The moment Tom got off the plane, everything changed. It was so different from London. Eight years ago, when he was only four, he had left for London together with his parents and now he was back. His memories of Singapore faded as time passed and the only thing that he could recall was the face of his grandparent.
Outside the airport, the tropical heat was scorching him. Tom was already begginning to dislike Singapore. The streets were chaotic and disorganized, run down shop-houses could also be seen along the streets. A disgusted look appeared on Tom’s face.
Tom complained to his mother, “Mummy, this place is not suitable for us to stay. Its so hot and dirty!” Mrs Tan widened her eyes and gave an angry stare at her son. Tom knew what was going to happen if he complained more, thus for the rest of the journey, he did not speak a single word. The taxi stopped in front of a shophouse. Tom did not expect the place that he was going supposed to stay in for the next two weeks was a dilapidated shophouse. He cursed silently as he followed his parents into it.
An old woman was seating on a little wooden stool in the corridor. She looked really skinny, just like a match stick. Her skin was so dry to the extent that her veins could be seen from far. Holding a fan, she seemed to be waiting for someone. When she saw Tom and his parent, she exclaimed in a weird language that Tom had never heard before. His parents broke into tears and rushed up to the old woman. It was then Tom realised that the old woman was his grandmother, his only surviving grandparent. Amazingly, Tom did not feel anything.
“ Tom, come and hug your Ah-Ma ( grandmother in Hokkien).” Tom could not help but to go foward and give a hug. The old lady gave a pat on his head and said, “ Guai, Guai (good boy, good boy)!” Tom was showed around the shophouse. It was much smaller than the apartment he lived in London. He kept speculating as to when the ordeal would be over and when he could go back to England.
The few days of the stay at his grandmother’s house really seemed like years to him. Finally one week had passed and Tom was left with only another week. All day long, Tom felt bored and his grandmother was always seating in the corridor chatting with the other elderly residents, boasting about how clever and handsome her grandson was. The tropical heat dissappeared and it started raining and Tom wanted to have some fun. That was when he thought of playing in the rain. He dashed out of the shophouse, past his grandmother. It took a few seconds for the old lady to realise what Tom was doing. Tom shut his ears and did not bother what she said. Tom felt great when the rain drops hit on his back. It was the first time since he returned to Singapore he felt happy and refreshed. He did not notice that there was a pebble beside him and he tripped and fell. Blood dripped from the the wound. He groaned in pain, lying on the hard ground. It was then he saw a hand. It was the hand from her grandmother. The old lady had followed his grandson all the way. Her whole body was drenched by the heavy downpour. It was the first time Tom felt his grandmother’s love.
For the rest of the week, Tom’s grandmother took care of him. She told him about Singapore and the stories about her younger days. The old lady told her grandson about the Japanese Occupation, the riots, the racial tensions, the independence.
“During the Japanese Occupation, life was really tough. Your Ah Kong and I were anti-Japanese. We participated in a few dangerous sabotage missions. However, in one of the missions, your Ah-Kong was betrayed by a traitors and was recognised and killed by the Japanese, it was really a devastating blow to me. It was also then I know that I was pregnant with your mother. 1945, the war was finally over and your Ma was born. It was new start for me. There were riots and strike everywhere as people were unhappy with the government. The people wanted their freedom. I still remembered participating in a workers’ strike. Finally, it was the end of colonialism and Singapore was to join Malaya. At that time I could often see my Malay neighbours quarrelling with my Chinese neigbours, sometimes they would even have fights with each other. In the end Singapore was on its own.” From her eyes, Tom could see a sense of belonging towards the country. Being influenced by his grandmother, Tom felt the same way.
Tom looked around himself, the people, the food, it looked so familliar to him. He started thinking about where his true home was. Is it London, where he spent almost more than half of his life in or Singapore? However, good days would surely end, Tom needed to return to London. The old lady was really dissappointed as she hoped that her grandson could stay beside her for the last few years of her life. Tom went back to London with this question in his mind.
Three years later, Tom stood by the side of her grandma’s grave. He said solemnly, “I love you Ah-Ma and I also love your Singapore.”
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