My Childhood Period (pt. 2)

During the care-free days of my pre-teen years (7 – 12 years old), educations were not that competitive, there was no compulsory tuition class, no after school activities, except during the sport`s day seasons, no tension. After school, when the tide was high, we would be in the river, which is behind our house, The water in those days were crystal clear, not polluted by present days` motor boats, except during the monsoon when the river water became yellowish and rough. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy much of care-free time, as one of my parents or sister would yell at me to come up from the river to help man my parents` shop.

When it was low tide in the evening, the riverbed near the bridge became our play ground. It was sandy, unlike today. The bigger boys, especially Mr. Chua Boon Hock and his brother, Boon Seng, and the younger brother of  Mr. Seah Siew Beng, that is, Siew Leng, (sons of `Po`Lian Por) the tough guy, would organise games and sporting activities, such as cricket game (our version), high jump, long jump and running. The Chua brothers became teachers, the profession which suit them best, because of their organising and leadership qualities and abilities. Mr Seah Siew Leng, was in the uniform service, which suited him well because of his built.

 Those children from `ua sua` (literally means near the land side, referring to people from across the street; those who stay along the river side, like ours, are known as from `ua hai`}, who wanted to swim had to come to the pier, dropped their clothing down to the underwears, some were naked, jumped into the river and enjoyed themselves. Another 2 spots where they used to go for the deeps were `hai kuan phor`, where Sri Malaysia Hotel is, and another place was `sua pek` where Pasar Kedai Payang is now standing. Sometimes, without the knowledge of my parents, I used to join the clique at `hai kuan phor`. There was one small size, agile and mischievous boy whom we called `lau kau` (old monkey), the brother of `Ah Thong`- the `kuateow` soap seller in Kampong Tiong. This mischievous `lau kau` used to dive down and pulled our home-made underwears off while we were swimming and threw them away. Though mischievous, he was our protector. If anybody were to disturb us, he would be there to fight them off. The last time I met him, a few years back, he told me he is now staying in Singapore.

There were no electronic games, no computers and no televisions for us to while away our times. We had our own seasonal games, like playing marbles, rubber bands, 20 sticks cigarette boxes of different brands ( 555, Players-showing picture of saluting navy and few  other brands), flying kites and `buah lepek`- brownish seeds of a type of trees found growing by the up-stream river bank. These seeds could only be found among the debris wash ashore during the monsoon time. We played these games at `Kheam Keong Lorong`( now World Heritage Lane, Chinatown (Lorong Warisan Dunia, Kg. Cina) ) which is between Chop Lee Hong and L.K.Keong and  the one opposite it is `Ah Wah’s Lorong` ( now Tau Kay Wee Sin Hee Lane (Lorong Tau Kay Wee Sin Hee) ) and we were always chased away because of the noise we made. Another lane where we used to have our childhood games was at the `Yew Yong Lorong`. Actually the name referred to Mr. Wee Yew Yong, father of Wee Seng Beng /Wee Kim Kim, who stayed 2 doors away from this lane; the house is now rented to POH ANN Chinese medicine shop. The lane is now known as Lorong Kenangan Payang Kg. Cina ( Payang Memory Lane Chinatown ).  At the far end of this lane were wooden public toilets on stilts. I do not know whether those toilets were for fish mongers of the old market or for villagers of Kampong Jamil, across the street, who used to come through the lane beside CHOP SWEE GUAN, with a `timba` full of water. A `timba` is a specially made zinc bucket for drawing water from the well. The leader of our group at this lane was the late Wee Seng Lim. We used to gamble with poker cards, mind you, we played with real money but the stakes were small, 5 cents or 10 cents only. Mostly, we played `sam kee pai`. One day while we were enjoying our game, a policeman rushed in, we ran away leaving the money behind. Some of the boys jumped into the river, I hid inside the toilet. In fact that policeman was more interested in our money than arresting us. He confiscated the money on the ground and went off, making him a few dollars richer. I still can recalled the 2 brothers who used to play with us, one was nickname `Haw` (tiger) and the younger brother was `par` (leopard) who are the nephews of  late Mor Cheng Kiat of police force. They stayed with their grandparents next to Chop Swee Guan. They later moved back to Singapore with their parents when the old couple passed away.

Talking of `Kheam Keong`s Lorong (now World Heritage Lane), I think of `San Kau`(skinny monkey), the son of `Ah Phong`, the fried mee seller. In the afternoon, this Ah Phong would push his cart from his house next to Ho Ann Keong temple and anchored by the road side in-front of this Lorong. His son, San Kau, rain or shine, would never wear shirt safe for a dirty short which slipped down below his `chor chai` (navel). From his appearance, his mother must have passed away when he was very small and not properly taken care of. When he was old enough, he had to follow his father and acted some sort of an assistant He would sometimes help to put the order (mee, kuateow or beehoon) together with pieces of pork on the plates for his father to fry. His unwashed body and hands with long dirty fingers nails added flavour to the fried. The customers across Ah Hwa Kopitiam  by the side of Lorong Tau Kay Wee Sin Hee, and those around there could not resist the smell of the fried, gave Ah Phong the business and did not bother about the look of San Kau. This San Kau, being a boy of our age, could not resist straying away from his duty to join us for the games. His father, Ah Phong, would come with bundle of chopsticks and hit him on the head. He would obediently go back to his chore. Though he had to help his father and deprived of his childhood funs, he was always jovial and every now and then he would bust out singing popular Chinese songs of the days (every word properly pronounced correctly, even though he had never been to school). Sometimes, in the middle of the nights, he would walk the street of Kampong Cina serenading. When his father passed away, his sister-in-law took over the business at their house next to the Temple. He told me that he was never paid for the job, he ate whatever was available. When his house was torn down in mid 1970`s to make way for Jalan Kampong Tiong, his sister-in-law moved her business to a stall in the glutton square in `Hai Kuan Por` area. Later his sickly sister-in-law retired from business, `San Kau` was left Jobless. With an old tricycle carrier, he went around looking for old recyclable goods for sale until he was knocked down by a drunk `Christian` driver. He was never fully recover and became limp and was unable to work. A lot of people showed sympathy for him and passed him a couple of bucks whenever they saw him and sometimes pay for his meals. He was never a smoker .Whatever he had, he spent it on meals. Once, he told me his age which is 2 years my senior. This poor `san kau`, lead a challenging life from small to old age. The last time I saw him was during 2010 Chinese New Year at the Ho Ann Keong Temple. I supposed he must had been sent to old folks home.

 During the monsoon seasons we had funs too, especially at night. When the tide came in during early part of night, the waves were so strong that when they rush in under our house and smashed against the wall of the road, water would splash up onto the road and also our 5-foot way. Sometimes, the passersby were caught unaware and got drench. Sometimes a few of us would run down the whole stretch of 5-foot way when we heard the waves rushed in. Those who got wet the most were the looser. Whether win or loss, most of the times, I would get whacking from my mother or father.  Waves also filled up the 4 feet wide drain in front of present Mr.Teo Hwee Kiat`s shop, with river sand. We had great funs building sand castles, or volcanoes. That was when I was below 7 years old and my parents would not allow me to wonder too far away. Those were the good old days of my time. Once the hydro-electric dam was built in Kuala Berang, the river was as tame even during the monsoon time as any other time. Now, the river near the estuary is made narrower and deeper for the annual Monsoon Cup.

During that time, I used to go in and out of HONG BEE TOBACCO COMPANY, No. 79, Jalan Kampong Cina, which was a few doors away from my house, to visit a couple of maternal grandchildren (gua soon) of its proprietor, Mr. Tay Wee Jin. The sons of his eldest daughter were nick name as such, Ah Wan, Or Ee, Pek Ee, Ang Ee and the youngest, the same age as myself, Ah Wan Kia; and also  one of the son of his 2^nd. daughter, Ah Beng.. The whole of these `gua soon` later went to Singapore to seek their fortunes except for Or Ee, who was the most studious of the lot. He later married the daughter of Teo Lian Hin, who was famed for his durian cake. When Mr. Tay Wee Jin passed away in 1957, his only son from his second marriage, Mr.Tay Jr., took care of the HONG BEE TOBACCO COMPANY as a minority partner. The majority partner was Teck Siang Company which later moved the COMPANY from No. 79 to its own building in front of the Store Supermarket. By that time, all brands of cigarette were locally produced. With the enforcement of government New Economy Policy in Terengganu, the tobacco companies withdrawn their agencies from non-bumis and gave the agencies to Bumiputra companies. Mr. Tay Jr. who married the daughter of a motor shop owner later moved to Kuantan to start anew. Lately, I was told that he has moved to Kuala Lumpur and retired there. I used to play with him and borrowed his bicycle when we were small; he is a few years my junior.

Another boy whom I used to play with was Wee Ann Jin who is 1 or 2 years my junior. He was rather a timid type and the eyes easily became red. We became closer when my cousin, Geok Sian moved into his (Ann Jin) ancestral house at No. 81, We used to attend matinee show at Capitol theatre. He is married to a nurse and now migrated to Australia.