Chapter 20 More on Happier Days

It was interesting to note that Alex had the confidence of the Boss despite his bad reputation in Good Tree Sdn. Bhd.and adversity from previous employers and business failures.Bad news surely traveled very fast,far and wide.The worst fear were it adhered closely in their minds never to be forgotten.That was why initial treatments by the Boss were not very good.

His determination to perform well and with utmost honesty paid off dearly.He psyche and motivated himself well to establish himself.Most of all the driving force behind were his immediate family pushed him on whatever the circumstances.His family well being was his first preference and taking each day by itself he carefully plotted his own success despite the odds stacked against him at the very beginning.

When he first stepped into that plantation everyone were negative against him,criticizing him as naive and unsystematic in his daily performance,even the "Dato"nob in agreement.Within less a month after he had grasped the whole picture of the plantation he struck back.With his vast experienced in plantations this was "sup,sup siow",because his predecessor although had been in the plantation for so many years was actually a fresher from Taiwan.Although a graduate in Agriculture he totally had no practical experienced on plantation without mentioning that that degree were never recognized by our government.

It was definitely so easy for Alex to access his shortcomings overcome them at eased.All he needed to know was to put them into good used.First and foremost were the inaccessible ravines or hill sides.Poor guy despite the fact that he had all the necessary equipments to handle did not know how to handle them.All Alex does was only to instruct the driver to bulldoze new ravines roads,and that easily pleased the Boss.Yes,experienced was the word and he turned the tide against him within a short period of time.All others events were already history and maybe already related.

His Boss was a reserved,unassuming and quiet man who does not want to show off-right from the beginning Alex had noted the genuineness of his Boss and that following him will make him much bigger.Unfortunately his Boss was never a greedy or over ambitious man.Armed with a Midas touch he never habour any ambition to out grow himself,not that he could not afford to enlarge his position,for he was already a multi-millionaire.The "Dato" was only a show piece in the family's fortune whereas he was the actual big Boss,a man with extremely low profile.It was difficult to understand him well enough to further gauged him.Perhaps he was getting old and tired.his children had neither the interest in the plantation sector of business although it was very lucrative.They were more interested in their other family businesses.

There was never total trust in Alex-well most Bosses were like that especially Chinamen.In any case it was still very comfortable serving such a man even at arms length trust.Looking back it was still a joy working for him.His untimely demised and Alex succumbing to cancer that terminated the prolong of the excellent Boss and employee partnership.Together they could have conquered the world on the plantation sector that is.That the success of the unsystematic Manager.

Alex fondly remembered the days when ever he faced the Boss at his office.Those long and happy sessions.Initially he was made to stand in front of him, with him seated listening to his list of work and requirements.Alex could have them in writing but he insisted on weekly visit to his office to tell him right in his face.It was very nice explaining to the seated Boss listening to him.With few meetings the Boss realized that he was at a disadvantage position with Alex pointing to his files and he listening,it was likened a teacher talking to his student or something else,your guess is as good as mine.

He never like that, so thereafter he ordered Alex to be seated whenever he was at the office,that way they were at level ground,face to face.Most important he does not have to look up at Alex's face.As if that was not good enough he raised his chair slightly so that he can looked down on Alex not the other way.Bosses were funny at times but still he was the Boss and with no shame Alex admitted to him that he only took orders from him and no one else.That was the kindest relation during his long career in planting.

He had always wanted his eldest son to take over the plantations and Alex had long an unearthly feeling that he could not have worked for him.That young tiger club with an even willing smile was the man to watch.He unlike his father like his subordinates to butter him and definitely dislike rebellious staffs.Maybe he accept that but be careful when the young club became the ferocious tiger and roars-heaven forbid,when on the prowl all will be devoured.Quite different from the old man.With Aex's experience this ferocious tiger could be tamed into a pussy cat.In any case Alex did not have that luck to stay and served him as he was knocked off by cancer,Luekaemia (AML).

Within his time he also established an orchard not only within the bungalow'compound nut also another 20 odd acres just behind his bungalow.The durians bored fruits within three years of planting.That pleased the Boss very much.The florals and fruits within the compound of the bungalow were another astornishing accomplishment.The Boss alos brought in his family to to its glories.

An area in Tavy Estate,Gambang was also planted with durian,all fruiting within three years for certain clones.The Boss also acquired another 40 acres just outside the plantation and Alex planted it with durians and other fruits.Many bored fruits within a short period.Fencing for these areas were done by bard wires with the fencing poles all extracted from the main plantation]s fields.The fencing poles were of hard wood ,all cut off from remaining old tree trunks left lying in various parts of the fields.They will not taken away because of large holes inthe middle of tree trunk and left in the field unburnt for years.Being hardwood were difficult to burned away.Utilizing all these materials as fence poles saved the cost in pirchasing them and the quality were not so good either.

The black earth removed from the effluent ponds of the Mill also provided the organic fertilizers for the orchards which ultimately enhance the fast growth of all the fruit trees making them bearing fruits much earlier than normal.Alex also improved the durian orchard in Semanbu Estate,Kuantan.Weeding them and fertilizing.The results were extremely good with fruits most of the year round.It could have been better had the assistants and staffs corporate sufficiently enough.Many of them were never committed sufficiently,well,just human of them anyway.

The Boss was in many a way adventurous,always wanting to try out new crops like Jojolba.When it cropped up Alex was sent to Penang for a course on it.The subject was undoubtedly interesting but the crop was never viable.The Organizers tried to reap some profits by inducing prospective plantation owners to buy their seedlings.But it was altogether another big hoax,for the seedlings never grew to expectations.The Boss order a drum od seeds from the States but this project also failed miserably.The seeds do germinated well but perished in the nursery after all its food in its cotyledons were finished.

There was also the planting of teak wood or Jati.Seedlings were brought in from Thailand and established in nursery.Subsequently transplanted into the fields,as the Boss did not want to waste land on them,transplanted in the inter-rows of the Oil palm rows during replanting.The response on the hills were slow,extremely slow.Whereas good growth rates were experienced along the ravines sides.Very good girth growth but there were branching problems.The plants branched varies from tree to tree and otherwise the tree tapering upwards,very odd compared to rubber.Well those were the problems.

Although Teak wood was very lucrative generating extremely good price but the establishing were never that simple.The long duration for it to mature was another worrying factor but what ever it was Alex had some other ideas,that was to plant them in the neglected steep hill sides of Semanbu Estate.Establishing them there allowing them to complete with growth from wild vegetative growths in the inter-rows.As such only occasional weeding and pruning,perhaps after fifteen to twenty years may secure some Teak wood for sales.Only to be shot down by the Boss.Well he was the Boss ,so good-bye smart idea.

Actually no need to look any where to experience Jati planting,just drive a long the road from Rawang down to Bidor on the sides of highway you will find the Jati planted there.All not growing very well and they have been there for at least ten years or slightly more.Just stop and feel its girth,all extremely small.Of course there were a tiny percentage of good ones but how many?Hardly one percent.Imagined the costs of bringing them to that stage,is it worth the trial planting them? I say,"No,never".

Knowing that planting was a sheer waste of money but the Boss was adamant in planting them,so had to follow instructions,like it or not.Alex having retired for more than ten years wandered what would had become of them by now,it will never to a pleasant surprise should all those gone fucked up,for sure.For one thing no one other than Alex knew what the Boss had in mind,but with him gone,all would have gone with him.May God blessed his soul.

Continuing take a second look at the beautiful bungalow Alex once stayed.Most of the time he lived alone there and he always maintained a guard at the ground floor for security reasons.
Alex only occupied the master bedroom,the remaining three rooms were seldom used.Friends coming for fishing or hunting preferred to sleep in the enormous sitting room in a big group.Whenever there were females that they the females slept in the guess rooms but many also preferred to sleep down stairs in the dinning hall to be neared their men friends so that they can chit chat away the night.

Alex does nor fished with them and only occasionally joined them for talks and viewing how they were performing.Well it was a holiday camp for them and it was surely jolly good fun to have them around once in a while.Many of them sensed that the bungalow had eerie spooky feelings and quietly claimed among themselves that the bungalow was haunted.Yes,they were absolutely right that bungalow was haunted.Similarly the other Engineer's bungalow on the hill top was haunted as well.Scary or not,it surely frightened the guts of those visitors who camped at Alex's bungalow.

Come night fall,deep in the silence of the night,noises can be heard,like foot steps walking up in the attic,and of things rolling around.Barn owls at times instill more fear by their awkward cries,for there was a family living in the attic.Rats and flying bats were plentiful.The barn owls flew from the Engineer's bungalow to the plantation Manager's bungalow every night.Actually there were more than one family there.Their addition made the bungalows seemingly more horrible.

Of course with the noises of talking and laughing the ghosts therein also stayed out of sight.For Alex those ghosts were always real.He absolutely acknowledge their presence in that bungalow
for more than once they had make it known to Alex that they wanted to take over his bungalow completely.However Alex refused to bulge reasoning with them that the job was very important to him and family but willing to sacrifice that bungalow if he they could grant him a small fortune.

Now was that greediness,but fair exchange - what?For that a female ghost saw him in the disguised of an ex-frame in pink dress.Pink or red it was never good omen,she wanted revenged for being jilted once by Alex,but was slightly soft hearted as if she still loved him, she delivered to Alex some numbers in the form of a cheque amounting $ 6681.00 before she left .Next day Alex dumped his pocket money amounting $300/= on that number 6681 in the Total draw thinking that should he strike it,it should be big - leaving nothing for the Magnum draw.

The 6681 came up in Magnum's draw that following evening , which he should have staked in 10/= big, $10/= small,but he was reluctant to do that,striking $ 50,000/= with his life at stake was not good bargain for him.Too little but that was what was he could effort, so he never booked anything there.Thus no strike.Should be a lucky escape.Surely his life was worth more than fifty thousand ringgit.

Sharing house with him,living right a top the attic was another female ghost with a baby and Alex had seen her.Although she did not harmed him it does not mean she won't.Those scary bloody eyes raging with revenge were always watching Alex's movements.She wanted the bungalow to entertain her friends etc..Alex being a righteous man was never in the lease scared of her because to Alex only those who had committed evils were afraid of ghosts .Live-let us live attitude and he allowed her be and left her alone with her baby.It did at no time disturbed Alex.

Apart from those ghosts were other roving ghosts that often visited the bungalow.The bungalow was situated at the Y-junction of the plantation just after the river.The fast flowing water of the river could be heard quite clearly at night.Deep in the night among the sounds of crying crikets and other insects,came the sweet smelling fragrance of wild flowers,heralding the arrival the "lady" of the night,dressed in thin free flowing white clothes.Very beautiful and seductive dame in deep night.The cold breeze blowing made the night colder and Alex shivered with the cold breeze and the frightening thoughts of the female ghost.

On some drizzling nights it would dropped in,to met him.Poor Alex was caught dump founded,in hilarious dazed rendering him motionless.His limps were suppressed and could hardly moved.He tied to yell at his guard below but to no avail as he could hardly opened his mouth to shout and if at all opened no voice came from it.Worst of all the guard was sound asleep.The beautiful ghost temptingly kissed him vigorously and passionately, with him struggling to free himself trying to push her away.But the limps were stiff to make any advancement.

The ghost got agitated and frustrated with his struggle and within that instant and in rage transformed into another very,very ugly ghostly being.That shook the guts out of Alex.Stunned as he was he could hardly utter any thing or offered further resistance.It could have been disastrous had not been the timely arrival of another ghost,a male ghost who was fantastically handsome looking.He stopped the female ghost from harming Alex her poor victim.In anger she flew in the air and disappeared.

It might have disappeared into thin air but she surely made it known that she will be back.Tue enough it came back few days later and demanded that Alex should marry her.What could he possibly do but stood there scared stiffed and horrified at the prospect ahead.Once again the male ghost came again to his rescue and managed to sweet talk away with the female ghost,his sister.Fortunately the sweet and tempting beauty was opened to her brother's reasoning.Actual it explained to her their difference,Alex being human and she on the hand a ghost,thus cannot marry.Should he marry her he will definitely die,in that case it would be nothing left for her,so why do something that was never positive.


Instead she and her brother became his friends.Such blossom friends from two different world.Thereafter they often visit him.Come trouble they will also assisted him to overcome
any misunderstanding with Loo and his pseudo Engineer they were surely enjoy some sort of misfortune difficult to account for,but Alex knew.

Beside these ghosts there were other passerby such as those suppressing ghosts.That many people do encounter them while sleeping near the river.While sound asleep they were suddenly attacked by some supernatural force which can paralyzed them temporarily.Alex do encounter them in certain nights.In one such encounters,he was suppressed by a ghost.In a daze he could visualized the object pressing him rendering him motionless but some how he slow and slowly struggle to summon sufficient strength to push it upwards.In so doing he discovered an opening in the black mushroom like being and punched at it.That move caused the object to withdraw backwards and ultimately released his pressing on him.

He was relieved to have chased it away.Thinking that he will have peaceful night at last but not quite,for the following night that mushroom being came back again to attack him,this time he had a smaller accomplice.Together they pressed Alex pinning him down and he could hardly move a single limp,with that they followed up by tying him up with a tiny thin cord which very strong and unbreakable.With that done both creatures floated around giggling at Alex and poking fun at him.This went on until they had enough and left and they disappeared the strong cord left with them, what a frightening evening,hard to forget.

These type of ghosts had a lot to do with the wind chyme hanging in front of his bedroom window.This object was beautiful and made beautiful music pleasant to our ears but on the other hand they also made beautiful music to the those creatures of the other world.So they say if you are lucky it attracts fortune otherwise it attracts those awful ghosts.Which ever you choose the choice is yours, just toss a coin - head I win,tail you lose.