Page 91 - Stories from our Grandparents

Mdm XXXX Born 1932 My friend’s great grandmother and
her siblings were awakened by the
By Ayu Adillah Sari bte Sanizam blasting noises and ear-piercing
screams of bombs being dropped,
Millennia Institute
which became a norm for them after
a while.

orn in 1932, my friend’s great grandmother, who
wishes to remain anonymous, lived in Singapore “The sick aroma of ashes and blood filled
for 86 years is currently living with her daughter’s their nostrils every morning. People were
Bfamily at Telok Blangah. Her parents were originally screaming at the top of their voices,
from Indonesia and they moved to Singapore in search of screaming in agony and were unable to
a better life for themselves as well as their children.
comprehend this disastrous event that
However, in Singapore, life was not any easier. At a young age, took away thousands of lives in a blink
she had to take up the same job as her mother, which was to of an eye.”
offer laundry services for the kampong that they lived in to
help her parents financially. Life was tough on her, where she As the bombing continued, her family members had to hide under deep
had to juggle her job, school as well as her role as the eldest of drains while others dug up holes of empty graves to protect themselves
two younger siblings. from the bombings. When the bombings had finally stopped, many were left
homeless and lost their loved ones. Years passed by and she had settled
Unfortunately, this was not the only hardship she faced. down, opening up a food stall and then retiring at the age of 54. She feels
In her lifetime, she had first-hand experience of the that the current generation will be more prepared if a similar event ever
Japanese invasion of Singapore, the harassment she happens. However, Singaporeans nowadays are more prone to be less
faced from the Japanese soldiers, the Sook Ching conservative, very opinionated as well as more daring. This makes her feel
Operation and others. For her, the one incident that and claim that it is in fact easier to take care of her nine children than her
is still fresh and lingers in her mind was the Japanese great grandchildren.
bombing. It was the most traumatizing and vivid memory
she has ever had.

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