Chapter 13 Sinful Attractions

Alex had a huge task in hand and that was to replant an area of extremely old rubber.Actually that field had been abandoned for quite sometime.

The old rubber seedling stand were very big in girth.huge at its bottom and tapering smaller as it grown straight up.Stand per acre appeared to be about eighty trees per acre.
The inter rows were overgrown with wild rubber seedling many of which had achieved tappable sizes.

That field had been neglected without any tapping for a number of years.Now to replant this field will be a manmoth task,without a hitch of doubt.Poisoning of wild rubber seedlings will be a waste of money and time,let alone labor intensive.The best method thus would be to destroy it old rubber stand first.

By bring down the existing stand initially will ultimately knock off many of its wild seedlings.Those were the days when rubber wood was never in demand.So to enlist the services of felling contractors was almost impossible because contractors once they saw the area will definitely shake their stupid heads.Another thing Alex soon found out was no contractors ever dared to do jobs for the owner of that plantation.

Now he surely had a big big much bigger head ache.But being an experienced planter no hurdles were that difficult to cross.Some how a young brag from Klang got the job of felling directly through the Boss.Well,good for him.He began work as soon as possible.He fell almost all the standing trees but absconded after two advance payments.There was no way to traced him thereafter.

Alex therefore had to clear up the mass created.There was no way any others will want to finish the incomplete job.So no there alternatives Alex recruited another contractor who agreed to worked on the number of workers daily basis.Absolutely not difficult except Alex had forced himself watching over them almost all day long.He had staffs to assist him but totally unreliable.

The contractor had only to cut up those fallen trees into various lengths to suit stacking.To stacked the branches and tree trunks he had another gang of Javanese workers supervised by a Javanese "mandol".The workers consisted of Javanese young men and women.Alex was all the time in this field so much so he knew every one of them.

Women were women they tried to tease him despite the fact that he was shouting at them.Some of them obviously very charming young girls.All of them came from the nearby Kampong.Despite their sexy appearances Alex dared not stand very near to them and always had the Mandol around to be the safer side

Despite all the handicapped Alex had the field cleared for replanting of Oil Palm.Oil Palm seedlings were from the plantation's nursery which Alex had earlier prepared.Germinated seeds were from Chemara.With the field ready the Oil Palm seedlings were transplanted into the field.

Another funny thing worth mentioning was before the initial transplanting the Boss had invited oner shorty to see the planting.Alex had to wait for him in town to fetch him into the plantation.When in the field this joker showed off by kicking a planted palm with his leather shoe.What an insult?

Later Alex found out that he was actually a pineapple planter and a petrol pump owner but he actually became a small rubber plantation Manager,sought of inheritance property.Many years later he really became someone very powerful in the planting industry.He may be so and so but that was never the way to kick a palm to test its firmness,no way,such bloody rude and without any manners.His name was Lee Sing chin,any one knowing him?He presently kicked lallang. Well,you know.

Alex wasted no time in establishing the whole field with Oil Palms,he also constructed many field roads into this field.There were sufficient laterites from the small hill..The Boss was naturely very please with his performance.Alex also suggested the replanting of all other low yielding fields which were planted with low yielding seedlings trees (PBIG) into Oil Palm.

Very soon nearly half the plantation was filled with Oil Palm.As Oil Palm required only a short time to mature very soon many fields came into maturity>Although very young those palms were bring in revenues as the Oil Pam prices were quite high and rising.This made the Boss extremely happy and Alex salary was further increased
.
Now between working Alex at times took time off to see that single mother,named
Annie but he was very careful.Yes he concealed it well from Queenie,having a little bit of fun was okay,is it so?.It was never advisable he understand.When the situation became rumours he was quick sufficiently to abandon that plan and left her be.A lucky escape I presumed.Well Queenie was suspecious but without evidence Alex got away without a scratch.

As if that insufficient Alex got another hitch and was infatuated with another beauty from town.Every morning he would drive to town to have breakfast but the real motive was to see that girl.A lovely dame I should say and extremely charming too.He tried various m,eans to get to know her but was futile.

This girl was the daughter of a well known business man in town,somebody well respected.This girl apparently was a teacher of a nearby Chinese Primary school.Well,he really got to know her in time to come but was in no avail as she by then knew Alex's wife.So Alex got to retreat with the girl moving around teasing him with her sexy moves.What to do can see but can not touch..

Alex had loads full of jobs to attend to every day as he was also placed in charged of another smaller plantation in Kajang called Paradise Estate.Not only that he had to recruit staffs to overseer that property.Trust worthy staffs were difficult to come by,so he resorted to training his own men.Being a strict Manager at least three staffs suffered under him.

They simply went bonkers and had to be sacked.Not his fault but these juniors though they could go against him and tried to play tricks on him,but he was too hard working and was always everywhere in the plantation.That cracked their numb skulls and subsequently got them confused and then lost their mentalities.What a shame?

However time was with him he finally managed to train at least three or four of them.One of them,initially a Chinese who was very good but was very ambitious.Being so he was always trying to improve himself by securing other better more prospective appointment.Well he succeeded and left that plantation,good for him.

Then he trained another an Indian who was promoted from a"Kanganny".His educationwas just only secondary schooling without LCE certificate.but good enough as long as he can served honestly,willing to learn and hard working.He placed him in charged of Paradise Estate and he served his purposed.

That plantation was fully rubber but mostly seedlings (PBIG).the price of rubber was no good and therefore was not giving much return so Alex drew up a plan to replant the whole areas in stages.Fortunately the man he trained could wisely followed his instructions and the replanting went into full swing.In no time it was fully planted up.

With that all the tappers were retrenched or left on their own and the smoke house converted into a store for the Boss's tea.Within a short while after replanting those palms were matured and in full productions bring in good returns as the prices of Oil Palm was extremely excellent and rising.This pleased the Boss very much.

Alex had to make at least two trips in the afternoon every week to see his instructions being adhered to closely.With an obedient staff he had no worries.Each trip he made he had to pass through Kajang town.Well what else he certainly did not missed the sight of beautiful girls and Kajang Satay there.There were many attractions but there was charming girl he paid special attention to.

On the road to the plantation after Kajang town there was a coffee shop which Alex used to patronize to quench his thirst or for a tea break.Well it was here that he noticed another beautiful girl living across the road.She could be seen at her house window every time Alex had a drink there.A charming beauty,slim and tall.she also pocessed a loving smile.

Initially Alex thought it was a coincidense she was by that window but soon realized it was not so.This really enchanted his heart,fancy a lovely girl noticing him.Well good luck to him,may he succeed.One fine day he caught the girl looking at him and admiration he smiled back at her but to this she retreated away from the window.Obviously she was scared of him.

The following trip he once again sat at the coffee shop enjoying his coffee again she aws at the window and again she smiled at him.This time Alex dared not smiled back but she was at the window for a slightly longer time,this time Alex was brave enough to wave at her and she waved back.

Later she walked out of her house and Alex drove near to her ,got down and introduced himself to her.She was polite and replied his advances.Alex tried to make an appoinment with her but she refused the appointment but said,"Maybe nect time".But the next time never came.

Weeks later Alex saw her with another young man for company and soon realized that all were already too late as this was soon to be her boy friend.No,it never was it was just another boy friend as Alex soon found out that she had a long list of boy friends.Had he proceeded on to court her he would have ended as one of her boy friends.

No matter what as time goes Alex still stopped at the coffee shop for tea or coffee she was always around or can be seen near her window.Agter so long by now she must be married by now.Well.who could be that lucky guy,certainly not Alex.