The 9th Child

My maternal grandma is a tough lady.

I haven't heard much about her life really, because she only spoke Hokkien, and I, for the life of me, can't speak it. So, here's all I know about her from my mum:

1) She was born in 1916. She was an orphan and her foster parents made her work in the paddy fields when she was 5.

2) When she made a mistake, her foster parents would take wooden rods to hit her head. She developed bloodclots in her brain that would cause her excruciating headaches for life. She drained the bloodclot through her nose when she was in her 70s.

3) She came to Singapore by sea when she was 16. She got married around the same time.

4) She was the sole breadwinner because my grandpa didn't work.

5) The entire family managed to survive WW2.

6) She lost my 2nd uncle to a horrific car accident. Taking pity on his widow, she helped her to raise her kids, while having her own to care for. My mum said she would cry every year on the anniversary of his death.

7) She was well-known in Khatib for selling newspaper, with my wheelchair-bound aunt.

8) She worked well into her early 90s.

9) She passed when she was 99, survived by 5 generations of descendants.

(I don't even know some of my cousins!)

I think my mum really looked up to her. Growing up, my mum would tell me the stories about her over and over again.

"Your grandma is extremely strong-willed."

"She has the virtues of being thrifty and hardworking. She didn't have to depend on her husband."

My mum wanted me to be a strong, independent when I was growing up. It was strange because the only thing she wanted me to become, never mind if she was unaware of the consequences would come with it (I was her most rebellious child).

Amidst of all the stories of my grandma my mum told me, it was the story of how my mum came into her life that stood out the most.

At 43, my grandma already had 6 sons and 2 daughters. In fact, she only had her first daughter after my 6th uncle. Late into the game, I know.

One night, my grandma had a dream. She dreamt of someone she knew from China, brought a little girl to her doorstep and said, "Please save her, she has nowhere to go. Please take her in".

She felt pity for the little girl and agreed to care for the little orphan. 

9 months later, she had a baby girl. 

Her 9th child.