Long-lasting friendships are hard to come by, as the hectic pace of life often causes them to fizzle out easily over time.
However, for these two women, their inspiring friendship lasted over 60 years.
Source: Facebook
The grandmothers reportedly managed to remain the best of friends for most of their lives, spanning a grand total of 60 years.
It is difficult to find that one platonic soulmate who’s always there for you, come hell or high water. These women managed it, however, and through their friendship, even imparted life lessons to their grandchildren.
The heartwarming story of their friendship that transcends time was posted to Subtle Asian Traits on Facebook by Ms Heerea Rikhraj.
She stated that her grandmother Madam Bibi Mendro, who is of Indian descent, met Madam Oh Swee Kim at an English school in Singapore.
They were both teenagers at the time and formed a fast friendship. The two girls did everything together, failing classes and conspiring in writing love letters.
Both weren’t the best students either, so when they did pass their school exams, Madam Oh’s father bought her a car, which she used to pick Madam Mendro up in.
They would then drive around the kampung together, having a jolly good time. However, Ms Rikhraj said that as both girls were not doing well at school, they would park a distance from school to avoid judgment from other students.
During Madam Oh’s wedding, Madam Mendro was her bridesmaid, although being a bridesmaid was not a tradition in the former’s family. But Madam Oh went ahead with it as she wanted to make an exception for her friend.
The two women eventually lost contact after starting their own families. Ms Rikhraj stated that her grandmother went on to become one of Singapore’s first female Indian entrepreneurs, working with charities to help the needy.
In a touching twist of fate, both women also had their children at about the same time. Their daughters were classmates but had no inkling of their mothers’ history together.
Both women finally managed to reconnect with each other after Madam Oh’s husband passed on 15 years ago.
Source: Facebook
According to Ms Rikhraj, Madam Oh went in search of Madam Mendro, who was still living in the same neighbourhood the pair grew up in.
After finally tracking down her address, Madam Oh was informed by her helper that Madam Mendro was in Canada visiting her grandchildren.
“When my grandma headed back to Singapore, they reconnected and have been joined at the hip ever since,” Ms Rikhraj fondly recalled.
The duo called each other every morning, with Madam Oh picking her friend up for food just like she had in their youth. They also tracked down the rest of their high school friends and would take trips to Malaysia for foot massages and cheap food, even trying unsuccessfully to gamble at a casino once.
Source: Facebook
Ms Rikhraj and her fellow siblings also met up with the women, spending the day with them by eating, laughing, and buying fruit together.
Through these meetings, the two grandmothers taught Ms Rikhraj and her siblings much about life in general. She reflected that,
Hanging with the elderly really teaches you the value of life, and we learnt all about their crazy adventures when they were younger.
Unfortunately, the pandemic disrupted the women’s routine. Madam Mendro confided in her granddaughter that although they were supposed to stay at home, they would sneak out to have a meal together.
The women had a deep and abiding love for each other, expressed through their mutual support and respect. Ms Rikhraj fondly recalled,
One of the best parts of my life was watching their friendship as I grew, and I was always so happy and grateful to spend time with them.
Comparing the pair to “an old married couple that bickered over the tiniest things”, Ms Rikhraj also acknowledged the significance of her grandmother’s friendship.
It was so nice to see a positive representation of inter-racial friendship growing up.
Unfortunately, Madam Mendro passed away in Nov 2021 at the age of 88, leaving her best friend alone. Watching Madam Oh, now 84 years old, deal with the loss of her best friend was difficult for Ms Rikhraj.
Still, the two women had an inspiring friendship that stood the test of time. In her post, Ms Rikhraj hoped for them to reconnect in some “shape or form” in the future.
Acquaintances are a dime a dozen, but not real friends who can weather thick and thin together. It is also rare that we can reconnect with a friend with whom we have lost contact.
Our condolences to Ms Rikhraj on the loss of her grandmother. Kudos to her for sharing such a heartwarming story.
Perhaps these women, who have set an example for us all, will be able to reconnect once again in the future.
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Featured image adapted from Heerea Rikhraj on Facebook.
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