time watching TV. As the chairs in his flat double up as tables and are covered with Mr Tan’s things, he ends up sitting on the floor. The TV is his stand-in companion, and he leaves it on for background noise. He laughs when asked about the wing tattoos on his back. He says this and the other tattoos, including one of his name (in case he forgets it), were done when he was a younger and more precocious man.

With his deteriorating eyesight, Mr Tan relies on a magnifying glass for help with reading the newspapers.

As he prepares to head out to visit his mother at the nursing home, and late wife at the columbarium, Gary reads some of Mr Tan’s mail to help explain what they contain.

It is a special day. Mr Tan is paying his respects to his late wife, something he has not done in two years. Mdm Tan passed away in 2015, and as he was rather attached to her, found it hard to accept that she had left him so young at 54 years old. He has felt quite guilty not having visited her for 24 months, and as an apology has bought her flowers.

Mdm Tan’s ashes lie at Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium in northern Singapore. Making up for the years of neglect, Mr Tan carefully cleans Mdm Tan’s niche plaque.

He also replaces the dusty, plastic flowers with the tulips he bought on the way there. It is a somber and touching moment and Mr Tan conducts the ritual with quiet reverence.

After making sure everything is perfect, Mr Tan turns his full attention to Mdm Tan, and shares a private moment. He gives her an update of his life, tells her how much he misses her, and asks for her forgiveness and protection.

The mood is considerably lighter after the visit, and Mr Tan waits for a cab to take him to the other love of his life, his mother.

At 99 years old, the older Mdm Tan is still lucid and was happy to see her son come to spend time with her. She has just finished her lunch, and he helps her with some water to wash the food down.

Mr Tan tries to remove his mother’s glasses, but it entangles her hair and he teases her about it. Mdm Tan appreciates the attention and breaks into a smile, which lightens up her face and eyes, revealing a warm personality.

Not many words are exchanged, but there is a lot of tenderness between mother and son. Not being able to move much, Mr Tan massages her hands to soothe and loosen her joints.

A fortnight flies past, and it is time to visit his son again. The devoted father embarks without complaint on an almost two-hour bus ride to the prison site in eastern Singapore, where his son is incarcerated.

Mr Tan’s pace quickens as he walks towards the prison grounds. He is about two hours early for the scheduled appointment and has no need to hurry. But Mr Tan can barely conceal his excitement. He is eager to give his son the books, and to hear how he is doing. Even Gary, who has accompanied him, can barely keep up with the 74-year-old.

As fast as the fortnight passes between visits to his son in prison, Mr Tan is out after spending the best part of three hours waiting for 30-minutes with his son. And so, the clock starts counting down again to his next trip here. In the meantime, life continues in the outside world, where the chances of rain are inevitable.