I lost My Grandpa, at least I Have his Favourite hair

It was at the start of second term, in my final year of University. I was studying Architecture at SMU and was ready for the start of the last term before graduating. The home environment is pretty normal in Singapore, I live with my parents, sister, aunt and my late grandad. It was in the later phases of his life that I saw my grandpa more.

Growing up, he lived with my grandma before moving in to live with my family as they grew older. At the age of 15, my grandpa was diagnosed with alzheimers and slowly deteriorated in the following years. Everyday, he would still go to the market with my grandma, have their breakfast at the nearby coffee shop and spend a lot of time watching tv and doing house chores at home. And not to forget mentioning, visiting his best friend at the sofa upholstery shop just round the corner. In 2015, my grandma had a sudden stroke. She passed soon after but this can be for another story. 

Grandmother Pass Away
After the passing of my grandma, my grandpa spent a lot of time in the house. I remember always seeing him sitting on his favourite chair in the living room every morning I came down from my room. With the balcony window wide open and the cool morning breeze blowing into the house, he would spend his morning watching TV. Because most of my day would be spent out of the house I would rarely spend my meals with him or see what he would do during the day, but everytime I came home, he would be in his chair. 

Sofa Reminds Me of Grandpa

His chair was placed actually, in the best spot in the house. Directly, in front of the TV, right next to the outdoor garden and able to see whoever is coming into the house. Thinking about it, no one ever used that chair other than him. It was as if it had his name “Grandpa” written on it, that’s how much he spent on it. After he passed, we took his chair to our neighbourhood upholstery company in Singapore, who also belonged to my grandads best friends family. It was still in good condition in terms of its structure, but what needed to be changed was the cushion and cushion cover. The chair was used in the house for more than 10 years and the cushion had worn overtime. It was like, my grandad’s imprint was moulded into the chair. I am not sure if it is common in Singapore, but sofa upholstery has got to be one of the best ideas. Definitely to save bits of the past and convert the old into the new and modern.