1. Chinniah Manohara (Mdm Chinniah Ratnam Son)
Ammah’s memories still live on vividly. Though small in size she was a strong and witty person and her range of idioms and one liner responses in Tamil were spot on and appropriate to the occasion, which most of us recall and use sometimes when the opportunity arises.
Though she got married early at 15, she brought up 11 Children 3 of whom were born after World War II but we never felt we lacked anything growing up. My father, K Chinniah was busy working in the railways and it was largely my mother who brought us up.
She loved to go out and would regularly go shopping with a few children in tow. She also had an adventurous spirit and made many overseas trips to Australia, India, Ceylon, USA, and SEA countries. Whenever I got ready to go out she would ask where I was going and state that she wanted to go along and promptly sit in the front seat of the car.
Even until her passing about 10 years ago, she would go out shopping at the supermarket pushing the trolley cart or to the beach to enjoy the fresh breeze and sunset.
We, including the grandchildren and great grandchildren still remember and talk about her today.