Chapter 18 The Return Of Our Poor Grand Mother

On completing the sales of our house and given the most part of it to our father she left to stay in Kuala Lumpur.Undoubtedly she was never happy after the sales.She had guarded that final property.

She had refused our uncle to sell the house to help him to finance his business which he promised would bring us back to former glory She never trusted him for she knew him well.Most of all she was preserving that last inheritance to protect us..

All maybe lost still she kept it so we have a roof over over heads.Now with its lost she lost fate and left with a broken heart.The whole affair was driving her mad.She was not enjoying her stay with her daughter in Kuala Lumpur for she only wanted to reside in her own house with her grandchildren,that be us.

The staying away from us did her no good either as her condition was deteriorating further.She wanted to come home to us.Knowing our predicaments our Auntie held her back but with her constant pestering she just had to send her back when it was becoming unbearable.

She had expected our father to improve our status if not at least reside in a more decent house.Further the business running but to her dismay this was never to be.She was utterly shocked to see coffins in the show room.She stood there speechless.

Her emotions took another beating and her face turned paler.In anger she clasped her hard and then open up signifying the lost of everything.She had expected our father to do good with the capital he had in hand.How wrong she was?Now it was clear to her all were lost.

To make matter worst our father continued to pester for more money which she never had.That sent her reeling off her mind.She began walking around looking forlorn into the emptiness around.With teary eyes she would all of a sudden out of the blue let off clapping and then stretched her hands out to signify  all were lost,the last of the family's fortune.

She undoubtedly was blaming herself. Dear old grandmother how deeply hurt she was.Our father never learn that he was never a business man.Life was never what he had in mind.Thinking back I think we  all cannot totally blamed him for his failures because he was a pampered child for a start.

Although an adopted child he was well loved and never endured any hard life during his younger days.He had most things in life and when he did not perform well at school locally he was sent to study in Ipoh.That was  where I think he squandered away his time studying mixing around  with "pigs and dogs friend" as our mother used to emphasize regarding his friends.. .

He had not indulged fully into business but instead slowly squandered away all the money given to him.His stock in timber was never huge in any manner and therefore having not much share in the business.Maybe his strategy was all wrong.I was about thirteen years old then and surely knew what were happening.

Very often he blamed his failures on luck,now was it luck? No.never success or good fortune do not come easy we have to earn it.Good fortune do not fall from heaven.So from young I had learned  to work hard to achieve our goal.

As if not enough one fine morning we found her lying in one of the coffin.Much to the displeasure of the coffin owner..In discontent he told our grandmother,"Granny,should you ever die I can even present one to you but not now that you are alive"..We also gathered round her beckoning her to come away from the coffin.

How dreadful was that event and it bothered all of us badly.That was another occasion almost a few days later she went missing in the middle of the night.We searched every where but she was no where to be found.So we broke up different direction to locate.

My brother and father found her at the jetty a short distance away.She was contemplating to jump into the Perak River.Had she jumped that very instant that would be her end but no she was just standing there.

In haste our father grabbed hold her .She never utter anything but refused to bulge.Seeing that he was forced to carry her home..Our dear Auntie when she heard of this incident rushed from Kuala Lumpur almost immediately.

Without waiting for any explanation she bundled our grandmother into her car and whisked her of back to Kuala Lumpur.She was of course angry at our father for attending to her mother properly.

I was then in Form three.We had to walk to school daily and what distance to the Anglo Chinese School (Secondary). Many a times went on without breakfast.Our dear Auntie was reside near to the Capitol Theatre which we passed daily on our way to school.

Her generosity were showed on us for as we passed her place she would invite us into her house for some breakfast plus tea.Bless her for that otherwise wise would have to drink  only plain water until we were home for lunch.Those I also attended the Chinese afternoon classes held at the Anglo Chinese School (Primary) in the afternoon.

However I studied for about two years before giving up because I had no money to pay the school fees.That was why I can read and write some Mandarin.Though I was unable to pay the fees the teacher still invited me to continue studying there but I was too shy to accept those kind gesture.What a bloody shame really.