The "grandma" at the bus station taught me "dignity"

I was reading about a granny in her 90s selling home made malted sweets in the corridors of one of the "hippest", richest, coolest "village" is a very prosperous nation. The granny has been there since the 1990s. She was already very old then, but very strong. In recent years, she looked much more frail. The gals in the forums I haunt are wondering where she is these days, as she is seldom seen. Perhaps it was the bad weather, or her ailing health. Either way, there were concern among netizens if she is alright. I hope she is alright too.

I was so touched to see other caring souls around.

I don't know much about that "granny", not as much as that feisty soul near my home, whom I regularly obtained my supply of tissue paper.

I care about her, I realised. Last year, I knew she recognized me and probably cared a little bit about me too. I could see it from how her face lit up, and pleasantly surprised when I stopped by to get some tissue paper from her. It is the face that of someone who is really happy to see you, as if your appearance answered her questions/doubts/worries about where you are. There is an unexplained warm fuzzy feeling when that happened.

This granny, who had never spoken more to me other than "thank you"s and pushing more tissue paper or change into my hands whenever I "overpaid", suddenly started talking to me!!! Alas , for the first time in my life, I really hated myself for not being able to speak Hokkien!!! I could not speak Hokkien, and she did not seem to be able to speak Mandarin. So, "our conversation" ended with the granny pressing a packet of tissue into my hands--hard. I told her I don't live there anymore, take care; and hoped that she understood me. Granny must have been wondering what happened to the gal who needed so much tissue paper (cry baby??), and then "disappeared". I had been away for a year.

I am really worried about her now, since I am overseas. I wonder if she is still healthy enough to fend for herself. Is she sick? Does she see a doctor? Can she understand the instructions from doctors/pharmacists about how/when to take her medicine?

A few years ago, she would walk around the bus terminal, asking if people want to buy tissue from her. Unlike the typical tissue paper seller, this granny will not push you to buy, or hang around gaining your sympathy if you say "no", or just shake your head.

If you are like most of her "fans" who try to pass her a 2 dollar note and make away with only 1 packet (the BIG packet, containing 12 packets of tissue, which she was selling for $1, and costs about $1 in shops!!-how much profit could she get???), she would run after you, and insist that you
a) take another packet of tissue
b) take the change

Out of these, I figured out it was best to get 4 packs of 5 per bundle tissue. 4x5=20. If you get two big packs, it was 2x12=12 packs of tissue. So, I would offer her a choice (c).

It was quite funny when one day, she was "negotiating" (the above choices) with me, and one man slipped a $5(or $10?? Cant remember) note into her bag. She turned around, found out, and gave chase! Ran after him. That guy got to stop, because he was obviously worried that she would fall down. And if he did not stop, with a granny running after him, people might think he had robbed her???

Well, that is her history. I always told my hubby, if I am old and poor one day, I will be like her. she really got "gu qi". Even if you are poor, you can still keep your dignity!

In the last 2-3 years, she no longer walked around the station, but would sit there on the sidewalks, on her stool, displaying her wares: tissue paper, towels, sponge, on the floor. She looked really weak compared to last time. If you pay her 1 dollar, and take only 5 packets (normally sold for 50 cents), she would push you another 5 packets. But if you say no, and go away with just 5 packets, she would call out to offer you change. If you insist on paying $1 for a 50 cent packet, she would no longer chase you, and just keep on saying thank you in hokkien.

I admire this grandma very very much. I suppose you could get a glimpse of her character from how neatly she "packaged" her towels and sponge. She was still charging 5 packets for 50cents when I saw her last year. With the inflation going UP, does she earn less these days from a packet of tissue?

"Ah ma" is too old weak to run these days, which really saddens me. My heart breaks. It takes a lot for someone like her to accept the extra 50cents from strangers. Something in her dignity must have been chipped away by the time-a thing called old age which will visit us all.

Will I manage to keep my dignity with me in my last years/days on earth?

p/s: if you pass by BB station, please buy from her, yeah?