Sharon Au Was Once Homeless & Slept Under A Piano Overnight Until A Friend Offered Her A Place To Stay

They say a friend in need is a friend indeed, and Sharon Au knows firsthand the significance of that.

In the new Mediacorp travel documentary series Those Days, Those Places, the 50-year-old, who has been based in Paris for eight years, met Amilus, her close friend of 20 years.

Talking over a picnic, the two shared updates about their lives while reminiscing about the past, when they first met in their freshman year of university. 

Though Sharon is 10 years older, the two affirmed that there was never a sense of distance between them, and that they both learned different life lessons from each other.

Recalling a moment that left the deepest impression on her, Amilus said: “Everyone in the class remembers it. During a computer exam, you raised your hand and asked the teacher if you could handwrite your answers instead of typing them."

"The teacher was so awkward and said no, because it was a computer class,” she mused.

Sharon, on the other hand, admires Amilus for her free-spirited nature.

At a young age, Amilus went alone to Paris to build her career, which was what gave Sharon the courage to venture overseas, just like her friend did. She also respects Amilus for not caring too much about others’ opinions and for having the courage to say no.

Still, the duo has had their friendship setbacks too. Once, Amilus even lost her temper at Sharon in Japan.

“You’re a people-pleaser. You’re used to saying ‘yes’ to everything and find it very hard to say ‘no’," she said.

Sharon also agreed with Amilus' sentiments, adding that she's often upset with herself for it too. 

But as she came to understand Sharon more deeply, Amilus realised the root of her personality trait.

“You grew up lacking the feeling of being loved,” she said, before going on to recount a heartbreaking episode from Sharon's past.

She shared that Sharon's parents divorced when she was young, which saw her moving to live with different relatives and guardians during her growing years.

However, there came a time when Sharon was in Sec 1, where she had nowhere to go and even slept under a piano overnight.

When a classmate, Melissa, learned that Sharon had no place to live, she brought her home without her parents’ permission and let her live with her family for two years.

That conversation then prompted Amilus to reflect on the stark contrast in their upbringings.

“You’re always afraid that no one will love you. You never received love as something that was a given, you had to constantly fight for it and give in return. The people who should have loved you simply weren’t there," said Amilus. 

"I was well protected and fully loved from a young age. Not because I did anything right, but simply because I was born into the right circumstances," she then added. 

Amilus also took this opportunity to share some comforting words with Sharon. 

“You often blame yourself for not being able to say ‘no’, wondering if others would look down on you or think you’re easy to bully. That’s not it," she assured.

"You were simply not given something that most children are born with. This is not your fault. You’ve already done very well," she added, bringing Sharon to tears.