Chapter 12 A Customary Traditional Chinese Wedding

In early 1969 Alex joined K.C.Cheah Sawmill(Phg),Karak,Pahang as a trainee.
It was the beginning of a new career in saw milling.Prospect was seemingly very promising at the very start with the uncle promising the heaven.Whatever there was installed he decided to give it a trail.

Initially he resided with the Mill quarters with few the staffs sharing rooms.His girl friend Queenie returned to be with the mother in Bentong.Alex went back to Bentong every week ends.Those were the days of tragedies as there was a racial riot within the city of Kuala Lumpur.

When all were quiet down Queenie 's parents insisted that they go through a traditional Chinese marriage in accordance to Chinese rites.They wanted her to be married out from her parents' home,so the registered marriage although legal was not good enough.So the rightful way will be to marry her from her house-she must be invited traditionally out of her house to join him.

Poor Alex had no savings in hand so what to do?As it was after the 13th of May.Queenie suggested a very simple wedding.A bridal suite was simply prepared in a house in Section 10,Petaling Jaya. When that faithful day came the bride's family planned quite a huge dinner party at a local restaurant.Alex arranged two tables for his friends and colleges from the Mill at the same venue.

That night Alex and friends returned to their lodgings at the rest house,all drunk.Yes they overslept and was thus late to receive the bride.Better late than never,he had only one car for his entourage. A brand new car an Opel Kadet,owned by the Mill Manager,who was kind enough even to be the driver also,what lovely kid soul that Mr.Lam Sai Choy.

There was a big crowd at her house when they arrived to received the bride and were made to wait for the correct time to go into that house.Alex sat in the car and when tired got out for a breath of fresh air.At one incidence he looked at the distance small crowd watching from some distance away of the wedding he found an familiar face among them.

What a coincidence? Was it so? Never,from a far the one watching among the small crowd was Carol,one of those girls he dropped in his final list.In astonishment he saw a very sad face and sheepishly looked away and squeezed cowardly into the car until called to go into the house.Very soon they beckon him to go into the house.What a relief for poor Alex?.A sad sight he never wished to recall.

In the house was a crowd of her relatives siting all around,talking loudly and laughing just like a market.The hall was smoky due to burning of incenses and joss sticks.Alex had to endure all this while waiting for the bride to come down and within twenty minutes or so she finally appeared radiantly dressed in her bridal grown.

Prayers with Ancestors worshiping were offered as per Chinese tradition at her house followed with tea ceremony and it very soon it was over.On receiving the bride they traveled straight towards Petaling Jaya..

Arriving at Petaling Jaya at slightly later than planned.Alex's family had waited anxiously for their arrival. With that they hastily organized a simple tea ceremony before adjourning to a restaurant for a simple lunch.Poor bride did have ample time to even changed from her bridal gown,as all present were very hungry and they did not want to disappoint them.

They had arranged for only two tables and lunch was served almost immediately.The two tables were just nice with the Auntie and another uncle
present.It was indeed a simple lunch but everyone apparently enjoyed it as all were already very hungry.It was soon over within one and a half hour or so.

Alex and Queenie were married once again the traditional Chinese way.Alex took off only for three days leave and had to report back at the Mill immediately as soon as it was over.In Karak he arranged to rent a house for his bride.

A friend was kind enough to rent out his newly acquired low cost house to him and rental was cheap.It was a nice house with only two rooms just sufficient for the newly wedded couple.With that ready his wife shifted to that house.With merger salary it was barely sufficient for them to live comfortably on.

So in hard times his wife got a job tapping newly opened rubber trees for a relative.The job was simple as she knew how to tap since she was young and had assisted her parents before in their plantation.With that little extra they thus led a simple and comfortable life.

In October 1970,the wife bored him a daughter,Kate.At the same time he received an appointment letter to be Manager of St.Andrew Estate,Batang Berjuntai.He joined that plantation after celebratating her full month.

He applied to return to the planting industry after much long considerations.Although he was promised a lucrative future that was forth coming at the saw mill but after short spell he found the job not to suitable for his likings.He understood that planting was in his veins so he applied for that vacant position and secured it after an interview.

The bigger planting companies had him but the orientated companies used him.It surely was a blessing in disguised for it was here he can expedite his experiences,thus proving to himself that he was never a write off.No doubt this Chinese company could not pay a higher salary than those bigger companies but sometimes it was not the money that counts,it was the job satisfaction and the performance that made the day.In simple its the happiness in the position that matters most.

He joined the plantation leaving his wife behind in Karak.When at the plantation he was surprised to be the number two man there.Apparently a younger man was placed in charged,but it was no big deal as this inexperienced young man was soon retrenched through his own negligence and greediness.Yes,he tried to swindle the plantation by pilferage part of an consignment of RSS.

He left before the great flood of Batang Berjuntai came in Late December 1970.
The whole district was under at least feet of water.The plantation was also fully flooded but the workers and all the staffs bungalows were spared the flood as all were constructed on a small hill.So was the town proper as it was situated on a hill safe from the emerging water all round.

No jobs could be done,so Alex gathered his staffs and workers to secure food ration from town the following day.Fortunately the lorry was able to travel in those flood water.On the way they could enjoyed the beautiful scenes caused by the flooding.Queenie also tagged along to collect ration for the family.

Many animals were stranded on some high grounds such pigs and goats.They could not help them as the lorry was loaded with people.It was such a pity to leave them there,hopefully the water will soon recede and they be saved.However they did rescued a male goat on their way back from town.

The shops were all opened for business as they were not effected by the flood and only its surrounding were in water.Even the market had vegetables and fish to be sold but at a slightly higher price.Alex went for a cup of coffee and some noodles with his conductor while his wife attended to the sundries purchases and marketing.

Since there was no meat available from the market, they slaughtered that goat they caught on their way back.Anyway it was among the staffs and the driver who shared the meat of the goat.Things like this cannot hidden for long when a week later the owner came to claim his goat.Alex could not give him back his goat,but lied to him that the goat had been released and claimed no further knowledge of it.The owner had to accept that- no choice.

Within a week or so,the flood water began to recede and then it returned to normal ,leaving a big masses of rubbish all round on the base of rubber tree trunks and blocking of drains,roads etc.Worst of all the lost of latex cups.All workers wanting to work were sent to the fields to clear up the rubbish. New latex cups were purchase to replace all lost items.

Within the next week work finally restarted.Initially the crop was very low because those tapping penal having been neglected for a almost two weeks were dry and had to be shaved away first.Very soon it was returned to normal.

Before Alex shifted to the Bungalow he saw an apparition of a white figure among the banana grooves.It was a very early in the morning that he woke up to ease himself outside the back of that house.That really horrified and shocked him for a couple of minutes but the figure soon disappeared into the banana grooves.Was it a ghost?He wandered but it never hurt any one,fortunately he was about to shift away from that house.

Alex took over the Manager's bungalow which was situated on top of a small hill.It was a huge magnificent colonial styled bungalow with extremely thick wall and big pillars.Plenty of window all round with a very big garden unfortunately without fencing at all.Those days fencing was never a necessity as no one would dare venture round the bungalow.Those were the days when the Plantation Manager was well respected.

There were only three room upstairs,one huge master bedroom with baby room and bathroom attached.It was so big that Alex baby daughter when older could cycled round and round without any obstruction.There were two other slightly smaller rooms.There was also a pouch in front of the rooms.

Down stairs was another huge sitting room with plenty of windows.It was extremely airy.On the side was the big dinning room attached was also a store and sufficient room to convert into another kitchen,but there was another kitchen at the back of the bungalow but Queenie refused to use it as it was a short distance away.Those Europeans really knew how to enjoy life,they have cooks to cook for them,that was why they had the kitchen away from the house.

It surely was a very luxurious bungalow.The days in Good Tree might had new bungalows but this was beyond comparison.Of course,this was the Manager's bungalow.This St. Andrew Estate,was formerly one of Good Tree's properties.

Being back to planting was what Alex had in mind and he felt very at home.Now that he is back in planting he must do his best to perform.Being an experienced man work in this plantation was simple.

Something odd happened to him before his wife joined him at the plantation
well as usual he met a single beautiful mother who tried her level best to attract Alex attention.Alex was not interested at first but being alone most of the evenings he eventually became friendly with her.Nothing special actually but just an infatuation but was soon forgotten when his wife joined him.

Alex left her alone and resisted her advances by not seeing her.Say what you like what ever it was he still had in mind one little girl he used to know.Remembering her was never harmful as long as he remained faithful to only his lovely wife.Right?.