Dead Man'Tales Chapter 8 The Good Samaritans of My Entire Life

During my whole life I had met with many wonderful and good people who assisted me and help shaped my entire life.Had not been for them I would not had come so far as achieving so much.Can be said I would be nothing  without them giving me that little push from afar or behind..

Therefore I am forever grateful to them.So it be right I record them here which I hope could served as a legacy to all my children for any future references.It should also served as a reminder that there were in deed many kind souls out there who had contributed to my life making it more meaningful.

Dating back during my childhood.as far as I could remember our dear Auntie,our mother's youngest sister.She had been staying with us when we were mere kids living along Anson Road,Teluk Anson.She in fact was like an elder sister to all of us.

I remember te days when we were about thirteen years old or so,she always saw to that we (myself and other siblings) do not go without food.Times were difficult for us then.Our old house was sold and we were living in an office cum room along Immigration Road.

Many mornings as we passed her house on our way to school she would invite us in for breakfast.Although those were only simple bread and "kaya" ,it meant a lot to us then.Otherwise we would passed the day without anything.

Our Uncle seem to be extremely stern those days.We were always afraid of him then and never dared looked him in the face.But in reality he was the kindest of all men I knew.Each time he saw us he never uttered a word of disapproval of our presence.Those days he too had a family plus a few others to feed with his income those days.

I think he knew we feared him so he always tried to avoid looking into us every time we were there..It was only when we grew up much later that we realized what a real gentleman he was.He was a very kind man with a sort spot for the very sick and older folks.

These were shown as he treated many privately after working hours,many of those who were too sick and rejected by the Hospital .He was by trade a  hospital Assistant and an extremely well known one.It was known at that time that should you not know him then there should be some  thing wrong with you.I mean your attitude.

We owed our Auntie and Uncle more than words could expressed.Not only did they supplied us food but also hospitality to our younger  brother who was still schooling  when I went away to work in Taiping .My sister was then  doing a teacher course in U.K..Our mother was working in some small holding far from town.Our father a temporary teacher in a small village in Bagan Datoh.So we were always grateful to them.

Without their assistants we would not be able to continue schooling until school certificate..Our Auntie always saw to it that we attended school those days.Those were the days when our parents were away far off working for our survivals.So with much gratefulness I record these facts down to show our gratitude to them forever.Our Auntie is still alive today and may God bless  her and continue to bless her forever.

Another family I wished to thank were the Chong family.They residence staying in the government bungalow opposite our house.Their children were our great friends from a young age.I remembered that when we had no money to purchase our school books.

Their father would run through our school buying lists  to locate them.On finding them he would without second though gave them to us.Mind you at time he still had school going children our ages.Yet he surrendered those books to us.Maybe he had the means to buy new ones but considering that wonderful gesture shown.It was from the heart.This I could remember forever.

He was like our uncle a stern and quiet man. Likewise he seldom talked yet had a heart which weighed the weight of gold.We were very poor then and he knew our plight and without a word  he helped us.Kind man like this are not seen nowadays.

Those were the days when I and his sons Suan Leng and Suan Hoe were good friends.We often played together and together,painted many beautiful dreams like most children did those days.I remmembered the mango tree in front of their house where we laid especially during fruiting season.Waiting for the mangoes to fall.Consuming them under the tree under the shade of the tree under the hot sun of the majestic, windy sky.

Suan Leng  was well,tall handsome guy and well respected by many those days.I remembered a day where I was once surround by a group of Indian boys.All quite big sizes and all were sons of our school gardener.They had wanted to teach me a lesson and were on the point of attacking me in their numbers.

My younger brother shouted out loudly for Suan Leng to come to my aid.Our location was more than 100 meters from his house yet he could hear the distance shouts for help from my brother.So immediately he sprinted to us.However,there no need of him to hurry as the magical call of his name were sufficient to draw the attentions of many youths from opposite the field to come in to help.

A number of Chinese came in, so did two or three Malays from nearby.Seeing them those gardener sons ran away without a fight.So you see Suan Leng was important to me those days.He had a share in most of my fights.So were the days when we went kite chasing..Yeah those were the days.Nowadays where got kites to chase?.Good friends and wonderful experiences together will be remembered.

Next to remember was  our dearest Auntie Mdm Cheah Foong Lin nee Mrs Ng.Ek Teong. Ever since she  always lend a helping hand to us.Each time she was down from Kuala Lumpur where she work initially as a Staff nurse. She would either gave us some  cash or brought us white cloth,so that we can have decent clothing.The cloth were from her share as a staff nurse for new uniforms from her employer

.When our paternal grandmother was very sick in Kuala Lumpur she would sent for us to stay with her family.She hoped that would had kept our grandmother happy as she longed to see us then.That was between 1957 1nd 1958.So we were down in Kuala Lumpur almost every school holidays.EVen after the demkse of our dear grandmother she continued to sent for us to be with her.This I think helped her to remind her of her dear mother our grandmother.

She went all out to secure me a job in the plantation the minute I left school.When I was without one she even saw to that I was employed even at her husband's sawmill.Her eyes beamed brightly with pride on her face  the day I could stood strongly on my own initiatives. So was it when my brother stood on his own.This was so because all other relatives not the Cheahs had failed her miserably..Her untimely demised left a vacant spot within our hearts but she would well remembered by  us.

When I was about fourteen years old or so,a Chinese school teacher one Mdm Thai had sorted to re-instead me back to school in the afternoon class when I failed to attend class because inability to pay my school fees for a couple of months.The fees was only $  5.00 per month yet I did not had the means to pay that.I was too shy to except her offer to continue studying Chinese  without paying fees.

Those days at that age I felt the embarrassment it would had caused.All the other classmates could afford that minimium fees but sadly I was the odd one who could not.So I choose to stay away despite various efforts to make me changed my mind..Yes I am grateful to her anyway.In any case I had a few years of Chinese education and therefore can conversed some words in Mandarin.Not that bad really,at least I know some Chinese  and most important write my name.

When I began working in the plantation,my first Manager was Mr Kooi Pang Yong at Hurst Estate,Ulu Sapetang,Taiping.I was a young brat then and could not understand much about working life.Yeah I fonder many a times.Had not been a guardian angel in the guise of him I would had landed into many troubles beyond control.

Actually when I first joined the plantation my salary was extremely low.Had not been his generosity in providing me cheap food I would not had survived till then in planting.Finally when I left that Company in Bentng Estate,Bentong,Pahang he gave an excellent testimony.A testimony which had vouched me through the planting industries after my unfortunate demolishing from the "white men "plantations.

I was fortunate that his testimony carried weights among Chinese owned plantations.Although it was just a simple piece of paper that proved invaluable to my career.So I had companies who were against  those "white men' as well on my side.To them "white men" were not that smart but most corrupted planters around.Well.with that I survived in planting.

My career i planting was never smooth as a bed of roses.I ahd diappointments in bith Guthries's and Ulu Selangor Estate which nearly destroyed my planting career.But after a short stinct in the Sawmaill in Karak I re-discovered myself.Yeah my blood were already adapted to planting and a return to it was imminent.I was fortunate 

I need not wait long for my application was duly accepted by St.Andrew Estate,Batang Berjuntai,Selangor.Within a month I was promoted to Manager.Life was hard and I had to pushed myself to tne brink.A lot of patience and hard work won me the confidence of the Boss.As long as I served them I was the best planter around but once I wanted to resign after ten years there their faces turned sour.Of hand I became the worst they eve had.

From there I diverged into businesses but what an awfully wrong moved I committed.Planter were never good business mman and I learned it the hard way.However,It took a huge beating with heavy losses to end my businesses.I was deeply in dept then and without a job in hand.

Having no where to go we left for Bentong where my in-laws were.We thought we could take shelter there temporarily.Intially every thing seem alright but somehow the conservative thinkings of the -in-laws nearly put us on the road again.Had it not been the interferance of a brother-in-law we were allowed to stay on a little longer.

Within that time I was lucky to secure another planting position.The testimony I received from the Chinese Manager was recognized.It put me through the interviews.I was placed in charged of Sri Jaya Oil Palm Estate,Sri Jaya,Pahang.It was  5000 acres estate.Coming with it were two other divisions Tavy Estate,Gambang (5000 acres) and Semambu Estate,Kuantan ( 1000 acres).

Here I put a lot of hard work.patience and honesty to put me in the confidence of the Boss.My experiences were put int good use.I was cautious all through and took each day by itself to achieve my goal.The environment were hostile but with my experiences those were nothing. 

It was here that I met with a good friend unfortunately he was with us for only a short period.He was non other than my friend Albert Tey.Together we were a force to reckon with much to the dislike of Loo Poh Wei.But what else could he do except drinking his stouit and kept mum.Anyway Albert's stay was short before long he was on his way to better jobs ahead,.

I believe the good Lord was guiding throughout  my fifteen years there.Working conditions were excellent  because i had the Boss on my side most of the time. I got the best of it.

 Failing health  stopped me from prolonging my career there.When hospitalized I found one thing.While there you will know who your real friends and relative were.These who meant you well and those who do not.That the plain truth I know.Fate had been cruel absolutely cruel for only when you are sick you discovered the truth.Well,it was never too late.At least now you know who were who.

In the University Medical Centre I did meet a number of wonderfully people.Those doctors especially the ladies were very professional except one who told the blatant truth that I was to die during my 1st.Chymore therapy.It was good to know that I was going to die and well prepared for the worst,but I did not.Praise the Good Lord for extending my life thus far.

Most of the nurses were helpful,so the  bad ones could be forgotten.The kins of most patients were also cooperative and often too helpful.During my therapy my cousins from Singapore also visited me during which they re-introduced me to the Lord.Their simple prayer to Him met with his kind approval of grace.Thereafter I began to response to medication went on to recover from that dreadful disease.

In July 2007 I was formerly baptized .Praise the Lord for His everlaaaaaaaaasting love for each and everyone of us.

Meerry Christmas to all.