The Lady At the Bridge - my IPS
I've been working at Aljunied area for a year and half now.
Every morning, without fail, there would be this elderly lady sitting on the overhead bridge selling tissue. Every morning without fail, when I walk pass her, she would give me a smile. So it comes not as a surprise to me that when I am thinking of who do I approach for IPS, I thought of her.
This morning it rained cats and dogs.I wondered if she'll be at the bridge today.
But I found her, huddled there at her usual spot, with two big umbrellas stuck to the banister behind her and a cardboard to block out the chilling wind.
I ended up squatting beside her on the overhead bridge for half hour, listening to her tell me her story.She said she was just thinking through her circumstances and feeling depressed when I appeared. She thanked me for being there at the moment to listen to her.
She's 57 years old and constantly thinking of the day she can die.
She spends every moment tortured in the memories of her parents who abandoned her when she's young. She claims her mother cursed her the day her mother hung herself. She was 5 when it happened.
She tried to commit suicide by taking 40 sleeping pills.. the medical hall owner who sold her pills cheated her of money… he sold her fake pills that made her puke and unable to work for a few days instead.
Every day she prays to God to let her die and be put of of her misery… Everytime she claims he rejected her.
Not all passerbys are nice to her. Everyday, she gets small kids who laugh at her, kick her things when they pass. Adults who spat at her. Some even hit her on the head and back for peddling her tissues on the bridge. She couldn't understand why. What did she do to deserve these. When she was young and able, she would give all her money to people who needed it. But all she got now was loneliness and bully.
She works day and night selling tissues. Morning till noon she'll be at aljunied. Evenings she'll be near the causeway. She doesn't have an address.. she only stays at Pipit Road (I dunno where is that).
I stayed with her while she related her stories.
I felt sad I can't do anything much for her at the moment, except give a listening ear.
Even in her situation, she showed me care and concern, telling me to take care of my cold, not to take cold food and water after 8pm etc etc.
I heard her stories, saw her tears and cried with her.
But at the end when I bid her farewell, she gave me her usual smile.
Suddenly I realise how precious her smile was. And that perhaps I've been taking it for granted for the past year.
I promised I'll go talk to her again and bring her some hot breakfast.
By the time I left, she was smiling again. I'm glad I made a difference today. At least for her.
Every morning, without fail, there would be this elderly lady sitting on the overhead bridge selling tissue. Every morning without fail, when I walk pass her, she would give me a smile. So it comes not as a surprise to me that when I am thinking of who do I approach for IPS, I thought of her.
This morning it rained cats and dogs.I wondered if she'll be at the bridge today.
But I found her, huddled there at her usual spot, with two big umbrellas stuck to the banister behind her and a cardboard to block out the chilling wind.
I ended up squatting beside her on the overhead bridge for half hour, listening to her tell me her story.She said she was just thinking through her circumstances and feeling depressed when I appeared. She thanked me for being there at the moment to listen to her.
She's 57 years old and constantly thinking of the day she can die.
She spends every moment tortured in the memories of her parents who abandoned her when she's young. She claims her mother cursed her the day her mother hung herself. She was 5 when it happened.
She tried to commit suicide by taking 40 sleeping pills.. the medical hall owner who sold her pills cheated her of money… he sold her fake pills that made her puke and unable to work for a few days instead.
Every day she prays to God to let her die and be put of of her misery… Everytime she claims he rejected her.
Not all passerbys are nice to her. Everyday, she gets small kids who laugh at her, kick her things when they pass. Adults who spat at her. Some even hit her on the head and back for peddling her tissues on the bridge. She couldn't understand why. What did she do to deserve these. When she was young and able, she would give all her money to people who needed it. But all she got now was loneliness and bully.
She works day and night selling tissues. Morning till noon she'll be at aljunied. Evenings she'll be near the causeway. She doesn't have an address.. she only stays at Pipit Road (I dunno where is that).
I stayed with her while she related her stories.
I felt sad I can't do anything much for her at the moment, except give a listening ear.
Even in her situation, she showed me care and concern, telling me to take care of my cold, not to take cold food and water after 8pm etc etc.
I heard her stories, saw her tears and cried with her.
But at the end when I bid her farewell, she gave me her usual smile.
Suddenly I realise how precious her smile was. And that perhaps I've been taking it for granted for the past year.
I promised I'll go talk to her again and bring her some hot breakfast.
By the time I left, she was smiling again. I'm glad I made a difference today. At least for her.
posted by Ade at
5:45 pm
1 Comments:
You are so kind, to offer a listening ear. Not everyone of us like you, so courageous to talk to her. I know who you are talking about - actually I found her a little scary. It is nice to know a little more about her. Thanks for sharing.
By
Fiery, at 10:07 pm
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