Doctor - a zigzag journey

Part 5 - Growing up in a rural town: The "seeds"

Background: 1974 - 1979 (Age 7 - 12 years)

We were exhausted. All our "kuih" were sold. After handing all revenues for the day to Ah Ma, I went to take a break.

Being a kid, I liked to watch cartoon. We couldn't afford a television yet. My neighbour - Abu, an Indian family - had a black and white TV. His wooden house was opposite ours, and his window was open when he switched on his TV. I usually had a peep through the window when Mickey Mouse was telecasted. On that afternoon, an English entertainment show which I called it "Tony and Mary" was on air instead. I was mesmerized by the singing and dancing of the artists. I naively wondered how much money the artists could earn. If I could be like them, we wouldn't be poor anymore. That moment of wondering was interrupted by a wood-chopping sound in our back yard.

Ah Ma was chopping wood which was a cheaper source of energy for cooking. Though she was short, she could chop a wood using an axe which was pretty heavy to be lifted up. She did that straight after a busy day of making and selling "kuih". She was committed to putting food on the table for us. I went to help to stack the woods (similar to the woods in the photograph in this chapter).

Dinner was ready when Ah Ba reached home. That night we had fried bean sprout with salty fish, fried eggs with "chaipo", and curry chicken. Ah Ma always cooked yummy food. We had chicken when we could afford it. Rice was our main food. It was kept in a plastic tub with a lid. The rice was running out soon. Topping up rice and groceries was not an easy task financially as we struggled to make ends meet.

Ah Ba was suffering from a chronic stomachache for many years.

"Ah Cheong, bring me my medication in the yellow container," Ah Ba said with his eyebrows furrowed.

The wrinkles on his face were far more evident compared to others aged fifties. His tanned and dry skin was a result of exposure to the sun. I handed him the medication, which I now know that it was antacid for controlling his stomachache. It was not treating the underlying disease. Seeing a doctor could be in Ah Ba's "to do lists" which unfortunately was not his priority compared to feeding and educating us at that time.

At night, we (mainly Ah Ma and my sisters) prepared ingredients and stuff for making "kuih" tomorrow. By then, we were tired and wished to go to bed. At 9 PM, the clock struck and chimed "dong dong dong ...."; one of us prayed and offered 9 "incense sticks" to a "GuanYin" statue seated in our living room. We prayed for peace, health, and wealth.

Before going to bed, my siblings and I usually studied, did our home works and revised school lessons. We usually went to bed around 11PM and woke up at 6AM for another brand new day. The daily cycle repeated itself. The variations were additional jobs (such as babysitting, house cleaning, and factory work) that Ah Ma did on certain days.

It was a sultry  night. The soporific effect of the heat was felt. We fanned ourselves using card boards. The weather attracted many fireflies coming out at night. Fireflies which I called them "glow worms" were my childhood toys because they were free. I kept them in a jar covered with a plastic lid that had a few tiny holes. I put the jar in my room.

It was bed time. Lights were turned off. Our whole wooden house was engulfed by darkness. Staring at the fireflies, I appreciated the little glowing light which was more noticeable in darkness. How helpless these flies! What tomorrow would bring to them? These thoughts reflected on me. I felt as helpless as the fireflies. Ah Ba should see a doctor soon, and our rice and groceries needed to be topped up too. What tomorrow would bring to us?

*****

A notable quote:

Susan L. Taylor: "Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth."

Reference: brainyquote website