Chapter 8 Another Auntie Married (Mother's Youngest Sister)

We have a very young Auntie,Lin,and she attended the local Chinese School.The Sam Min Chinese School.As our house was walking distance to the school so she stayed with us while her parents  tapped rubber in small holders at Sungei Nibong.That was just on the out skirt of  town.

She was quite an active member of much of her school's activities.It was just after the war where most Chinese Schools were infiltrated with Communist propaganda etc..At home she would enact most of her involvements to us although we were then too young to understand what she was uttering 

She also brought home to us  her garments for her parts in acting in school school  concert. She would then allowed us to put them and teach us how to act.All of which were what she learned at school.Still it was fun for us those days and we truly enjoyed ourselves.

There were the three of us ( my brother, I and our sister) and an elder cousin sister.Other times we had more cousin sisters with us.Those children of another older auntie.Those pranks among family members only.We and other cousins from the mother's side.Our house was a wooden bungalow with no immediate neighbors.With parents away most of the time we all had a wonderful shouting and laughing our hearts out.And why not with not cats around the mouse rushed out to play.

When the British and the Communist broke company and the communists were branded and hunted down as terrorists. Those activities in Chinese School were abruptly interrupted.Staunch supporters were arrested and interrogated by the British.Chinese Schools which had any connection with the Communists were immediately told to severe all relationships if any or faced prosecution.

School going children had to abide by the law and turned away from those infiltrators and their propaganda.My Auntie was then only a teenager so she went straight back to her school books.Besides tapping rubber our mother also assisted her brother in selling cigarettes at the junction of Anson Road near the Anglo Chinese Primary School.

Those days cigarettes had only few brands mostly commonly being Rough Riders,Players Gold Leaf and Lucky Strike,not many brands to select from actually.they actually ranged from cheapest to the most expensive in that order respectively.Money were hard to come by with not much openings or jobs around to offer..So although cigarettes were very cheap then but many still adhered to purchasing them in loose form like buying one or cigarettes at a time.A small lamp around to provide the lighting up of the cigarettes.

Business begin only in the evenings and our Auntie do help around that small stall.The earnings power of people were than extremely low so how to expect them to buy in packets,but with improvements by the days ahead this soon changed drastically.Surprisingly of late recently  I noticed these trunk of  selling loose cigarettes apparently is making a come back especially among the Foreign workers.They can be located around Super Markets etc..

Our house at 792 Anson Road was just opposite the General Hospital.In fact one of the ward faced our residence.From young we were aware of what were going on at the Hospital. That ward opposite us was a female ward.We actually could get glimses of patients within from our house,just a stone throw away.

What we were terrified of were whenever there were people crying.Those up setting scenes of death.Death to a patient brought us many funny and dreadful fearing of death.There were belief that those wards were haunted because of those deaths but we never saw one either,just plain gossip that was all.Neither there any wierd sound from that ward past midnight.


When our small auntie completed her education she applied to join the hospital as an assistant nurse.Remember jobs were hard to come by those days,so as soon as her application was successful she joined them with hesitation.She provided with those white uniform which made her very smart those days and we always admired her then.

Within months of working she meet another Male Hospital Assistant who had just been transferred from Penang.He was not huge in size but small in statue and those friends always tease him as "shorty". Short may he be but has a big heart - a generous one that was for sure.When he met our small auntie I think it was love at first sight he chased her all over Teluk Anson.


His name was Lee Kim Leong. The serious courtship followed ,the fighting spirit in him finally bore fruits and he became her boy friend.Unfortunately there was slight set back,as our small auntie suddenly taken ill.She sucumb  to Tuberculusis.

She was fortunate to have the tender care of this Hospital Assistant whose unyielding tender care nursed her back to normal health while she recuperating at home. I should know  because he was always at our house whenever he was free or not on duty at the Hospital just to look after her.How loving?.
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Before long she recovered fully and was swept over head over toe by that caring Hospital Assistant when she finally agreed to marry him.A marriage was arranged with a simple ceremony held at our house.That was the first time we realized what a marriage was like.

Though the marriage was a simple one because only near relatives were invited ( all mother's side). All us felt the grandeur and splendor of it.When the time came for recognition of the new relative we all (all our cousins) were made to line up in a row to receive our "ang pow".

I remember this because my auntie  made me to be in the front line.Well should I forget over the years she kept on repeating and reminding me of that incidence.Yes,I was placed in front although there were two elder than me (My cousin sister and my sister).For the first time I received an "ang pow" for calling the Hospital Assistanat uncle or "Yee Cheong".

I opened it at first touch making every one laugh with joy.Those days not big deal,only twenty cents within but it surely was very big for all of us.A sumptuous dinner followed.Those having chicken to eat were a big big thing.Anyway all of us ate to our full content.

Our auntie moved into a government quarter thereafter. We tagged along when she went int her new home.It was a semi-detached wooden bungalow a stone 's throw from the Capitol threater.I was about sevn or eight years old then.Next door was lived a distant relative of his,who had married another Hosopital assistan of Thai origin.


Later,they shifted to another Government quarters along Anson Road,a short distance from our house.I often visited them and that was where I met one Malay friend,Ahmad K.Ahmad K's father also an hospital Assistant was an extremely strict man and very religious too.I mean he was extremely strict with his children.

For there fixed time for them to play and time to play.Of course when he was away to work his son joined me in many games.I remember prctising high jum with him.He made sure all his children studied real hard and achieved good results at school.His patient with his children really paid off handsomely.To day this Ahmad K is quite a big shot around.Well,not sheer boasting but the very truth.



From that place I also had a friend,living just opposite my auntie's house.Well,he was a hainanese boy about my age.His name was Saik Heng.We always played together and also went to the same school.Not only that I also knew his cousin brother whose brother was a cook for the European doctor living at a huge bungalow by the river side just behind our uncle's house.


I was running all over actually and often can be found playing in the compound of that doctor whenever the doctor was away.The doctor had several kids and we would also played with them.Those days even though the river was so near we never ventured near it for fear of crocodiles.


Our dear old paternal grand mother most of these times were staying with our father's sister in Kuala Lumpur.That time they were residing in a bungalow in Gombak.However whenever she felt like it she would traveled back to Teluk Anson especially in seasons when there were the Cantonese operas present in town.


Of course she liked to be with us.She always wanted to be with her grand children especially we two brothers.Nevertheless my younger brother was always his pet.Well,I was never far from that either even though I was the naughty one .She nicknamed me,me "Ngau Cing Leong" following the episode of a Chinese young hero,not a good hero but a bad and rough bullish one..


Whenever there were any squables among us siblings the first to be sought out without any considerations what so ever she would definitely point her fingers shouting,"You naughty boy,do not bully your brother".Even if my brother quarreled with the elder sister and cry when osing out.I was to be blamed.

To be continued.