Page 68 - Cherished Memories of Yesteryears - A Collection of Grandparents' Life Experiences

“Be appreciative and thankful for what we have!”

“When I was your age, I had to raise buffaloes to was tired from all the work and had nothing to
sell them for money to help my parents supplement eat, he would eat the sugar cane for energy. Most
their meagre earnings. I would bring my books to of the time, he had to go to school or other places
study while I feed the buffaloes’ grass. My mother barefooted because they did not have the materials
had a mental illness and got fired from most of to make or money to buy a pair of slippers or shoes.”
her jobs. To raise a family of six, everyone had to
work hard to feed the family. These were my grandfather’s words when he told
me about his life. I found his story interesting
In his free time, he would hang out with his friends. because people had to do a lot of laborious work in
Since no electronic devices kept them busy back the hot sun every day and did not have enough to
then, they often played hide and seek. Sometimes, eat.
they would even catch male grasshoppers, put them
in a bottle, and let them fight to their death. I learnt that we should appreciate our lives because
we are more fortunate and we can attend a good
It was the Vietnam War, then! Sometimes, when school with great parents caring for us. My
looking after the buffaloes, the siren of an attack grandparents’ wish is that I get good grades in
would sound, and he had to run fast into a bomb my studies and have a bright future ahead of me!
shelter. Luckily, it was only a warning and none
of the bombs had landed on the island. The food Nguyen Hien Vinh
he often ate would be a bowl of plain rice. When he Primary 6.6 (2022)

64 Cherished Memories of Yesteryears