Chapter 1 Life in the Rubber Plantation

The Yap brothers were a big family,both parents plus seven siblings (three boys and four girls).Yap senior was an estate Contractor.Apparently was offered a piece of land to built a bungalow of his own there.The remaining land were fully planted up with green oranges and other orchards.

Fabian and Francis immediately became very chummy with them,especially the two younger brothers who were similar in ages.Together they made a great team and the whole plantation became their paradise.

They not only built bunds to block up irrigation drains catching the fishes therein,they went about slashing"haruan" (snake head)with a parang.Those shallow water of the drains had many big fish,and the fish hid among the grasses in the water.The clear water gave them away easily but slashing them was never easy as it seem to be.

What seem to be a direct hit could end up missing the fish by inches.Why?Fabian and the Yap brothers were aware of it.When cutting straight into the water the blade can be deflected thus missing the fish.

The other friends they had were the sons of Indian rubber tappers.Fabian being out going had many Indian friends.The population of Chinese tappers were about thirty per cent.So Fabian and the Yap brothers had a good time going through the linesite in the evening.

Initially the plantation was managed by a European Manager,later it was over by the Chinese.Thereafter the plantation was managed by a Chinese "Kapala" or head man.The plantation was fully planted with rubber and absolutely flat.Thus was the environment of that plantation.