Childhood Memories by Joelle Lim (7)

My family consisted of five family members when I was born. It became six when my younger sister came along five years later. They were my parents and my paternal grandparents. They really cared a lot for me. I was the apple of my daddy's eyes as I was the only girl in the house and was very active. I also have a cousin who is two years older than me. He received more attention than me from my grandparents as he is older and most of all, he is a boy. However I was not jealous of him as my daddy and mummy were very supportive in what ever I participated in when I was growing up.

It was until the time when I was five years old, my sister came along and I had to learn how to share the attention that I get from my mummy and daddy with her. She was very adorable and I loved her a lot.

I did not live with my parents until I was in primary six. I lived with my godmother (babysitter) and went to schools near her place. I made many friends with the kids living in the same block as me. I had very close relationship with my godmother and her family. She had three kids who were all older than me. I was closest to her second son who was twelve years older than me. He always played with me when he came back from school. I always waited eagerly for him to come home and play all sorts of games with me.

When I was older, I started to mingle with the neighbours' kids. We went to the playground every night to play without fail and played to games that children always love to play for example, catching or "aeiou". I really enjoyed those times that we had together and really miss it.

There was this particular boy next door who was older than me by four years who always plays with me when I was in primary school. He was in the same primary school as me. We never fail to play candles and burning of lanterns together right up till his primary school life ended. When I was in primary five, I started to grow up more or rather mature mentally and stopped playing those games. I started to just stay at home and watch televison programmes right after school or just to come home and look after my baby sister who was a toddler at that time and also stayed at my godmother's house with me.

I continued with this kind of life right up till I was in primary six and my sister was in primary one, my mum felt that I was old enough to move back home. At first, I was quite sad and could not bear to leave my godmother and her family. However, as time went by, I gradually got used to sleeping alone at home. I continued going to my godmother's house everyday after school, take my dinner and bath there and wait for my mummy to come and fetch my sister and I home after work. It became my daily routine.

When I got busier with my school work and other commitments in school, I got to my godmother's house around six in the evening almost every day. Then my mum finally told me to go straight home after school everyday, instead of going to my godmother's house and make her wait for me to finish taking my bath and dinner as I always ended school late.

Now that I'm in secondary school, I would go to her house and visit her when I have the time. I missed those days back then a lot and really hope that I could go back to that period of time when life was so carefree back then.