Chapter 1 The Days After The Passing Of Our Grandmother

Our living conditions remained as it was after the demised of our dear grandmother.We still had to reside at the Plantation quarter.

The plantation however had changed hands.Being taken over by a Chinese owned concerned.In place of the Manager they placed a "Kapala"or headman who resided next to us,not in the Manager's bungalow.That was reserved for the Boss to stay whenever they visited the plantation.

Our mother was slightly better off for only a a short while,when our sister was offered a temporary teacher position by the Convent School.That was because she had been the best student most the years.

When the Overseas Cambridge Results came she scored the best results for Lower Perak.Later she was accepted to be trained in Brinsford Lodge,U.K.Of course she went on with that,so we were back to square one.

When "Cheng Beng" came we went to the 9t.mile Cemetery by our Teluk Anson uncle's car. He was kind to do us that favor  but we just had to top up his petrol tank,that was all.He was driving a green color Morris Minor then.

As I grew older my days in running around the plantation became lesser.I was developing a little interests in girls.So I began teasing them all round.For example there a beauty living in the plantation's shop.

Trying to get near to her we often hanged around her house,eying her.She was friendly but we found out that she had a boy friend who came in a car.Ah -anyway she was slightly older than us,we lamented.Sour grapes,maybe.

She still had a younger sister,but too young though she might grow up as another beauty.That small girl was eying our younger brother.My brother at that age had no interest in her.

The Yap family had a couple of daughters ,whom we knew more intimately but I for one had no interest in either of them.Their father was a building contractor who had closed connection with the European Plantation Manager.

Their sons were our fishing partners.Much of our tricks were learned from them.Now that I was much older I do not go out fishing or venture into catching spiders and fighting fish with them.

I joined my  cousin's group in roaming the town in the early evenings.Just p[lain roaming looking at at beautiful girls,no chasing.This was where I met a guy named Johnnie Tan.This chap can sing very much and I learned how to sing from him.Well he seemed very familiar with many then top hits.We sing along as we cycled round town.This group retired back home by 10 p.m..

Thereafter, I joined another group,a rather timid group.One of the friends was Yusof, a half Bengali/Malay youth while another was P,M.S.Moorthy. There was another Chinese youth who walked with a slight limped.

Most of the time we would loitered around the Great World Park.Should we had sufficient money we would enjoy ourselves eating Assam Laksa at fifteen cents or twenty cents per bowl or we went for "sup kambing" or 'Sup Ayam"or "Sup Lembu".

All very tasty those days and all affordable.Those days those things were very tasty unlike today's.Got money we all enjoyed ourselves together or whoever can afford to give the rest a treat.The treat would be on him.Those days I was always broke.Should all do not have enough money we all just simply go for a plain cup of "kopi O".

We were just want to have a little fun loitering around until midnight.Nor we interested in any girls though some girls might  had seco0nd thoughts  at our odd behaviors around town.

I admit that at that time I was developing some interest in them.Stealing some fleeting glances at them sometimes.No harboring of bad ideas about them.No anxiety over them just plain adoration.Admiring young girls no harm.

At the bicycle of the Great World Park were a couple of sisters tendering to bicycles parked there.They were eying us and we looked back affectionately.That was all.No attempts were made to contact them.

I thought our trips of holidaying in Kuala Lumpur were finished after our Grandmother's passing away.No how wrong I was.For before long our Auntie requested our presence there.

So we went there during our school holidays.WE tagged our cousin along.While there we were also taken to Port Dickson for a short stay.For the first time we faced the vast sea.

There we spent hours walking in the sand.Those days Port Dickson was very clean unlike today.Broker bottles and rubbish littered along the beaches.The water murky and highly polluted from nearby hotels,restaurants and homes.The water in fact smiled dirty.

Those days we could walked for distance looking for sea shells.Fishing was quite out because we d not know how to fish in sea water.The distance of shallow water seemingly without end.We walked until we got sun burnt.

We actually went in a big group of uncle's relatives and good friends.They also brought along their children.Non interest me what so ever only our cousin was infatuated by a certain girl.A closed friendship developed between them.

I had no interest in all of them as I had something else in mind.My brother was all time near our cousin sister and the other girls.He was then too young to have any interest in any of them,though some girls I think liked him.


We all had a good time there.

When we returned home I told our cousin about it and he was anxious to join us.So the next trip we went we took him along.WE did not pay for his trip,I think his brother-in-law did.