Written by: Grace Chen (4D 2023)
Right beside my level seven condominium lies the “gem” of the west side of Singapore, the famous Jurong Point Shopping Mall. Hundreds of tourists often come to peek at the beauty of this marvelous building and it is one of the “hot” hang out spots for the locals living nearby. As someone who has grown up with this shopping mall, I have to say that I feel quite a pity the moment I knew the shopping mall was to be renovated last December.
Before the renovation, what lay in the middle of the mall was a small water fountain. It was made up with grayish concrete placed in a shape of circle with a neatly-carved angel statue right on top. In the hands of the angel was a jar that had water flowing out of it consistently, splashing onto the waterproof tiles laid below, creating sounds mimicking the gentle drizzle of rain. At times, my favourite thing to do in the mall was to just sit beside the water fountain and listen to the music created by the flow of water. Whenever I do that, I felt as if an oasis of serenity amidst in me. The sound of the waterfountain was docile, yet powerful enough to engulf my entire existence, transporting me to my fantasy world, away from all my frustrations.
When I first knew that this fountain was going to be demolished, my heart shattered. I was deeply emotionally attached to this fountain because it had featured consistently throughout my whole sixteen years of life. It had watched me grow from a small baby learning my first few steps in life, to me enjoying my childhood and to entering my teenage years. I remembered the times that my parents took photographs of me in front of the fountain when I was young. At that point of time, I was not even tall enough to climb onto the wooden seats in front of the fountain, that my father had to help me up. I could clearly recall the cooling sensation of water droplets splashing onto my back with my parents’ warm smiles as I posed for the picture. After I entered my teenage years, the pressure of growing up started to weigh on my shoulders and I simply miss how carefree my life was back then as a child. Before the fountain was demolished I could still sit there once in a while, reminisce about my childhood and allow the nostalgic feeling to swallow me up. However, since the fountain is no longer around, I am not able to go there anymore and it feels like a part of my memory has been erased and I am very unsatisfied with that.
Another change in the shopping mall is the closure of my favourite cafe — Rainbow Cafe. With the creative designs and Instagram-worthy backgrounds, it had attracted many adolescents to drop by. My favourite spot of the cafe was the window seat near the counter. It has the softest cushion I had ever sat on, easing the pain of my back after an exhausting school day or from long hours of tuitions. The cafe had a refreshing, uplifting smell that calmed me down and gave me a sense of security. There was always a tantalising aroma of food rafting through the air in the cafe, making my mouth water the minute I step into the cafe. Soft lofi music also emanated from the speakers of the cafe, adding on to the utopian atmosphere in the cafe.
Learning of the closure of the cafe shocked me because I knew the seats in the cafe were always filled during peak hours and the orders of food came non-stop. Despite that, I cannot help but feel a sense of sadness washing over me knowing the place that I have been going to for the past three years will no longer be around. It was the place that I had fun as often my friends and I would rush over to have a quick lunch after school. We would laugh at the silly little events that happened in school and discuss the latest examinations. The joy that my friends brought to me at Rainbow Cafe was unparalleled to anything in the world. Perhaps the cafe will be replaced by other better facilities, but I will definitely not welcome the change.
I understand sometimes in life we need to let go of things inevitably as we grow up. Yet the precious memories that I had in Jurong Point Shopping Mall will forever be kept and treasured in my heart.
MJR World of Words 