The Five-Cent Dream
Grandpa's kindness filled our little zoo,
With dogs and cats and tortoises too.
A mermaid appeared, five cents was the fee,
Till Grandma cried, “CLOSE SHOP!” — no more CEO!
Grandpa's Heart of Gold ❤️
My grandpa had a soft spot for stray animals.
Whenever he came across an injured dog, a sick kitten or an unwanted animal, he would bring it home. He would bathe them, feed them and tend to their wounds, all at his own expense.
Once they recovered, he would go around asking neighbours if anyone wanted to adopt them.
Grandma, however, was not so easily impressed.
“If you want to look after them, find your own ways!”
But Grandma was all bark and no bite.
Behind Grandpa's back, she would visit the neighbouring Teochew porridge shop and ask for leftover food that would otherwise be thrown away.
For whom?
GRANDPA'S FOUR-LEGGED GUESTS, OF COURSE!
Mama's Laundry Corner — A Bucket and Two Tortoises 🐢
Mama did her laundry by hand, using Labour soap, a washboard and a large metal bucket. That same bucket doubled as Little Aunty's bathtub, complete with a rubber duck!
Mama also kept two tortoises in our courtyard. They loved sunbathing near her while she worked, but had a peculiar habit of disappearing. Once, they vanished for months before mysteriously returning!
Little did they know that they would one day become the star magicians in Little Aunty's imaginary five-cent business empire!
With Grandpa rescuing animals, Grandma secretly feeding them, and Mama's two wandering tortoises adding to the excitement, our little courtyard had become quite a mini zoo!
Neither Grandpa nor Grandma ever thought of making money from their kindness.
Little Aunty's Brilliant Business Idea 💰
But imagine if Little Aunty had inherited Ah Girl's (my daughter) business brains…
AHEM!
GRANDPA'S MINI ZOO — GRAND OPENING!
Admission: 5 cents.
Star attraction: A LIVE MERMAID! 🧜♀️
Bonus: Magical disappearing tortoises! 🐢🐢
Customer service: Two doggies! 🐕🐕
The Mermaid Without a Tail 🧜♀️
Now, imagine Little Aunty's five-cent business actually taking off…
In my imagination, a curious classmate arrives at the entrance of Grandpa's Mini Zoo.
“Eh, what can I see inside?”
“Got mermaid!”
“REALLY AH? WHERE?”
“My house lah! Five cents admission.”
And just like that, my imaginary first customer hands over five cents.
Little Aunty proudly escorts her to Mama's laundry corner, climbs into her familiar metal bucket and sits down beside her rubber duck.
“NAH! MERMAID!”
“CHEY! WHERE GOT MERMAID? YOU GOT NO TAIL!”
“Five cents only! You expect imported mermaid from overseas meh?”
“SCAMMER! I WANT REFUND!”
“WAIT! WAIT! Got bonus magic show!”
The World's Slowest Magic Show 🐢🐢
“MAGIC SHOW? WHAT MAGIC SHOW?”
“Come! Come! I show you!”
Little Aunty proudly points towards Mama's two tortoises.
“BEHOLD! TWO MAGICAL TORTOISES!”
“Chey! They look like ordinary tortoises!”
“Ordinary? You haven't seen their special powers!”
Little Aunty waves her hands dramatically.
“ABRACADABRA! NOW YOU SEE THEM…”
She turns towards the courtyard.
“NOW YOU DON'T!”
“EH?! WHERE ARE THEY?”
“Donno leh. Disappeared already!”
“THAT'S NOT MAGIC! WHERE DID THEY GO?”
“Even the magician doesn't know! Very powerful, right?”
“WHEN ARE THEY COMING BACK?”
“Sometimes a few months later lor!”
“FEW MONTHS?! YOU EXPECT ME TO WAIT HERE AH?”
“Good magic takes time mah!”
“I WANT MY FIVE CENTS BACK!”
“ALAMAK! AGAIN?!”
Little Aunty sighs.
“Okay, okay! I direct you to our Customer Service Department!”
The Customer Service Department 🐕🐕
“WHERE DO I GET MY REFUND?!”
“Please proceed to our Customer Service Counter.”
“WHERE?”
“There lor! Two officers waiting for you!”
The classmate looks around.
“WHERE GOT OFFICERS?”
“THE TWO DOGGIES LOH!”
“WOOF! WOOF! GRRRRR!”
“WHAT?! YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICERS ARE DOGS?!”
“Of course! Very loyal staff. Never take MC, never ask for salary. Only accept food!”
“I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER!”
“Can! Can! Our CEO is coming back!”
Just then, Little Aunty spots Grandpa walking towards the house.
“LOOK! THE CEO IS BACK!”
The classmate turns around.
“GOOD! I'M GOING TO COMPLAIN!”
“Eh, wait! CEO bringing TWO NEW SECURITY GUARDS!”
Two more doggies follow Grandpa through the entrance.
“WOOF! WOOF!”
The classmate takes one look at the expanding security department.
“NEVER MIND! KEEP MY FIVE CENTS!”
And off she runs!
Little Aunty waves cheerfully.
“THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! PLEASE COME AGAIN!”
Grandma Discovers the Black Shop! 👵
Just as Little Aunty is celebrating her first five-cent profit…
“WHAT'S ALL THIS NOISE?!”
OH OH! GRANDMA!
“WHY SO MANY DOGS? AND WHO'S BEEN SITTING IN MAMA'S LAUNDRY BUCKET?!”
Little Aunty smiles innocently.
“Popo, I opened a business!”
“WHAT BUSINESS?!”
“Grandpa's Mini Zoo! Got mermaid, magic show and customer service!”
“MERMAID?! MAGIC SHOW?!”
“Business very good leh! Already earned five cents!”
Grandma reaches for her broom.
“YOU TURNED MY HOUSE INTO A BLACK SHOP?!”
“Popo! Wait! I'm the boss!”
“BOSS YOUR HEAD! CLOSE SHOP!”
And just like that, Little Aunty's business empire comes crashing down.
GRAND OPENING AND GRAND CLOSING — SAME DAY!
Five cents admission. No refunds.
Mermaid not guaranteed.
Tortoises subject to availability.
Customer Service may bite.
THE END.
DISCLAIMER
This story is a work of imagination inspired by real childhood memories.
No animals were used, trained or harmed for entertainment. The mermaid never existed, the tortoises never performed magic, and the doggies never worked in Customer Service.
Grandpa and Grandma's kindness, however, was absolutely real.
And no classmates were cheated of their five cents! 🤣
