Grandmother story part 1.

Admittedly, I must say, I'm not very interested in my grandmothers' stories all along. As in my own grandmas, grandpas, their lives, their characters, my own roots.

My memory of them, are both the paternal and maternal grandmas were still alive during the childhood days. I didn't get to see both sides' grandpas.

But recently, I realized it's good to know more about them from my parents, before it's too late. So, when my dad was here, I asked him about them, and when my mom's here, I would do the same. Now, before I forget again what they told me, I think I shall write some grandmother's stories for my kids, just in case... you know.

Let's start with my father's side. Apparently, my yeye has a wife in thongsan before he came over to Mal in a boat. I was told that the wife was a samphoejai which means she was betrothed to him before she was born. They didn't have kids, hearsay no formal wedding was even held.

Anyway, he came in a boat, dunno how got to know my grandma (most likely introduced by taikamjea la) and got married, start to build a family. He started doing odd jobs, and later slowly moved to having his own timber business, and I remember us going to the factory, called Nam Loong along Jalan Lahat.

My yeye was a very strict person, without a smile on his face, but not quite the same when around his grandsons. My brothers, especially the eldest, had the privilege of being loved by him.
He doesn't talk much with my mom, my mom's recollection of him is that he's a strict but kind man.

My marmah was a a very yeh-man-nai-nai. When I asked my dad how she was in person, the first response I get was "Harumphhhh! Very yeh-man geh. Always want things her way". Apparently, it wasn't quite a nice mother-son relationship. Such a pity that there's the impression of his own mother, huh?

He said there was once he talked back on her after she scolded my mom unreasonably. He remembered how fierce she was and how she didn't talk to them for days on end.

As for me, I can only remember we used to visit her very other weekend in her home, which is now my 2-phak's home. It's a big bungalow in Pasir Puteh (I think!) with a good extra land for farming fruit trees. She was old and frail, sickly and not very the "sayang" type. My brothers and I were led to her bed, and greet her "marmah!" and can run off to play after that. I don't have that moment of "ahh.. my cute grandchild, come here and let me sayang...". Sigh!!

She died when I was still a very small child, and I attended her taoist rituals for 3 or 4 days, but without any shows of sadness, it was to us, a "get-together" with our cousins around.

And that concludes my story of my paternal grandparents. Oi! wake up lor! Now I present my grandparents pics, want to see anot?

Here.