Mummy's Story

Mummy was born on New Year's eve in 1939.

She was born to a Chinese Teochew family at Jansen Road. Being superstitious, her birth parents had consulted a geomancer who foretold that her birth was not auspicious. They had actually wanted a baby boy. So a few days after she was born, her birth mother appeared at the doorstep of the Fernandos with the newborn baby in her arms. Her birth mother asked Mama if she would like a baby.

Bapa (our grandpa) was a compassionate man and despite objections initially from Mama (our grandma)  as they already had 2 children, decided they would adopt her. They named her Mayawathi Matinwala Fernando Radage.

Mummy was truly blessed as it turned out that they loved her so much. In fact, Mummy was Bapa's favourite and he pampered her all the time. She was the boss at home! She never had to lift a finger, not even to clear her plate after eating. She had a good life.

Mummy as a little girl

A family gathering to celebrate possibly Mama and Bapa's anniversary. Mummy, Daddy, my brother and I are in the photo. Daddy is next to Uncle Lloyd, Patricia Brampy's father, Mummy's brother-in-law.

A large family gathering

She had a very close relationship with her adopted family and to her, they were her real family. Many years later, when her birth mother wanted to meet her, Mummy refused. 

When we were young, Mummy regularly brought us to visit Bapa and Mama. Chi Chi (Mummy's sister Vimila) was always there and she made the best milk tea! Their house in Selatar Hills at 12 Jalan Ketumbit was a single storey terrace house. We would take bus 103 and I remember it being a long bus ride to get there. Bapa was often seen sitting at the front of the house in his favourite chair.

Aunty Vimala

Mummy with her brother, Uncle Pema

Bapa used to sit in one of these chairs in his front yard. My aunt Vimala had them all these years and recently gave them to my brother who had them restored.

This was a pair of pedastals given to Mama and Bapa when they got married. I have one which had been damaged during the war. It has since been repaired. My sister now has the other one. 

Uncle Pema was still studying then when we used to visit. He would be in his white school uniform as he studied at Raffles Institution. In fact, Daddy also studied there, although he had to skip a few years because of the war.

Mummy was fifteen when she met Daddy. Daddy used to go to Uncle George and Auntie Marian's house to play mahjong and Mummy lived close by (just across the field from their house) and was friends with them as well. 

As Bapa worked for the Harbour Board, the family used to live around the Keppel area. Daddy lived in Radin Mas then and he used to cycle to her house to see her. Another place they frequently met was Tanjong Pagar railway station.

Their engagement photo

When Daddy wanted to marry Mummy, he went to her parents' home at 39 Breeze Road (*) to ask for their permission. It's not very clear if it was Daddy's first or second brother who accompanied him. Most probably it was Ji Pek who went with him.

Apart from Jansen Road, Mummy also lived in 19A Pillai Road along Paya Lebar Rd.Perhaps from there, they moved to Seletar Hills, still staying around the Northeastern part of Singapore.

In those days, marriage announcements had to be gazetted and made a public record. Mummy and Daddy were married on 27 Apr 1957. Mummy was 17 and Daddy 22. (Daddy passed away on 26 Apr 2015, just a day shy of their 58th anniversary). The marriage was witnessed by Tua Pek (Lim Boon Hong) and Uncle George (Goh Kim Teck), his best friend. Unfortunately, Uncle George passed away at age 39 from brain cancer. During that time, we lived in the same block at Mei Ling Street. Uncle George came over to our flat quite often.

Mummy and Daddy's marriage cert that Daddy had kept till the day he died

Mummy used to have long hair which she cut short when she got married.

Sometime in 1996, just before Jun Wen was born, Wing brought Mummy to Ceylon to visit her father's grave. It had always been Mummy's wish to go there as her father's ashes were buried in his family's land there. They visited Bapa's brother who still lived there.

This photo was taken at our flat at Bukit Merah. Bapa's brother visited Singapore and came to visit us.

Mama is wearing a white sari. After Bapa passed away, she only wore white.

Mummy's adopted family was all she cared about. We were always accepted and loved and neither she nor we ever questioned her past. Because it did not matter. They were family. 

She was Mayawathi M.R. Fernando and I am Isabella Mayawathi Fernando Lim, my mother's daughter. Her history lives on.

* Breeze Road was in Kampong Bahru and the area there has since been demolished and redeveloped.