My mother grew up in a kampong in a family of eight. She had an elder brother, an elder sister, two younger brothers and a younger sister. Her father died young due to illness, shortly after her youngest sister was born.
Since young, my mother had always been the "big" sister of the family, caring for the rest of her siblings. Her elder brother and sister often helped their mother, peddling food on the local street. She was the obedient one who was often tasked to look after the rest of her siblings. At a young age of ten, she already knew how to cook meals for her siblings while her mother went out to work. Despite having to do chores and look after her siblings, my mother excelled in her studies as well, often topping her class. (I really wonder how she managed to find time with her homework and revision)
However, being born into a traditional family did not help. My mother did not have the chance to complete her PSLE as she was soon forced to give up her studies when she was in Primary 6. My grandmother thought that males should study more in order to have a better future. Females on the other hand, should not study so much, since they would be married off sometime soon. In addition, my mother's elder brother and sister had found work with some companies and my mother was to help my grandmother with her peddling.
My mother helped my grandmother for a few years before she found work as a production worker in a factory. She would give her entire paycheck to my grandmother who in return would give her pocket money sufficient for her meals only. No extra money for entertainment and such. And this went on until my mother eventually got married.
On the other hand, my uncles who were schooling, got much more pocket money than my mother. And they had the luxury of buying titbits and toys for themselves.
Despite the stark differences in treatment, my mother remained fillial to my grandmother, taking care of her needs even after she got married. On the contrary, none of my uncles visited my grandmother regularly eventually.
Next Chapter: My Childhood
Tags: Story of a Singaporean Son, Chapter 3, My Mother
