Grandma

It's a rainy Saturday afternoon and I am feeling a bit blue at home. I miss my family back home.

An hour ago, I just asked my Dad to phone me and let me speak to my Grandma at home. In these past few days, I suddenly missed my Grandma so much.

It's been a long time since I had long proper conversation with her. My Grandma and my other three aunties stayed with my family, so basically other than my parents and siblings, I consider all of them as my immediate family too. My Grandma and aunties helped raised three of us since we moved to the current house more than 15 years ago. My siblings and I often went to my Grandma's place when my parents were outside. We found them for food when my Mom didn't cook. We reached to them when we needed friends to talk to. My Grandma often gave me candies or cookies in a small plastic bag whenever one of her children delivered sweets or cookies for her.

My Grandma is almost 95 years old now. She came to Indonesia to follow my late Grandpa. She was not even 20 years old when she left her family in China. She told me that she had to be in a big ship for 3 weeks to get to Indonesia from China back then. She was from a wealthy family in China and left everything there to follow my not-so-wealthy Grandpa to Indonesia. She told me how she often cried during her early stay in Indonesia and life in Indonesia treated her harsh too in the early days. She gave birth to 10 children and lost her husband 26 years ago, about six months before my birth.

Grandma in 2004: The photo was taken before I left for Holland for one year.

Both Grandmas in December 2009.

Saying goodbye in December 2009. 

Grandma and Us during Engagement Day in July 2010.

The last time I saw my Grandma was during my 3-day stay for my engagement party in Malang back in July. I was pretty busy then and didn't have much chance to talk to her like I used to do. However, one obvious thing that I noticed was her deteriorating mind. She has changed so much compared to the last time I saw her in December 2009. She is now often confused and cannot deliver her speech properly nor understand other people well anymore.

I am terribly sad with the fact that time and age physically and mentally consume your dearest people real fast. I believed that there is no antidote to treat this other than to spend more quality time with our loved ones while we can.

The last time I said good bye to my Grandma before I went back to Singapore in July, she told me to go home more often and stay longer in Malang. When I called her just now, she asked me again when I am going home and mentioned that she's been looking forward to see me.

I am so going home to you this Christmas, Mak!!