Page 43 - Stories from our Grandparents

Mr Chua Heng Lee BORN 1950 Often, a normal game of catching would turn into

By Chong Yong Xiang something that caused laughter. A group of my friends
Pasir Ris Secondary School and I met up once again at the same grass patch to play
catching again.

This time, I was chosen as the ‘catcher’. As I counted ten, everyone
oaming around the streets, a smile swept across my face as I started running around as fast as possible. When I turned around,
looked at the rows of buildings that lined up the streets. The no one was to be seen and there were no footprints to be seen on
fondest memories were defined in this place that Singaporeans the muddy grounds. Within 15 minutes, I found and caught everyone,
Rcall home. I still could not believe the rapid change from then except Benjamin, who was known to be one of the worst runners in
to now; how the villages were replaced by industrial and recreational the village.
buildings. It is also regrettable that everyone became so busy with their
work these days instead of bonding together through conversations. “I thought he was bad at this game. He just proved us wrong!”
Unforgettable places bring back the best moments that my peers and I had. Meng Li, my childhood friend said. Everyone burst into laughter
and continued looking for Benjamin. Time passed quickly, it
As I walked towards the end of the street, I noticed an empty plot was going to be dusk and Benjamin was still nowhere to be
of land and began to recall my childhood memories. It used to be seen. We started to get worried; What if something happened
where my village was, where I grew up and where friendships were to him? We went to his house to inform his mother and
formed. I remember running around the village, playing together immediately, the whole village was activated to find Benjamin.
with my neighbours and siblings.
News spread very quickly in our village.
Everyone went around the village in
groups; praying that Benjamin was safe
and unhurt. Behind Meng Li’s house, we
noticed footprints that led to a stack
of boxes. As we stepped closer to the tch
boxes, we started hearing the sounds of Ca
crying coming from one of the boxes.

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