This is my entry for Blog Of The Week: That One Childhood Memory That Lives With You.
I was the youngest in my family and I have 7 brothers and 1 sister. My parents operated a retail shop at Tebakang Bazaar, a small rural bazaar comprising 28 double-story wooden shophouses that were constructed during the colonial era. Tebakang is located more than 40 miles from Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. In the olden days, due to the bad road conditions, the journey to Kuching from my village would take about half a day. I can still remember my late mother telling me, she used to travel to Kuching by boat and the journey entailed spending a night at the river bank. At that time, the gravel road has yet to be constructed. Tebakang is a rural agricultural community and those who patronized my parent's shop were Bidayuh natives who are farmers.
The first 7 years of my childhood were spent in this kampung (the Malay word for village) and it is the happiest time of my childhood. Those were carefree days without any worries. Life was simple and blissful. With 9 children to care for, my mother let me play with all neighborhood children around my age all day long. I made sure that I always return home in time for lunch and dinner so that my mother would not be angry. The days were filled with laughter and so much fun. I can still recall the mornings or afternoons when swam naked in the river, just frolicking in the sun. On windy days, we flew kites. We played all types of games from hide and seek, playing catch to batu-batu(playing with stones)
When I was seven years old, my sister Mary persuaded my parents to let me go to Kuching for my education. At that time, Mary was already a primary school teacher at Kuching and two of my brothers Lawrence and Andrew were attending secondary school there. I can still remember very vividly the day that I left Tebakang for Kuching. It so happened that the bazaar was flooded on that day. I was in the back seat of a pick-up truck along with other passengers. My mother clad in a sarong was waving goodbye to me. I noticed that her eyes were red, so I knew that she had been crying. She made sure that she did not shed any tears in front of me. My heart was shattered into a million pieces but I managed to put on a brave front. As I waved back to my mother, I told myself again and again I must not cry. "Be obedient to your sister" my mother muttered as the pick-up truck drove away. I can still hear the splashing of floodwaters against the wheels. I kept waving back until the image of my mother and the bazaar disappeared into thin air.
In Kuching, there were a lot of adjustments that had to be made and numerous challenges for which I was fully unprepared. To be separated from one's parents at such a tender age is very painful. I was especially close to my mother and being the youngest child I was often being pampered by her. I had to grow up quickly and learn to be more mature and independent.
I also had difficulty adjusting to the urban lifestyle. I kept nagging my sister daily that I wanted to swim in the river, the activity that I missed the most. There were no trees for me to climb. I longed for the fun and carefree days that I had experienced in the village. Initially, I also had difficulties making friends at school and at my neighborhood. Back in Tebakang, we all speak Hakka but in Kuching, the Hokkien dialect was extensively used. It took some time before I was able to converse in Hokkien fluently. At school, I was academically behind all my classmates. Almost all of my classmates had attended 1 to 3 years of kindergarten before entering primary one. On the other hand, I didn't attend kindergarten at all and so it was quite a struggle. I had learned from an early age that I had to work hard for whatever that I wanted in life.
This childhood memory also reminded me of the sacrifices of my parents and my sister so that I can have a better and brighter future. Both my parents did not have any formal schooling. In fact, I am the first generation to go to school. I am unable to pay back to them for all that they have done for me.
I am now retired after a successful career in the Sarawak Civil Service. I am also blessed that I was able to travel the globe extensively. But at the core of my heart, I am still a "budak kampung" (village boy). The same boy who spent his days swimming in the river and engaging in fun activities with other village children. The memories of my days in Tebakang and the fateful day that I had to go to Kuching have kept me grounded. It is a reminder that I had come from a humble background and despite whatever success that I had achieved later, I need to remain humble.
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Do check out my previous posts.
Discovering The Enchanting Hakone Open Air Museum
My Unforgettable Trip To Bario Highlands, The Eden Of Borneo
Daring To Dream At Age 60 Part 2
My Trans-Siberian Railway Adventure Part 1: Views From A Train’s Window
My Trans-Siberian Railway Adventure Part 2: Views From A Train’s Window
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Charles
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