CHapter 11 The Final Choice

Having been left in a lurch in anxious agony Alex thus began his final search for a life partner.A life partner who could share his life,his success,his adversities,some one he could trust and confide in.Some one whose shoulder he could leaned on to rest his weary head.

Having gone through his long list of girl friends finally he made up his mind.Of course all the beautiful ladies he knew were charming and eligible.It definitely was a tough decision to make,no matter what the ultimate decision he made, will ultimately hurt someone that is for sure because many of them loved him.Of course he would like to marry most of them if possible but which of the ladies can permit that to happened? None,of course.

With his selection he hope this will do him justice by inducing him to forget his past and most of all, his first love.His final choice was Queenie,the girl from Bentong,the one he hurt the most.So badly hurt was she that she left town to stay away from town which fill of bad memories.But he knew for sure she still loved him very much the staying away was so glaring a fact that cannot be denied.

Having achieved the final choice he had to locate her and find her fast before she falls into some others arms.That of course would be disastrous for poor Alex.He needed somebody to confide in and to guide him back to support him as he try to fight back his plunging career.There was no secret that a man requires the utmost support of a woman of his life to be a success.Therefore he was determined to find her at all cost.

In haste he made a trip to Bentong,he could not face her parents to secure her forwarding address,neither will her friends divulged any useful imformations regarding her to him,for fear he might hurt her more.What a ridiculous assumption?.But who can blamed them for behaving such?.As he had already made his selection he thus did not visit Carol on this trip.

Trapped in a miserable situation he suddenly though of a friend who might be able to help.Yes,his former Manager's girl friend so he called her and expounded his predicaments to her.She responded positively and true enough it was her who secured Queenie's address from her closed friends.

They diverted to her of Queenie's whereabout.It was in Yong Peng,a cowboy town in Johore.Armed with that address he set out immediately for Yong Peng.He arrived at Yong Peng in the afternoon by taxi.True enough that was a cowboy town with a main road.shop houses along the main roads were most low wooden structures with either zinc or attap roofings.Only few were double stories.

He advised the taxi driver to take him straight to a hotel,apparently the only one in town on the second floor of a shop lot.Only this shop lot and two other shops were built with bricks and concrete.Hotel rental was cheap and he prepared to lodge there for at least a night.Having settled that he immediately rushed out to find his beloved Queenie.

At the back of the main road appeared to be a village.After some inquiries with the locals he was directed to a road next to the main road and straight to the hair dressing saloon where she worked/.The saloon caters for females only.He approached it with enthusiatic mind,very anxious to meet her.Apparently there was no customer at the moment so as he walked into that saloon - it caught her by surprised.

She was actually playing with some small girls when he walked into that shop.She appeared thrilled and amazed at his present in that place.On seeing him she came out to to greet him smiling gracefully inquiring as to why he was there.He flatly told her that he came to see her.Seeing the situation auger well for him to express himself freely ,he drove straight to the point.Yes,he expressed his undying love for her and wanted to marry her plus begging her to forgive him for his drastic mistakes in hurting her.He could have knelt down had it not been for those young girls present.

Actually she was now very much prettier more adorable than before,though slightly slimmer she wore an attractive smile.Very charming indeed that stop the heart of Alex.Alex sudden appearance really shocked her.Surprised and profoundly happy with the sight of Alex.There was no doubt she still loved Alex very much.Alex felt a silent sense of relief.

She followed Alex back to the hotel where Alex took a bath first before going out for dinner.This very small town was really a cowboy town because with them in the room the hotel keeper's stupid son started climbing the other room's partition wall intending to peep at Alex and Queenie .Well,he was disappointed in seeing them sitting and talking and they looked at him in amazement for invading their privacy.What a shameful act?.When they finally walked out the peeping tom dared not even looked at them.

Little wonder since so many years of my visit , the MCA Chua Soi Lek was caught on video by those culprits.Hotel may be newer but the altitude of people within remained the same and so uncultured.

On the way she kept questioning all along why he had come back to her after so long and Alex told her the whole truth and what had transpired.He compared himself to a lost lamb looking for its mother.Yes,he has lost his sense of direction so needed a love one,one he could confide and trust in, to support and guide him back,right back on track to a better future.

She trusted and accepted his sincere explanations,she forgave him and so they made up.Apparently he came in an appropriate moment as there were many young admirers there going after her.She admitted that she was about to make an important decision when he suddenly propped up to dash away those plans.Yes,it was God 's will that they meet again and never to part.

Actually it never was plain sailing although as one of her admirers was very mad at Alex present had wanted to stop him,but the proprietor of the saloon warned him against it because he explained that Alex and Queenie were lovers,only to be separated after a tiff. He never came in abruptly to steal her away,so they relented and let them be.

Next morning they had breakfast together, he departed for home and she on the other hand returned to the shop to serve a month's notice on her employer for termination of service.By so doing the employer will have sufficient time to recruit another hair dresser as her replacement.He had promised to pick her up after that.

Very soon that month came to pass,Alex wasted no time to take her home. They registered their marriage at the Registry of Marriage.Teluk Anson.They were actually extremely young as he was only twenty-five and she twenty-three.Well.after registration his luck appeared to change for within that time he secured a position as Manager of a rubber plantation namely Ulu Selangor Estate,Kula Kubu Bahru,Selangor.

Thus in 1968 he joined that plantation but what a plantation without any residence for the Manager.His predecessor was occupying a room on a second floor of an old shop house.The office was also on the similar floor,so was the conductor who was his son.What an arrangement?With his coming in to replace him the old man after left handling over the keys of a car,a Volkswagon.

The Conductor took the liberty to show him round the plantation and what a pleasant surprise as he soon discovered that the whole plantation over 1300n acres was actually occupying part of a huge hill.Imagine 1300 acres of sloppy land,fully established with mature rubber with many areas due for replanting.

Not long ago the tappers of this plantation,all of whom were from Rasa town met with a tragic accident .The plantation's lorry transporting the tappers overturned and several of its tappers were killed and many others injured.It definitely was a terrible accident.

When Alex arrived to begin work there,many of them workers had recovered from that tragedy.All the existing tappers were Chinese with most of them women folks.The "kapala" was also from Rasa.Rasa was also famous for its haunted house which was a short distance from the main trunk road.

Alex remembered the town very well also because on of its coffee shop had singing wild mypai .She was trained to whistle tunes like "Bridge of the River Kwai".Very intelligent bird indeed.

Having been settled down Alex seek the Boss permision to change the venue of the office which was immediately approved.He secured a new shop lot's ground floor and rental was very cheap.Just next to the small theatre.The front was turned into his office and made a partition for a room for the conductor.The back room he occupied.

With that arrangement he got his wife to stay with him.Without doubt they had a next time together.Everything went on very smooth and they also made many new friends.Initially everything were very pleasant.During that time he had a planting adviser coming in to inspect the plantation.

To his horror this European planting adviser came into this plantation well prepared for a marathon walking race.He walked aggressively as though he was on competition setting an enormous fast space which Alex could hardly catch up.Half way through Alex had more than enough and gave up the steeple chased.In any case he continued till he had sufficient as Alex waited for him at a chosen spot.

They were back at the office and there Alex supplied him all other information.Everything were over within half an hour and he left advising Alex to train up for his next appointment.He was then quite a well known planter - Mr.Davidson anyone know this guy?

Alex had a tough time dealing with the Contractor who was doing every thing to his own likings ignoring Alex good intentions.Like payments to his tappers,very often extremely late so much so the tappers made many complaints to Alex.When Alex tried to correct him he ignored him and even went direct to the Boss to cry out his complains.Others like tapping standards and collection of all tree laces etc which the Contractor took them real hard.

He also complained to the Boss regarding his gambling habits.Alex explained to the Boss those were diplomatic poker nothing more beside he had limited cash to gamble.Kuala Kubu was a tiny town where everyone knew alomst evreyone.The poker sessions were among friends in high poistion in Government services.No big stakes were involved just a thing for past time.No big deal.

Therefore, their time on that plantation was also short lived as he was forced to resign due to differences with the Contractor.In fact it was him who called the shot to the Boss either retain him or the Contractor.The Boss chose the Contractor.The Boss was no other than the late Gan Lay Tiek.Rubber Research people should remember this dude as he once wrote a thesis on how to extract oil from rubber seeds.

Thus ended his days with that rubber plantation.Once again he was stranded without a job but he had Queenie to accompany him and that made a world of difference.He was jobless for a few months before he left to join K.C.Cheah Sawmill.in Karak.Pahang.

Those days in Kuala Kubu Bahru,he passed his days with his lovely wife living happily together but did he forget that first girl he once loved very much? No,never,that name still crept around on his mind ,although he tried his best to rid but it still lingers on.So his best was insufficient,what ever it was he will never hurt Queenie ever again by exposing her name.He tried not to betray her trust in him.