My Grandma is One of a Kind

For my grandma. It seemed almost pretentious that I could write about her after her demise since we didn't really talk when she was around. But I saw more pretence amongst some people, which is probably best left unaddressed now.

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My grandma was a dreamer. She believed she hold the key to Singapore Pools’ Toto winning formula. She was Sesame Street’s greatest fan and would watch it religiously for ‘inspiration’ to formulate her next bet. She never did strike a huge fortune, with the biggest winning only in the hundreds. But she shared all her prize money – bought us food, candies (when we were much younger) and once, even sponsored a trip for the family to visit our relatives in Indonesia.

My grandma was much naive. A patient at the hospital where my late uncle was receiving treatment had requested her to send a letter to the Philippines. Helpfully, she brought the letter home, asking me to complete the favour. She inspected the stamps I had glued on the envelope and told me the letter would not reach. She had noticed that I did not use Filipina stamps to send the letter from Singapore to the Philippines.

My grandma was quite a food-lover. She used to cook for the family and was the critic of mum’s cooking. She recalled recipes off her head and had a good appetite. The last time she could be fed through the mouth, she asked for green bean soup. But I knew she would rather have rojak, cha kway tiao or roti prata.

My grandma was a beauty. When sorting her things out, I found passport photos that chronicled her age. I noticed how emaciated she had looked in the most recent photo; I realised how much I had neglected her. She loved to look good and would draw her brows every morning. She would sometimes sigh at her wrinkled face. I think I chose the right photo in her memorial.

My grandma was a survivor. Most aches and pains were endured in silence. She escaped from a full stroke that could land her bed-ridden. The partial stroke left her still mobile, though less nimble.

Then, my grandma fell very sick. The onset was sudden and the cause unknown. She fought the bacteria hard and overcame it. A second attack seized her; she won again. However she did not score a hat-trick when hit the third time.

We had never been really close. My care for her had always been obliged in duty and respect. We seldom talked but she had always stood by when the family needed her. She loved her children and grandchildren. The proofs of her love, I leave it to every one of us to realise and remember.

And if she lived again, I wish we could know each other better.