'Their eyes crinkled with joy as we approached': Woman urges support for elderly hawker couple selling soya bean drinks till 2am

Seeing the elderly working at an age where they should be retired can tug at one's heartstrings. 

That's what Marilyn Tan felt when she chanced upon two elderly folk at Dunman Food Centre. 

In a "heartfelt plea for public attention and support", she shared in a Facebook post on Sunday (Feb 4) that she had visited the hawker centre around dinnertime when she spotted an elderly couple at their stall, Tekong Soya Bean Drinks & Curd. 

"The auntie sat at a corner looked listless, while the uncle patiently awaited customers," Marilyn recounted. 

 

Marilyn also shared that the couple's mood visibly changed when she approached them to order a drink. 

"Their eyes crinkled with joy as we approached and the auntie even inquired if we were visiting their stall. We reassured her, expressing our intention to savour some soya milk." 

As the elderly woman invited Marilyn to take a seat after placing her order, Marilyn noted that there was a walking aid parked near their stall. 

She also found out that the couple, whose drinks are homemade, operated the stall till the wee hours of the morning. 

"Honestly, if I were their age, I would have chosen to rest at home instead of managing a stall for long hours from 11.00am to 2.00am daily," Marilyn pointed out. 

"Hence, kindly extend your assistance to this humble elderly couple if you are in the vicinity." 

AsiaOne has reached out to Marilyn for more details. 

Marilyn's post seems to have garnered a fairly strong response.

In the comments, several users have said they have plans to go down and support the elderly hawkers. 

Some shared that they have already been patronising the stall for some time already, adding that their soya bean drinks and desserts are "great".

One commenter also pointed out that the couple were working really long hours for their age. 

Marilyn agreed, adding that she was puzzled by how the elderly hawkers have managed to do so. 

ALSO READ: 90-year-old hawker continues running Ang Mo Kio tofu stall after half a century

melissateo@asiaone.com