Uncle S related that it’s very hard for him to recollect a lot of the past as he has memory lapses due to the seizures he suffers from. But I appreciate that he did try very hard to share his thoughts.
His father died when he was very young. He was just 12 years old.
He had to repeat his secondary 1 school year, as he was so traumatised by the loss.
He doesn’t quite recall being frightened of his father, but he was probably strict.
One memory stands out for him when he was much younger. He wanted to drink his father’s Tiger beer, but was told it’s Tiger urine. So that made him afraid.
He said mother was a domineering character always in charge. Whatever she says must be done. Even his father listened to her.
At the same time she was soft and report cards went through her rather than directly to their father. (A common refrain of the siblings)
About Sri Lanka he feels it’s a land of very warm people especially in the village of Pannangam in Jaffna. He went there in his twenties. His mother’s mother was still around then.
(My older uncle A concurred that she was welled dressed with lots of jewellery and was very warm.)
“I feel more Singaporean of course even though my ethnicity is ceylonese. I just feel like a visitor to Ceylon. No attachment. Just a feeling for the relatives but I’m close to my cousins there, including those in Norway.”
So grateful for the sharing from one of the warmest people I know. People just tend to gravitate towards him, because of this warmth. I’m glad to see him reconnecting with many of his old friends and just being happy. Because ask any of my cousins, and he features big in making our childhood so fun and being so generous in showering us with love. We love his child like quality and as a kid he was just one of us.
