Snow in the Heartlands

90-year-old Grandma Neo stretched her tired legs, her nearly defunct message chair bringing no relief. Severe arthritis had made her homebound - the neighbourhood shopping mall was as far as her aching legs could carry her.

And Singapore was hot- too humid to travel around for an extended time. The snow-caked streets of London, where she had once worked, filled her with yearning.

Grandma Neo Swee Chin had her glory days - a respected foreign secretary to Singapore’s Ambassador-At-Large, the Thai, French and Russian languages could not daunt her. Unlike most Singaporeans, snow was no stranger to her - she had spent many years walking in the snow-caked streets of France, England and the United States.

A fulfilling marriage, three lovely children, four grandchildren and now, the searing pain of arthritis had made travel a pipe dream. Grandma Neo never uttered a word of complaint - she adored her family. But something was missing - snow.

The charm of iridescent snowflakes, each uniquely beautiful, filled Grandma Neo with a simple yearning - to feel soft, snow on the tips of her slim fingers once again. To hear carollers croon Silver Bells as they plied frosty streets. To cross streets as snowflakes gently on her favourite skull cap. To feel the crunch of crisp snow at the base of her feet.

Grandma Neo, an avid crooner, had the lyrics of Silver Bells at the back of her tongue. She longed to see snow again before she passed.

Her grandchildren, Amos and Mei Lin sensed her longing. They wanted to recreate the experience for their beloved Zu Mu (Grandma in Mandarin), but travelling in her state was out of the question.

Then an idea dawned. 

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Seeing their grandmother in her fragile state unsettled Amos and Mei Lin. Mei Lin, in particular, didn’t relish her; she’d become a shadow of her former resilient self. And she wasn’t getting any younger.

Amos spent a few days pacing around their age-friendly apartment in Woodlands, silently ignoring calls for his attention. Mei Lin knew a scheme was brewing.

Finally, the young civil engineer spoke. “Grandma will not feel better if we don’t take some action. If she can’t go to the snow, why not bring the snow to her?”

Mei Lin looked at him, her curiosity piqued. “How do you propose we do that?”

“Let’s recreate a snow-covered street as it is during Winter. Snowy, frosted, with gothic carols chiming from churches.”

“Why not?” Mei Lin could sense her worried mood beginning to lift. “You have the skills to recreate mini houses out of plasterboard, right? We can substitute cotton for snow. It’s not the real thing, but can have the same atmosphere.”

They set about collecting cotton balls that danced to the ground gently when the wind blew. Amos, on his part, crafted a mini London. Windsdor Castle was a perfect replica of the iconic structure in London, its round tower burgeoning with the same rich history. Big Ben was a miniature of the structure everyone knew - a magnificent, awe-inspiring icon, its clock reminding all of London’s wonder. Amos also included a replica of a church that Grandma had attended when she was in England.

Finally, “Little London” expanded before them, in all its tropical glory. Mei Lin and Amos stood a little thunderstruck by their efforts.

“I hope Grandma feels as though she’s in London again.” she gasped.

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The moment arrived. They invited Grandma into the living room. She stood breathless for a few moments.

“H...how long did you take to do this?” She asked, looking at the familiar, yet customized London structures with wonder.

“A while, grandma. Come and have some Milo.” But Grandma Neo ignored them.

They soon discovered why- unstoppable tears drenched her face, rendering her unable to speak.

When she could do so again, her face was ruddy and enlivened. She was a far cry from the Grandma Neo of before - more spirited. Grandma’s circumstances were improving. Her arthritis was a mere fragment of the past.

Grandma slowly reached for a slice of kaya toast. The egg jam, hot and aromatic, was Singapore’s answer to eggnog. Grandma wanted to share it with everyone.

“Why don’t we ask Uncle Tan to come over? He hardly has any family over to visit.” Uncle Tan was a kindly gentleman whose children had moved away after a bitter family dispute. He hadn’t seen them in years; he often expressed a longing for family to Grandma Neo.

Mei Lin brought Uncle Tan, with his silver cane, into the living room. The festivities soon extended to those living in the apartments on their floor, then the floor below that. Neighbours they hadn’t spoken with for a while came for a hot mug of Milo and some Kaya toast.

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When the festivities had died down, Grandma Neo looked at her family and the joyful chaos they had conjured.

As she gazed at the remaining cotton snow traversing the floor, she smiled. Snow, real or fake, didn’t matter - but Amos, Mei Lin and their efforts did.

She sat on her favourite rocking chair, watching the family clean the “snowy” mess in the living room. Grandma had seen snow, its flakes not real, but full of heart. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep, a sweet, forever smile etched on her face.