Last night mum shared stories about my grandma. She was paralysed for 3 years lying there in a bed.

It all started with her changing a light bulb whilst perched on the edge of a table.Well that did it the table tumbled and off she went on to the floors.

Her back was hurt. The hospital plastered her from her bottom to her underarm and rendered her bedridden. Then her legs went from lying there like a log. She lost all feelings to her legs. May be because of crushed nerves? . 

She was hospitalised for a year and at the end of it the doctors gave her a choice. Either have spinal surgery or die. She asked her doctor if she was to have the operation what would happen? He replied well we don’t know you could die? Or it might not work? So she chose to die at home.

She was only in her 30s mind you with 6 kids youngest only 4.
Mum said my grandfather did what he could hiring a maid to wash, clean and to cook for them. 

The kids all ended up with lice in their hair so grandfather made them cover their eyes and ears and sprayed them with some chemical . Mum said it was awful as it was very harsh and felt like their scalp was burning . She said the chemical could have killed us not just the lice.

Her younger sister had recurrent ear infections that left her half deaf. 

Mum said the maid had enough trouble looking after them she would not have had time to know of the ear infection. 

 After three years my grandma could walk. Apparently towards the end of her stay in hospital she saw a man walking around. She asked him why are you here? When you seemed so well?

He told her he had what she had and he had a vaccinator coming in every day to give him injections. After awhile he got feelings in his feet then legs and there he was walking.

My grandma took down notes of the medicine, the dose and where to buy it from. Back in those days there were people you could hire to come to your house to give injections . No need for doctors and the likes. Just need money .

Armed with the information she got her medication and a person to come to the house to give her her injections.

It took 3 years from her fall to regain her walking ability. Mum said she was stubborn as. I already knew that. Fiercely independent as well that when I heard of this story I felt for her. If it was me I don’t know if I could last three years bedridden .

She lived til her 90s. Mum was quite emotional saying how did she survive? All those kids? 7 of them. No money? My grandfather was a public servant, didn’t earn much. They were forever in debt .

Yet there was always food on the table . She’d quietly go to the pawn shop with whatever she had and tried to get them back end of month when my grandfather was paid or she had spare money. 

And if the kids brought friends home she’d feed their friends as well even buying alcohol for my uncle’s mates.

Mum was like she’s very generous with everyone. I don’t know if I’d be that generous knowing I don’t have enough to feed my kids let alone their friends as well? 

Yes I remembered it well. I remembered she’d pack everything into a little table cloth. Wrapped it up into a bundle and off we went. Then on the streets she’d pop it on the ground to sell. As soon as there’s signs of a policeman coming she’d wrap it up again and off we would run into the laneways. She knew which one was what and where they lead so she’d never got caught. 

Don’t know for what reason mum told me the stories. Guess she was reminiscing as we had my aunty down as well.


That’s me there in a dress with my grandparents . Not sure who the other lady is ?

I was born just a few weeks after my oldest uncle was killed in the Viet Nam war. 

Out of everyone I looked the most like her. I even have a beauty spot in the same spot as she has hers. Just where her right eye is. 

She used to tell me it’s no used having it there because you tend to cry a lot.