Jared slouched, eyes glazed over, fanning himself with a napkin. The hawker centre was

noisy and the long queue in front of his grandfather's noodle stall did not help. Jared sighed.

His idea of a perfect school holiday involved gaming, not sitting in a humid hawker centre at

nine o'clock in the morning watching old men cook. He glanced at his phone. 'No signal.

5Great,' he thought.

"Ugh, why are you still working at your age? You're seventy-two!" Jared

grumbled, rolling his eyes. Grandpa stirred the broth steadily, steam rising around him like a

warm mist. His hands moved quickly — pouring soup, adding toppings, passing bowls to

customers with a nod. Nothing brought him more fulfilment than serving the regulars who had

10eaten at his stall for years. Some customers even called him 'Ah Gong'* with affection.

"Sit there and observe, boy," Grandpa had said when Jared arrived that morning.

"There are things books do not teach." Puzzled, Jared furrowed his eyebrows. He watched

as Grandpa moved with a quiet purpose, wondering what exactly he was supposed to be

learning. To him, it just looked like hard, sweaty work. As the morning wore on, Jared began

15to notice small things. Grandpa knew every customer's name. He would call out 'Good

morning, Uncle Chen' or 'Hello Sarah from 4B', remembering not just their names but also

little details about who they were. It soon became apparent to Jared that only by spending

time at the stall could one understand what it truly meant to serve others.

What impressed Jared even more was Grandpa's memory at seventy-two. Before

20customers could even order, he was already preparing their bowls — extra fishcakes for one,

no spring onions for another, less salt for the third. His kindness showed in other ways too.

When a child dropped his spoon, Grandpa quietly handed him a new one without being asked.

When an old lady struggled with her tray, he came around and helped her carry it to her table.

Jared also noticed how Grandpa never rushed. Even with the long queue, he smiled at

25each customer and even stopped to ask about their families and share stories from the old

days. "Does all this chatting with customers not make you tired?" Jared finally asked during

a short break, wiping sweat from his brow. Grandpa chuckled. "Of course I am tired. This stall

has been here for thirty years now. Without it, I could never have paid for your father's

education. The stall helped me put him through school." He paused to serve another bowl of

30noodles before continuing, "When I see elderly folks who might not get a proper meal for the

day, I know why I must continue. I sell my food at a cheaper rate so they can afford to eat

here. Tiredness goes away. But the will to keep going, bowl after bowl, stays."

Jared was quiet. He had regarded his grandfather's job as mundane noodle-making.

But watching him today, Jared saw how Grandpa served each bowl with care. What he had

35thought was just cooking turned out to be remarkable work.

"Why do you do all this, Grandpa? You should enjoy life in your old age!" Jared asked

as they cleaned up. Grandpa wiped his hands and looked at him. "People remember how you

make them feel, not how well you play your mobile game. In fact, I enjoy spending my time

this way." Jared gave a small laugh. Between staring at screens and making someone smile,

40he now knew which one counted more.

Catholic High 2025 P6 English Prelim — Practice