Page 56 - Our Hawker Stories

It was my first time going to a hawker centre. The aroma
of sizzling meats and rich spices made me salivate as I
wandered past bustling stalls. My eyes landed on one
stall selling fragrant curry rice, its golden sauce bubbling
in a giant pot.

I turned to my sister. “Should we try this?” She nodded
eagerly. But when I checked the price, my heart sank. It
cost more than I had brought. The cashier noticed my
hesitation and smiled. “For you, special price today,” she
said, handing me the plate.

My sister and I ate until our bellies were full, savouring
every bite of creamy curry. As we thanked her, the
cashier waved it off. “Just happy to feed hungry kids,”
she chuckled. “The hawker didn’t just serve curry rice

— she served kindness. That’s the spirit of
On the way home, we could not stop talking about her our hawker culture, passed down through
kindness. When we told our grandparents, they were generations.”
touched. “That’s the spirit of hawker centres,” Grandma
said. The next day, we returned, not to repay, but to
order two more plates, this time with extra smiles. Goh En Xuan Aaralyn
P5.3
North Spring Primary School

52 Our Hawker Stories