Author: Jasmine Raquiza nee Teow Liting
I was taken care by my paternal grandparents from the time I was born as my family (dad, mom and younger brother) stayed with them in their 3-rm HDB flat. They cared for us, cooked and taught us values about familial ties and how to be good and kind to people. Granddad used to work in the shipyard as he was the sole breadwinner in the family to my dad and his 3 siblings. Grandma has always been a stay-at-home mother and she cared for the household, from cooking to cleaning and washing for the entire family. My parents worked hard to eke a living to support the family so grandparents took care of our daily needs all through end of primary school.
I used to be very forgetful in primary school and was very prone to forget bringing books/flute for the classes but grandpa never failed to send those to me whenever I called him from school. I would always feel so guilty, and I remembered crying due to the shame and guilt I felt as a 10 year-old. But he never fails to show up and never once had he chided me for being forgetful.
I used to get into angry bouts with my grandma due to our differences and give her cold treatment but in hindsight, it was just my under-developed brain reacting to someone who truly cares enough to chide me when I had been disrespectful or had gone out of line. I used to think that I am the closest to my grandparents, but it was much later in my late teens that I reflected on why my parents put us in the care of our grandparents.
Now that they are in the 80s/90s and I see how old they have become – it hurts to see that they don’t have that many years left to be with us but I want to always be reminded of the sacrifices they have made for me and my family. And the legacy they have imprinted in me will continue to live on for generations to come.
