Walden

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We heard stories over stories of some "numbers" that depicts special meaning in Papa's life. I have not heard of any number that is bad for Papa, although, I recalled once that the number "4" pronounced in our local Fookien dialect sounded more like death. Yet, Papa being a positive person that he is, has been very successful in most of his life's endeavors whatever the number!

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One particular number that stayed closed to his heart is the number 13. Consider this, my parents married on May-8, 1955. 5+8=13. His Filipino father, Antonio, was born on June-13 on a Friday. I myself was born on Jun-13 Friday, in 1958 (58 = 5+8 or 13).

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5 and 8, are both very special numbers as well. Papa's initial JKL is actually 555 (look at your phone's keypad.) The family name, Lima, in the Philippine language means 5. Around 2004, when he bought another Cadillac and he was issued random by the DMV a plate with 5SEV555. Look closely as you see the meaning of each character actually points to the number 5. "S" for 5 look-alike, E for the Fifth letter of the alphabet, "V" for Roman numeral 5! Coincidence? Amazing! is it just plain luck?

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Special numbers like our 1963 house in Caloocan has 123 Sta Lucia as the address, and in 1973, 777 Calamansi Street in Davao City - where he says seventh day was set for the day of rest. Something about being complete or being finished. In 1976, when he started with the gigantic task of building Datu Complex, he applied for a phone line and numbered it 7-60-76.

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In Sep-8 of 88, he moved in to 2425 S 8th Ave in Arcadia, his phone number was 818-5xx-5555. quite a lot of 5s there. When he moved to the Elizabeth House in Causeway Bay, Hongkong a few years later, his flat was on the 13th Floor. Although, some numbers are with his intervention, but nevertheless they played important roles and meaning in his life. One store front, the Hongkong Mansion in Causeway Bay has the special number of "555555555". In 1991, when he opened a supermarket in the City of Industry, his phone number was 818-96x-5555. And when he started doing business in West Covina in 1998, he was "lucky" to get the number 626-9xx-5555. On Oct-16, 1997, when he moved to a new address in W Palm Drive in Arcadia, the street number says "368". "68" meaning "always progressing" in the Cantonese dialect. In 2006, when he bought a Lexus 600 car, I ordered a special plate number 55JKL55.

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In 1986, during the darks days of kidnappings and killings in the Philippines. 3-Digit Numbers were assigned by William who was code 504), and Papa was 501. Everyone in our business knows him as 501. The coded number stayed relevant 20 years later, when Papa signed up for an email, he chosed jkl501@gmail.

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Not all 8s were as good though, on Aug-8, 1988, 8am, we (504 503 and 712) opened our 8th branch, also known as "D8", with 20 checkouts, opened to a crowd of thousands of people waiting in long lines. It was much fanfare, complete with a citywide parade, with the Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmen gracing the opening occasion. The lucky numbers 8888 perhaps, can only apply to our most special person in the family - Papa (501). For in a few years, we see the store sales decline, we later sold the property to a local businessman - 'almost' no money down - and the buyer's got 5 years to pay! It was a giveaway.

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But perhaps his most favorite numbers in the Bible, Psalm 23 (2+3=5). The Lord is my Shepherd... The one he wrote and framed and proudly posted in his living room. The verse so provided him peace up to the very last moments of his life.

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Can Papa be a good gambler? Yes, in fact, he almost always win over the "banker" when he goes playing blackjack in Las Vegas. Not by luck, but by patience and self control. Papa hates gambling, and always remind us against gambling, yet we see him winning hundreds and thousands in one sitting. Is it luck? No, it is patience and self control.

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So is it in the lucky Numbers? I would say, for 1 percent - "Yes", and 99% perseverance, patience, hardworking, and pure intelligence and wisdom. The fact is -- he created luck!

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- Walden 3/15/17