Author:Anonymous
I was born when my dad was 24 years old and my mom was 19 years old. Being born to young parents, it is challenging for them to start their career and at the same time look after a newborn. My grandparents therefore brought me up in the first four years of my life.
I stayed in a one-room flat in Jalan Kukoh with my grandparents and my younger uncle and auntie. Every morning, my grandparents would bring me to the nearby coffee shop for breakfast, and this memory has stuck with me for life. They would order two soft-boiled eggs and a cup of hot Milo for me. I can still remember how my grandpa would break the egg shells and dish out the two supple eggs with pepper and dark sauce. Being a chatty little girl then, I would go on and on about this and that, and I can still remember vividly how my grandparents would laugh at my silly comments.
The best part of the breakfast was when my grandpa would pour my hot Milo into the egg dish after I had consumed my eggs. The purpose of doing so is to cool down the Milo quickly so that I can consume it without burning my tongue. The taste of the Milo mixing with the leftover from the soft-boiled eggs tastes very different from drinking it directly from the cup
After I grow up, such practice will be frowned upon in public. Occasionally, I will still do it despite getting funny stares because it makes me feel warm and nice inside.
Although it is a very insignificant thing to people around me, this daily breakfast routine sits very deeply in my heart as it is a special moment I have shared with my grandparents. Whenever I visit Ya Kun or Killiney, I remember this fond memory and miss my grandparents who brought me up during my childhood years.
My grandparents are both very old now, and we no longer go out for breakfast like we used to do. But the bond between us is strong, and whenever I visit them, there are always things to talk about no matter how small.
Writing down my thoughts, I am reminded of the neighbourhood in which I grew up, and I am curious to revisit the place. The flat that I used to live in and the coffee shop that I used to visit may no longer be there, but the memories that I built with my grandparents will always be there.