My grandmother left us on 28 Nov 2013 at about 12.25pm, a day after I returned from Taiwan. She would have turned 94 in two months' time. In her lifetime, she is survived by 10 children (6 are married), 16 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
I remember her as a strong woman who brought up her 10 children and also the first few grandchildren without my grandfather, who died in 1970. She remained a widow ever since.
My fondest childhood memories are those dated back to the early 80s, when she stayed at a ground floor HDB unit at Jalan Besar. She had many plants in front of her house and my cousins and I would spend most of our weekends playing at her front yard or a nearby playground, while she prepares dinner for us with my 5th uncle's help.
When I was about 5 years old, there were times my cousin, Wei Xuan and I would stay overnight on Fridays at her home. We would head to the nearby Lavender Food Market at around 9pm to buy our favourite supper - Hokkien Prawn noodles, Fried carrot cake and Char Kway Teow.
When I was older, around 10 years old, she shifted to her current home, a 4-room HDB unit at Hougang Ave 10, which was 10 minutes' walk from my parents' home. My mom would bring my siblings and I to her home every weekend for dinner, and we would be there from 5pm to 9pm. I love the food she cooked - curry chicken, chicken feet soup, bean sprout with fried beancurd, prawns in chilli sauce, etc. They always taste so homely and delicious. Following dinner, there will always be a platter of fruits placed at the living room, usually oranges and apples for all to share.
There were occasions when I still stayed overnight at her home, and I remembered sleeping beside her and she would pat my buttocks gently to rock me to sleep.
She was also very disciplined. I remember she would sleep early by 9pm and wake up by 5.30am every morning. When she was still able to walk, she would go for morning strolls every morning, and be back to prepare breakfast for us when we sleep over at her home.
Whenever my cousin and I are playing in the living room, I remember she would always be sitting on her usual sofa seat watching her TV. Occasionally, she would raise her voice at us when we get too loud while playing. Besides that, I hardly remember any time when she was angry. In my mind, she was a quiet woman, of course, with her fair share of worries and heartaches for some of her single sons.
Whenever my cousin and I are playing in the living room, I remember she would always be sitting on her usual sofa seat watching her TV. Occasionally, she would raise her voice at us when we get too loud while playing. Besides that, I hardly remember any time when she was angry. In my mind, she was a quiet woman, of course, with her fair share of worries and heartaches for some of her single sons.
As I grew older, I became occupied with my church commitments on weekends and visited her lesser. That was when I looked forward to her annual birthday dinners which usually happens in January. There was once I remembered presenting her with a bouquet of flowers on her birthday. Although my relatives laughed at me, on retrospect, I am glad I took the courage to do it.
Her 89th year old birthday celebration at Long Beach, East Coast Park.
Celebrating her 90th birthday at Jumbo Seafood in Year 2010.
The last time my family visited her on 15 October 2013.
By then, she was drifting in and out of sleep more frequently.
Her parting gift to us - One-dollar Singapore coin, 1977 series.
She is dearly missed by all of us. Most of all, I will miss hearing her loving voice calling my Chinese name again. Thank you for being my grandma.
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