Chapter 10 Funeral Banner Carriers

The business of their father was not doing so well,food was difficult to come by.Their mother had to work as a rubber tapper to put food on the table.Many a time they got to starve and wait for their mother to return from work with food.

Those were days but they still continued schooling.Those also were the days when their Auntie dished out out help them by supply some food to the family.Normally they will dropped by their Auntie's house on their way home from school for food.

Come school holidays they will stay at home or played around the river side.Those days as young boys their dressings were just as Lat's cartoons.Big baggy shorts at least Lat's pants were of equal in length,but Fabian and Francis their pants could some time be of different length.Their mother was not a trained tailor so that was why?

With no money they were all the time worried.One morning Ah Pie their friend suggested they earned some money the easy way,just to carry banners at the funeral of a rich man's wife.Ah Pie apparently had done it a couple of times.

After pondering over it Fabian agreed to follow him.However,Francis also wanted to come and joined them.Fabian thought not because he was so young then,but he insisted.After some persuasion Fabian relented and allowed him to follow them.

When they arrived at the funeral many people were already there and have taken their positions for the banners carrying.Ah Pie being an experience carrier immediately selected his banner and rushed out another two for both brothers.

When all the banners were taken up,the man in charged came arranged the lining of the procession.At the fore front were the drummers,followed by the host of musicians playing solemn music.Banners bearers were next in line.There were many banners.

When all were properly line up,a sudden gust of strong wind was blowing,with it all the banners were flattering to the strength of the wind.As the banners swerved in the wind the myriad of various colors of the banners were waving beautifully in the air.

The wind blowing strongly can get bad,and Francis almost fell down because of that.
The strong arms of those around was there to help and everything went smoothly to schedule.

Soon the time the procession to begin came and the journey began.It was not a long route to take only once along the main road.That was enough to caused a small hitch of embarrassment for Fabian.Many friends of their parents saw both boys carrying the banners.They wee pointing their fingers.

However Fabian braved that with a bold front.Thinking they were earning honest money they were not stealing,cheating or committing a heinous crime,so why the hell be afraid of others seeing them or be ashamed of this.

Very soon the procession was over.The man in charged gave out red packets to all rendering services for the procession.Fabian and Francis recieved their,but when Francis opened his red packet he was shocked to see only one dollar instead of normal two.

Angrily they approached the man in charged he was given a smaller packet because he was carrying a small banner,that was why only one dollar.Fabian pacified his brother by agreeing to give him a treat afterward.

Feeling hungry and thirsty both brothers went immediately to a noodle stall."Give us two bowls of curry mee,top it up with plenty of vegetables and extra roasted pork".
"please make them more spices",thus ordered Fabian
"What?at 30 cents a bowl you wanted so many extras?No way you add another twenty cents,maybe".
"No,no,in that case just give us 30 cents worth of it",said Fabian.Francis smiled,"Wah,your thirty cents very big,ah?".Then they both laughed.

The curry mee tasted real hot and so they ordered another two glasses of cold bean curd water.

As agreed Fabian paid for the meal,at 30cents a bowl and 10 cents for each glass of bean curd.Those days that was the price.

Well,at least they had a nice lunch,leaving the balance of money for schooling days.
Whatever it was both of them never tried that carrying Banners again.It was a good experience.