SINGAPORE - The mother of two young sons started a job in March as a cashier at a supermarket near her Sengkang home as she wanted to help lighten her husband's load.
On Friday (Nov 17), Ms Huang Luyang, 38, was on her way to U-Stars Supermarket at Block 330, Anchorvale Street, to start her 3pm shift when she was hit by an SBS Transit bus. Ms Huang, who was crossing the road at the junction of Anchorvale Road and Sengkang East Way, died at about 3.40am on Saturday in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
At her wake on Monday, her husband, Mr Ronald Low, 47, told The Straits Times that he is worried about their two boys, aged one and four.
"I am not sure how I will be able to raise them without a mother, and how to love them well. (Her death) was too sudden... A complete family, with everything planned ahead of us, is now suddenly shattered," said Mr Low, who manages projects at an air-conditioning company.
Mr Low said he thought long and hard before deciding to have children as he married late. The couple, who met through friends, have been married for about 10 years.
While he was initially against the idea of his wife going back to work, he agreed after seeing how keen she was to contribute to the family financially, he said.
"We decided that she would work nearby, so that she could still walk home to have dinner with us in the evenings," he said. "But her kind intentions have now done her in."
Mr Low said that he regrets not waking his wife up before leaving home with their two sons that fateful morning.
She had appeared tired from working till 11pm the night before and he wanted her to get more rest. He last spoke to her on Thursday night.
Choking back on his tears, he recalled how on Sunday, his older son had told him that he wanted to draw something for his mother.
"I asked him why, and he replied: Because mummy loves me'," he said in Mandarin.
On top of the emotional struggle ahead for the family, there will also be a strain on their finances, he said.
"How do I be both a father and mother, and also work to support the family?"
On Sunday, close to 100 people turned up at the wake to pay their last respects, including neighbours, co-workers and several regular customers of the supermarket.
A 58-year-old colleague, who wanted to be known only as Madam Goh, described Ms Huang as a friendly person, who "never had a temper".
"She was always punctual for work and would greet all of us. That day, we were waiting for her and thought it was unusual that she was late. It was then that we realised something serious must have happened," she added.
"We may not have known each other for long, but I feel very sad. My heart goes out to her two young children."
On Monday, SBS Transit senior vice-president of corporate communications Tammy Tan said the bus driver has been suspended. The transport operator is helping the police in their investigations.
