SHE cannot get away from her mother's checkered past, but Madam Lena's eldest daughter has found a way to let off stress and strain.

Crystal (not her real name), 17, has a blog where she writes about her mum's physical and mental torture, and sacrifices.

In one posting, she wrote: 'Every day is a constant torture to my family. The knowledge of this is too much to bear.

'She always tries to put our minds at ease by hiding beneath that cool semblance. Perhaps she has fooled many but not me. The bond we share is incomprehensible.'

The polytechnic student, who works as a part-time salesgirl, told The New Paper on Sunday: 'I've witnessed how my mum struggled to keep our family together even though the odds are stacked against her.

'My mother has lived with enough humiliation but she's still a survivor. And I want all those who are casting dirty looks at my family to know that we will press on.'

School has not always been easy for the girl.

Crystal said she has to live with classmates who taunt her because she is from a single-parent family.

She used to return home from school, crying her heart out because of the teasing and prejudice. She said: 'I've realised how cruel life can be, so I must work hard. Only when I'm successful will I be able to take care of my mum completely.'

Crystal's 15-year-old brother, Gerald, lives with his maternal grandparents.

Madam Lena said: 'He's a good son. But his teachers have always told me that Gerald can do much better in school if he wanted to. He's rebellious.'

Although he seems nonchalant towards his mother, Madam Lena knows her son loves her.

'When he knows I'm not feeling well, he'll come home and prepare meals for me,' she added.

DEPRIVED

Youngest son Tim, who will be in Kindegarten 2 next year, is like any other 5-year-old. But he craves attention from those around him.

Madam Lena said: 'I think it's largely because he misses having a father around. That's why I try to double up as a father figure. I don't want him to grow up feeling so deprived.'

Counsellor Roger Ong from the Family Service Centre noted that despite her ordeal, Madam Lena has not given up on herself and her children. He said: 'She sees to it that her children are given the proper guidance and that they are taught the right values.'