My Grandmother

This entry will be dedicated to someone special. This entry is for you, Grandma.

This is my grandmother.

I remember when I was way younger, around the age of 8 or so, I was notorious. I would skip tuition (at Mavis Tuition Centre), and spend my time in the arcades. My brother and I would take turns, stealing money from my grandmother's purse and squander it all on arcade games.

Naturally, my grandmother knew it was us who did it, owing to the fact that we were living under the same roof, and that she caught me red-handed once. But the thing that touched me, right up to this very moment as I type, is that when the principal of Mavis actually rang up my mother and told her I was skipping class, not only did grandma not rat on me for stealing her money, but she shielded me from my mom's caning.

Back then, my mom didn't use the cane anymore because either it kept on disappearing for no reason *cough*, or it wore out so fast due to the constant beatings.

I can still remember the day grandma shielded me from a crazy woman whom I call "Mom", from the constant beatings with a coat hanger because my chinese teacher called her and told her I cheated in "ting xie". I still remember the grimace on Grandma's face when the rod landed on her flash, and thats when I truely understand the term "it hurts on the inside".

My grandma is by far the most generous person I've ever seen. Every Chinese New Year without fail, she will wake up early just to make sure that the rubbish collecting people gets an Ang Pow from her, and whenever we took a cab, she'll strike up a conversation with the cabby, and most of the time, the last thing she says to the driver will not be "bye", but "keep the change".

Speaking of Chinese New Year, grandma will spend quite a lum sum preparing for the event. Though she has never said it before, but I believe that family bonding means very much to her ever since her husband, my grandfather passed away in 1993. So, on the first day of Chinese New Year till the forth day, the dining table will be heavily laden with all sorts of delicacies ranging from abalones to century eggs.

But then things took a turn for the worst when she had a bad fall about 3 years back. She could no longer walk properly without the aid of a walking stick, she couldn't string a sentence together properly and couldn't remember some things or place that took place in the past.

Things kept going downhill, and she has to be sent to Tan Tock Seng hospital for various reasons. I visited her regularly, and sad to say, she's not getting better. I took a good hard look at her last night and realised how fray looking she has becomed.

I saw her ear. It was shrivelled up

.

I remember her telling me that big and thick earlobes would bring fortune, and she would always happily show off hers to me. It just struck me.. she's not going to be able to do that anymore..

I received a call just now at Darren's house from my Mom. Apparently, my relatives are going to bring her home, to let her spend whatever time left she has left there. They believe its her wish, because its a place she calls home, it means alot to her, and the house contains memories non other can steal.

The doctor has warned all of us that she has around 48 hours left, and so parden me if I behave like an asshole next week. Im going down to the hospital now, to tell grandma all the things I haven did, and tell her that I'm no longer what and who I used to be.

This is my grandma.

Her name is Choo Siew Poh, and I love her.