Chapter 3 The Long Hoildays

,We were now residing in a room of a wooden house at Pasir Pedamar Road.Many families dwelt there and we occupied a room.

For food we were eating at our Auntie's place.We have the bicycles to cycle to school.That was why we were always indebted to our Auntie.True our mother did pay her but those payments were insufficient,I know.

Poor Auntie had to suffer the blunt of the Uncle for entertaining us.He was a good man though just grumbling slightly whenever there were some problems.Just a show of a little anger nothing serious.Anyway I was there only two months or so.

The house where  we stayed was also another lovely girl.Tall,slim and beautiful.We very often crossed each other. When we meet we only agreed each other only nothing more nothing less.Apparently she was interested in me but unfortunately my mind was filled with only a certain girl. 

My mind was also concentrating on only my studies with the examination  drawing near.I had to do well That was why I was burning midnight oil. That girl apparently knew that I was studying very hard despite my roaming around town with my friends.For when I went down stairs to ease myself she seem to be awake in her room.

The one I loved was then not talking to me although I still saw her at Church services. I really do missed her.In desperation I would ride the opposite as she ride home with her school mates.When we crossed each other I would looked straight into her eyes.

That certain glance was all that mattered.at least I got the consolation and  inspirations to continue studying hard.The examination came and I sat for it.As expected I did badly in the maths papers but reasonably well in all other subjects.

I knew I would performed badly in Mathematics yet I offered it as a subject.That was out of grudge for that Mathematics master Loh Swee Kee.Undoubtedly he was a very good in maths but that does not give the right to abuse poor students like me with filthy languages and physically.

Agreed,I do not deny that I was a slow learner or just dumb and could not  grasped that subject as most students do.In short his teachings were too fast for me to understand him.It was his duty to teach me slowly not shouting at me or threw chalk or duster at me.

To me he was the worst teacher in the whole school and should not be one.I took the subject to pull down the percentage of good grades among the students.That would mean he was no bloody good.

The only thing good about   him was that he had a lovely daughter.Diana was her name and I was positively sure most students of that school agreed with me wholly.Anyway there was no interest in me for her that was for sure.

My friend James encouraged me to join all the Church services at the Protestant Church.Linda was also there most of the time.The Pastor was than Padre Fostor and assisting him was his wife.Later we had another Pastor,a Padre Hilliet.We were also members of their youth group.

As soon as the examination our auntie sent for us even though our grandmother had now passed away.Most obviously memories of her dear mother still lingered on within her mind.It was the third term holiday therefore it was to be a long one.

One of our distance cousin was around at that time.This rich kid was always a big show off.Showing off in front of us.I hate to confront him whatsoever.Studying in Victoria Institution and think he was hell lot smart.Maybe smarter than all of us then because his father was a rich contractor.

He would throw his things around carelessly.so I found a way to make fun of him.One day he threw his purse about and I just picked out fifty dollars and hid it in my dirty pair of shoes.

He came back from swimming in school the following day on finding his money missing.In panic he looked high and low for it.Our auntie questioned us about it and both deny any knowledge of it.

When we were out of the house our auntie's servant went through our belongings to find nothing.We knew because our things were wrong replaced after her searched.How would she knew it was in my dirty pair of shoes.That was never the last place she would find or ever anyone would?. 

True, I was bad  and had a criminal mind.For the first time I was a thief.My auntuie was equally smart she knew I was the culprit but could not proved it nor maybe she never intended to dispose me.What was fifty ringgit to a rich man anyway.Sparing it to a poor relative was surely nothing big - no big deal?.

For days that note was left in my smelly shoes an excellent hiding place.Even when we went out I wore those shoes with the note within,walking and running as if nothing in them.I only removed it when we were about to go home weeks later.

Meanwhile a confidence tricter came into my auntie's house one day claiming to be from Taiping,Perak.He said he was coming in just to say "hello".Our uncle, he claimed was his long time friend and that he was one of the son of a rich family from Taiping.

He was talking with much confidence claiming this and that.Our auntie seem impressed by his yearning.Then they touched whom and whom he knew - actually all bluff.Our Auntie was interested in getting me fixed with a job.This man promised her on the spot that he could easily fixed that and can take me immediately to see those big shots concerned.

He also convinced our Auntie that he could get her premium rice cheaply from Taiping and our auntie thinking that he was genuine and honest gave him some money to purchase them. Then he left with me purporting to see some big shot in the Arm Forces to get me a job.

He left me at a coffee shop in Setapak and bolted, never to be seen again.I returned  home empty handed.Only then our auntie knew we had been cheated.I felt extremely bad because she was very anxious trying to help me secure a job.

Few weeks later the real guy from the Taiping came a calling after hearing of our auntie's plight.He was coming to clarify himself that no others from that family came to cheat our auntie.

A good look at him really bore  some familiarities The confidence man looked and actually talked almost like him but it was not him.Seeing me our auntie asked him whether he had any position for me in his  plantation.He offered me a job on the spot and I was to report to him in Taiping the following month after the Chinese New Year.

The holiday was soon going to be over and we needed to return home.Before that we went out to town by bus.Now that I had some cash in hand a cheap shirt for myself from Globe Silk Store,ate something nice and returned home.Then finally we were homeward bound.


Once back home in Teluk Anson I gave some of my pals a treat now that I had the money.I always wanted a nice pair of shoes and therefore I brought a pair of Apache shoes.The tyoe "Elvis Presley"wore on film.The pair of black shoes with white topping.The fashion that time.My brother was never aware of what I did.


With me going to Taiping,my brother was shifted to stay with our Teluk Anson Auntie.In Feb.1960 I joined Synn Lee & Co,m and was employed in their plantation namely Hurst Esate,Ulu Sapetang,Taiping,Perak.