Growing up poor

It's not easy being a woman in the working world. I never have it easy.

I came from a poor family. My parents are both illiterate. We lived with my grandmother in an attap house until I was 7, then we moved to a one-room rental flat In Toa Payoh Lorong 1A, near Philips factory. My Dad was a crane driver and my Mom was a washerwoman. She would bring the 3 of us with her to different houses in the morning to wash clothes. This went on until I was in Primary 3.

I was able to help my Mom out at age 9. I was taught to cook, go marketing, clean the house and do the laundry. (Today this would be considered child abuse.) My Mom then went to work at Yaohan supermarket as a trainee cook, deep-frying the popular crispy chicken wings. Her salary was less than S$320 a month.

My brothers and I used to go to her workplace because we would get free scraps of food. Her colleagues would sometimes gave us those 'damaged' items. Burnt or overcooked food. It was a feast to us because we used to have porridge at home.

We looked enviously at the happy children eating Japanese food and snacks. We could only stare and swallowed our saliva because we didn't have money. Have you ever look longing at others gulping down their food?

The luxurious things in Orchard Road captivated me then. I told my parents I would study hard, get a good job, so as to be able to shop in Orchard Road. How silly I was then!

Because Mom was deep-frying chicken wings all day long, her hands got scalded very often by the hot boiling oil. Later the condition of her injuries got worse. Her wounds were infected and didn't heal. She had to be hospitalised for a skin problem and she was fired from her job. My Mom had to endure months of pain and suffering. Every time the nurse came to change her dressing, she would cry. The nurse had to scrape off all the dead skin before applying antiseptic and medication. Till this day, my Mom's two hands are covered with scars.

My Mom's injuries caused more financial hardship to my Dad. He had to work two jobs. Both our parents were not at home most of the time, I being the eldest had to take up the responsiblity of taking care of my 2 younger brothers and look after the house.

My grandma gave Dad some money to pay for my Mom's hospitalisation charges and this caused much unhappiness amongst my Dad's siblings. My uncles and aunt looked down on us and we were always cast aside during family gatherings. As a young child, I could feel the open hostility towards us.