If I were to say I come from a village called 'Graveyard village', one would think I was kidding. The big house address was at 9G 'Mariamah Street' (my aunt must have named my cousin after that street name) in the village called Graveyard Village. It doesn't sound so bad actually in the National Language (Bahasa Melayu) - Kampong Kubor.
The house was opposite a very big graveyard area which were bordered by Mariamah Street, Petri Street and Mahmoodiah Street. At the corner of Mahmoodiah and Petri Street was the present Sultanah Aminah Hospital. I spent a good part of my childhood life in that village. The graveyard grounds was where my brother, my cousins and I flew kites during those days.
I was the type of young girl who probably did not play much with dolls. My elder cousin sister was several years older than me, thus I was slightly too young to be in her group. I was still literally wiping my nose dry when she was already looking at the male species, I gathered. Those younger than me were two cousin sisters and my youngest sister, all were the youngest in the family then except for one cousin who had a younger sister 10 or 11 years younger than her at a later stage. The three, being the youngest in the family all hung around respective mothers a lot. So I was left to look for things to do on my own. So I decided to join my brother and my cousins and their friends in playing traditional games like galah panjang, kunda-kundi, marbles, flying kites, war games, card games, playing chess, you name it, I was among them. No wonder I grew up to strive high, it must have been those competitive days that made me into who I am today. Being a girl does not nean I cannot excel and you had no choice but to excel to play with them. You just have to be below par like in golf to be counted in. It's only when I felt like playing house with my older cousins sisters, was when I did not have to compete. We cooked rice at our makeshift huts and maybe other food as well but I can't remember now. Now I know why I am not into cooking, I wasn't even interested in playing it during those days too.
There was this yellow painted Madrasah (religious school) that I went to for many years in the earlier part of my religious education. The teachers then were so fierce whom I still remember Cikgu Nab, Cikgu Leha and Cikgu Melah. Cikgu meaning teacher. Cikgu Melah was my favourite, she was nice but she tried hard to be fierce just to keep us in tow. She passed on at quite a young age if I am not mistaken, of cancer I think.
The Madrasah later became the house where my cousins (eldest uncle children) lived after moving from Batu Pahat, I think. I was so young then I can't remember. What is still clear in my mind is that I always go to the house to read the books my cousins were priviledged enough to own. It was like going to the local library which I later frequent as I got older. My older sister and cousins frequented the house to, to meet up with the older cousin sisters. Sleepovers were not rare too. Those days I remembered it was ok to move around alone. It seemed so save then.
As I grew older, from the Madrasah I went to the religious school called Bukit Zahrah School, which is a good half an hours walk from home or maybe more. Then it was walkable, not now though. Later I moved to another religious school called Sekolah Bandar Tinggi. My sisters would know why I moved there as I can't quite remember, maybe because that was after I left that village in 1971 to live in the new house my sister bought, sharing with my uncle on the other side of town. All the while I was living in that village I went to the best all Girls' school called the Sultan Ibrahim Girls' School for the other half of the day. Even then we went to normal English schools as well as to the Religious school. Parents understood the need to balance knowledge for the future on earth as well as for the thereafter.
I still remember my late Mak's friends living at Lorong 3 and Lorong 4. They were more like family, some are still living there while many have moved on to somewhere else. Both streets were hilly and it felt like a long climb uphill but now it is not so daunting anymore. It's all about perspective. From our home it was downhill. Used to follow Mak on her regular visits to her friend's family.There was also a grocery shop nearby there that Mak frequented. Then she had the luxury of credit to buy goods and only pay at the end of the month.Similar to plastic money. Then it was recorded in a little book with triple 5 on the cover. We call it 'buku tiga 5'. That was the regular statement like today's credit card statement. I guess both sides kept the statement. If I can remember the owner were Indian Muslims named 'Leman' and ' Mammat Unta'. Unta as in camel, must be due to his height, after all he was a tall person without humps of course. Going there at shopping time will earn us a bottle of aerated (gas) drinks and other goodies. If only Mak knows that now we try to avoid drinking it because of the sugar content and there are enough goodies that is left uneaten, at least in my house.
The village environment was such that the friendship (ukhwah) among neighbours were very good. Our immediate neighbour was related to my eldest uncle by marriage. Thus my cousin's from Batu Pahat's uncle's family. To me then, they were just family. The woman of the house was the late Mak Ngah and the family still lives there. How would that be in relation to us, just work it out. The other next door neighbour were the rich Pak Haji and Mak Haji. Those days only the rich got to do Hajj. They have a daughter, Kak Rose to me. The rest I can't quite remember. My family knew the neighbours from one end of the village to other end but we were not the busy body type like you see in the Malay dramas. It was pure silatturahim. My Quran teacher Cikgu Comel also lived nearby. I never finished my Quran studies with her as I left the village when I was in primary 6. Today in my neighbourhood I only know three neighbours on my street. Mak would have balk at my attitude, but circumstances changed she would understand.
Our childhood plays an important role as foundation to who we are today. From young we learn about Ukwah, Sillaturrahim and friendship. I can safely describe my childhood in this short epistle... family, friends, competition, traditional games, carefree childhood, education worldly and religious, fun loving, happy moments, friendship, ukwah and silaturrahim.
The house was opposite a very big graveyard area which were bordered by Mariamah Street, Petri Street and Mahmoodiah Street. At the corner of Mahmoodiah and Petri Street was the present Sultanah Aminah Hospital. I spent a good part of my childhood life in that village. The graveyard grounds was where my brother, my cousins and I flew kites during those days.
I was the type of young girl who probably did not play much with dolls. My elder cousin sister was several years older than me, thus I was slightly too young to be in her group. I was still literally wiping my nose dry when she was already looking at the male species, I gathered. Those younger than me were two cousin sisters and my youngest sister, all were the youngest in the family then except for one cousin who had a younger sister 10 or 11 years younger than her at a later stage. The three, being the youngest in the family all hung around respective mothers a lot. So I was left to look for things to do on my own. So I decided to join my brother and my cousins and their friends in playing traditional games like galah panjang, kunda-kundi, marbles, flying kites, war games, card games, playing chess, you name it, I was among them. No wonder I grew up to strive high, it must have been those competitive days that made me into who I am today. Being a girl does not nean I cannot excel and you had no choice but to excel to play with them. You just have to be below par like in golf to be counted in. It's only when I felt like playing house with my older cousins sisters, was when I did not have to compete. We cooked rice at our makeshift huts and maybe other food as well but I can't remember now. Now I know why I am not into cooking, I wasn't even interested in playing it during those days too.
There was this yellow painted Madrasah (religious school) that I went to for many years in the earlier part of my religious education. The teachers then were so fierce whom I still remember Cikgu Nab, Cikgu Leha and Cikgu Melah. Cikgu meaning teacher. Cikgu Melah was my favourite, she was nice but she tried hard to be fierce just to keep us in tow. She passed on at quite a young age if I am not mistaken, of cancer I think.
The Madrasah later became the house where my cousins (eldest uncle children) lived after moving from Batu Pahat, I think. I was so young then I can't remember. What is still clear in my mind is that I always go to the house to read the books my cousins were priviledged enough to own. It was like going to the local library which I later frequent as I got older. My older sister and cousins frequented the house to, to meet up with the older cousin sisters. Sleepovers were not rare too. Those days I remembered it was ok to move around alone. It seemed so save then.
As I grew older, from the Madrasah I went to the religious school called Bukit Zahrah School, which is a good half an hours walk from home or maybe more. Then it was walkable, not now though. Later I moved to another religious school called Sekolah Bandar Tinggi. My sisters would know why I moved there as I can't quite remember, maybe because that was after I left that village in 1971 to live in the new house my sister bought, sharing with my uncle on the other side of town. All the while I was living in that village I went to the best all Girls' school called the Sultan Ibrahim Girls' School for the other half of the day. Even then we went to normal English schools as well as to the Religious school. Parents understood the need to balance knowledge for the future on earth as well as for the thereafter.
I still remember my late Mak's friends living at Lorong 3 and Lorong 4. They were more like family, some are still living there while many have moved on to somewhere else. Both streets were hilly and it felt like a long climb uphill but now it is not so daunting anymore. It's all about perspective. From our home it was downhill. Used to follow Mak on her regular visits to her friend's family.There was also a grocery shop nearby there that Mak frequented. Then she had the luxury of credit to buy goods and only pay at the end of the month.Similar to plastic money. Then it was recorded in a little book with triple 5 on the cover. We call it 'buku tiga 5'. That was the regular statement like today's credit card statement. I guess both sides kept the statement. If I can remember the owner were Indian Muslims named 'Leman' and ' Mammat Unta'. Unta as in camel, must be due to his height, after all he was a tall person without humps of course. Going there at shopping time will earn us a bottle of aerated (gas) drinks and other goodies. If only Mak knows that now we try to avoid drinking it because of the sugar content and there are enough goodies that is left uneaten, at least in my house.
The village environment was such that the friendship (ukhwah) among neighbours were very good. Our immediate neighbour was related to my eldest uncle by marriage. Thus my cousin's from Batu Pahat's uncle's family. To me then, they were just family. The woman of the house was the late Mak Ngah and the family still lives there. How would that be in relation to us, just work it out. The other next door neighbour were the rich Pak Haji and Mak Haji. Those days only the rich got to do Hajj. They have a daughter, Kak Rose to me. The rest I can't quite remember. My family knew the neighbours from one end of the village to other end but we were not the busy body type like you see in the Malay dramas. It was pure silatturahim. My Quran teacher Cikgu Comel also lived nearby. I never finished my Quran studies with her as I left the village when I was in primary 6. Today in my neighbourhood I only know three neighbours on my street. Mak would have balk at my attitude, but circumstances changed she would understand.
Our childhood plays an important role as foundation to who we are today. From young we learn about Ukwah, Sillaturrahim and friendship. I can safely describe my childhood in this short epistle... family, friends, competition, traditional games, carefree childhood, education worldly and religious, fun loving, happy moments, friendship, ukwah and silaturrahim.
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