The Day The Crows Flew By (Part 3)

...and now the 3rd part of the story. It starts to go deep.....

“Money! ...money! At least ten thousand bucks!” Ah Kow exclaimed.

Both were bewildered and at least for a minute, looked at the money in astonishment. They had never seen anything like that in their lives! In fact, $100 was the biggest amount they had ever seen – the $100 “Ang Pow” Hor Pek gave them the last Chinese New Year.

“Let’s count it,” Ah Tit broke the silence.

“Okay, okay ...but not a word! Not a word to anyone else,” said Ah Kow and he nodded his head in agreement.

This is the life. This is indeed the life. Counting money in the sun. It was another 15 minutes before they finish counting and for the first time in their lives, Ah Kow and Tan Ah Tit found counting fun.

“Naw!...” Ah Kow grunted, “...only two thousand and five hundred! Nearly all are one dollar bills! But hah!...we're lucky, let’s take it home – it’s a gift from God!”

Sand smacked off their pants and ready to leave, Ah Tit noticed something else in the trunk. He quickly gesticulated to Ah Kow and without hesitation Ah Kow moved his hand in to pull it out. It was a small piece of paper and on it was written chinese characters, a message. Ah Kow and Ah Tit being illiterate could not understand what it meant.

“Ah Tit, you keep the money in your hut first,” said Ah Kow as he slid the message into his trouser pocket, "...I’ll ask my wife to tell me what it means."

What is the message all about?

Both men were pondering. Not a word was uttered as they walked back to their sampan to fill their catch into four pails and then plodded along their usual muddy track to Hor Pek’s shop.

Hor Pek was busy supervising his workers weighing fishes and prawns delivered to his shop.

He just handed $15 to Ah Kow without even looking at what he had brought in.

“Just leave your catch there!” Hor Pek shouted to Ah Kow.

What a measly sum...both men said to themselves as they left Hor Pek’s shop.

“Ah Kow, you keep the $15. I still have some money with me. Moreover, when we divide the share of the money we found, seven dollars and fifty cents won’t mean anything,” Ah Tit suggested.

“...and ooei Ah Kow!! ...we go back after lunch to see who is behind all this.”

Ah Kow nodded in agreement.

Ah Kow’s wife Bee Ai is only 31.

Hastily match-made to Ah Kow five years ago after cancer took the life of his first wife, she is an excellent wife.

Naturally.... for Ah Kow has no off-spring from his first wife but Bee Ai is now three-month pregnant with his soon-to-come bundle of joy.

(More to come...)

The Day The Crows Flew By (Part 2)

...and this is the 2nd part of the story, Ah Kow made a little discovery.

It was Monday, 10am. Nobody was around. Who would be at the beach except Ah Kow and Ah Tit? The other bigger fishing boats of which Hor Pek owns are on the horizon, just ploughing back. Ah Kow reached for his crumpled Rough Rider and lit up a fag.

He tossed a stick over to Ah Tit and then lay his tired body towards the sand.

“Look at those crows, so many of them nowadays. My father used to say that they bring bad luck,” said Ah Kow, “...and look at that one on the ground by that tree – rather big isn’t it?”

Tan Ah Tit couldn’t be bothered.

“Hey, Ah Tit! ...can you see a package stuffed into a small hollow of that casuarina tree?” said Ah kow as he pointed towards the tree that was no more than 20 yards from where were.

“Must have been those picnickers from the city,” replied Ah Tit.

"I don’t think so. There were no picnickers here yesterday as far as I know... Come! Let’s go and see what it is!” suggested Ah Kow.

“You go on, let me finish my puff first,” Ah Tit took a deep drag.

As Ah Kow clambered closer to the tree, he noticed the package was neatly wrapped in newspapers. Something rather out of place, he thought. On his knees Ah Kow moved his hand towards it and...ouch!...like a stroke of lightning, he quickly pulled back.

“Hell! You son-of-a......” he cursed as he swiftly pulverised those ants that have started to bite him, “Hey! ...come lend me a hand! ...and bring along my lighter – it’s in the cigarette box.”

“Now what are you up to?” Ah Tit asked, giggling.

There was no time for answers, in fact Ah Kow didn’t even know the answer. He had just only managed to feel the package with his fingers but he could imagine that it is surely something unusual.

“Over there!...piece of paper...burn it! Kill the ants first!” an excited Ah Kow directed Ah Tit.

“Serves you right! The thing is not yours and you shouldn’t have touched it in the first place,” said Ah Tit as he obediently scrolled up the paper and lit it.

“Very cruel...very, very cruel! The ants had to die because of you!” grumbled Ah Tit.

“Shut up and don’t burn the package!” Ah Kow warned. Ah Kow looked around. Still scared of the ants, he broke a small branch and like the skilled fisherman he is, hooked out the package and quickly unwrapped it.

(...more to come)

The Day The Crows Flew By (Part 1)

...and this is the 1st part of the story, a brief introduction of the setting and first 3 characters

.

The tide beat a hasty retreat as it rescinded to the open sea. A score of casuarina trees lined the shore in this rather remote fishing village 15 miles from Teluk Anting.

Clutching his hands firmly to the side of his small meranti sampan, Ah Kow paused as he waited for his partner, Tan Ah Tit, to get off.

They had just returned from their morning fishing trip.

“Okay! Let’s get this thing on the beach!” hollered Ah Kow

Weather-beaten Ah Kow has been a fisherman all his life and is quite used to the kind of life he leads. He used to say he will never get rich – moreover, what’s the use?

At sixty-two, albeit not the senile sixty-two, Ah Kow is a healthy specimen for a man his age.

“If I have the chance to get rich,” he said as he dragged along his ‘life' – the sampan – towards the beach, “...I’ll make sure that people like us us better boats, outboard motors, better nets!...and we can sell our catch without going through Hor Pek!”

“Don’t you trust him?” Tan Ah Tit asked inquisitively.

“I do! ...in fact ther are only three persons in this world that I I trust ...Hor Pek, you, and my wife. Yes ...only the three of you,” Ah Kow declared.

Tan Ah Tit is two years younger than Ah Kow but with with the varicose so distinct in his forearms and sharp creases over his face and body, Ah Tit looks more like 70.

Hor Pek is a wealthy fish-dealer and middle-man. He would buy the 10 to 15 katis of fishes and shrimps that Ah Kow brings in daily for $15. This amount is then equally shared between Ah Kow and his partner.

“Hor Pek gives us enough for our survival,” said Ah Kow, “...and what more can we ask of him? ...The city folks come only on Sundays and moreover, they are so stingy! They treat us like beggars – sometimes they laugh at our small catch and offer us just $5 for our blood, sweat and tears!”

Phooi! Ah Kow spat to the beach with a grudged spite....

(...more to come)

...and the love story begins

Once upon a Saturday mid-night, I was restless.

I was still tossing and turning in my bed, no thanks to the few cups of expresso a couple of hours before bed-time.

Wifey was already in deep slumber and I tip-toed to the door; got myself at the dining table reading “dead” news from the day old newspapers as all 3 TV stations already ended transmission.

By chance, I noticed a call for entries to a nation-wide short story competition, ....and so I thought it might be a good idea to kill time by writing one. I always have crazy ideas!

That was 22 years ago, 1988.

The inspiration came almost immediately as I mentally mapped out a love story with a twist - and in no time I was scribing down the characters to the story line by hand on pages of fullscape papers.

I started writing the story, and words flowed somewhat effortlessly. I was in top writing form. It was strange. I amazed and completely surprised myself! ...and with a writing form like that, it was easy to tweak the storyline as I went along.

“What!..” wifey exclaimed, “...you worked right through this hour?”

It was already 7:30 am Sunday morning, and I was editing the long story written. I had to slash about 50% of what has been written just to make it a short story, abiding by the competition rules on story length.

You see, it wasn’t the age of computers yet then, and I had to write by hand – and I write heck lot faster than to work it out on a typewriter. I completely messed up our dining table.

Becky and Samuel, then aged 8 and 4 years respectively had awoken, and they looked strangely at what has been going on at their favourite breakfast spot “ursurped’ by dad.

With a little clearing up, we sat down for breakfast anyway and the story was unfolded to them. Sam was still too young to understand but wifey & Becky liked it immediately.

The whole story was again re-edited in the afternoon, and the next day it went through skilful typing by Daphne Ng, a personal assistant in the factory where I worked.

As she was seated just 10 feet away from where I was, I could see the expressions on her face as she typed. Sometimes she smiled and sometimes she heaved deep sighs. Sometimes she grinned, and sometimes she shut her mouth ballooning her cheeks. When she was about to finish typing the story, I could see her taking a quick wipe on her eyes. If only I had taken snapshots of those moments!

The results of the competition were announced and I emerged a winner! Fourth placing to be exact, not bad for a first-timer!

Around that time I was also working on a “TORAY – Pen Group” corporate video with Don Law, film director Krishnan, a colleague Yeoh Khai Leong and script-writer Ms. Khoo Su Nin (now Khoo-Salma Nasution, President of The Penang Heritage Trust). At that time, Ms. Khoo was also a journalist with The Star and she was assigned to interview me.

My story “The Day The Crows Flew By” written under the pen-name Yee Sang was published in The Star on the 6th of December 1988. The phone didn’t stop ringing for days after that!..... I was so happy with this acheivement!

...and through those 22 years, I wrote a number of stories but I have kept them under lock and key. I yearn to get them published when the time is right.

Let me share this short story with you on this blog. I shall post it part by part for your reading pleasure from tomorrow. Enjoy the read, and feel free to comment.

I am now exploding the storyline, adding more characters and intrigue, and to blend in interesting sub-plots and lotsa monkey tricks to make it my first novel.

Wish me luck!

...and what an exciting weekend at Palm Villas

Absolutely enjoyable!

In true camaraderie spirit with neighbours in our community, we played hosts appeasing ghosts! We extended our bonhomie to ghosts left in the wilderness; wandering ghosts, spirits and lost souls.


Our neighbourhood is a new “one-year old” gated-community complete with swimming pools, playgrounds for the kids (and grand-kids), gymnasium and an aptly spaced community hall which we are using for the first time for a cultural tradition that is a “must-do” especially those into Taoism. It was a great success, with all ghosts appeased by the generosity contributed by friendly residents including non-Taoists!

The "day-before-the-ceremony” started at 7:00 pm with prayers to our in-house “Dato-Kong” at his good-looking and well-kept shrine. Members of this first ad-hoc committee worked through this ritual and paid homage to “Dato-Kong”, offering food and prayers for the well-being of all the residents.

There was not an iota of nonchalance.

As “Dato-Kong” feasted heartily, members chatted excitedly about the events for the big ceremony to be held the next day. We discussed the protocol, led by Mr. Hee. Other members included Judy & hubby Mr. Loh, my neighbours directly opposite my unit Mr. Wong Ying Kuen & spouse, another Mr.Wong who is living next door to AhHee (not Alice), Mr. Neah Pai Cherng, maintenance management rep Mr. Chin and yours truly the feel-good blogger :) CS Cheong.

The short ceremony ended 45 minutes later, and the whole crew continued discussions on the roles and responsibilities for the main event to be held. Matters arising took the most time, hahaha!

....because we started sharing our experiences with doctors, about growing up, hilarious rubber-tapping episodes and ghost stories that took us through till 10:30 pm! (lights were on, kekeke!)

Sunday 22nd August started early at 7:00 am and members, including a great help in Mr. Tan, were already arranging table & chairs in the hall and laying the offerings on a table-height altar platform – to be ready for the 9:00am ceremony.

Scrumptious food and fruits, Chinese style “kuihs”, and drinks including beers (yes! ....beers!) were offered.






The main dish, two 35-kati whole roasted pigs,

 a pile-full of “ong-lai” (pineapples) and bags and bags of high-quality AAA Thai fragrant rice topped the icing on the cake! It was a sight of delectable gastronomy to behold. The ghosts will be pleased!

The first prayer started at 9:10am, good hands chipped in to help out with joss-sticks and miscellaneous work. A hive of activity starts to build up as residents thronged in.

I had to leave at 10 am to drive over with wifey to offer prayers for my late parents at a temple in Penang.

The roads to Penang appeared ghostly, almost completely free of traffic, as if the ghosts knew about my intention to return for the closing ceremony activities!

My late parents weren’t fussy either, they quickly accepted our prayers of respect and reverence rendered; and they quickly finished offerings to them as if they knew our itinerary as well. In no time, we were on the way home.

Like clockwork precision we returned at 11:55am, and the closing ceremonial activities soon begun.

“Gold”, "silver" and “money” were heaped and burnt for the hungry ghosts, wandering ghosts, lost souls and spirits to make sure they have enough until next year, same time.

We made sure that they “ta-pau” (take-away) too - by tossing more fruits, rice, and tea into the inferno of goodies!

It looked like not only the ghosts have been appeased, but the residents too – everyone looked pleased! The sincere event and the goodwill generated more than assured that evil spirits, lost souls or ghosts will let our community live harmoniously, peacefully, happily with much prosperity; and not go through any enigmatic “ghostly” experience.

The mood after prayers was really highly “spirited”.

At the community hall, residents tucked in food with choices of mineral water, wholesome beverages or cold beers to wash it in... :)

Friendly chatter and laughter filled the air, and the “satay” man engaged to BBQ a thousand sticks of marinated skewered chicken meat was suddenly the most popular guy around!

I say a big thank you to Mr. Hee, the organizing and protocol chief; all the hard working members of his ad-hoc committee, and all residents of Palm Villas, Butterworth, Penang who helped in one way or the other.

We had our tummies filled too, the share of the food and cold beers. Good neighbourliness became the order of the day; everyone got the chance to get to know each other better.

...and many of the residents are now calling for more events to be organised. Residents now look forward to the mid-autumn festival – a traditional Chinese lantern festival for the kids (and grand-kids) to have fun and games by the pool-side next month.

Since there are so many festivals celebrated by this melting pot of a community, I can bet the mid-autumn festival,

                                                         Christmas,

 

Hari Raya,

                          

                                                                            Divali,

Chinese New Year,

will become focal points where residents gather and celebrate together.

To end, I substitute the word “dream” on John Lennon’s famous quote with “festival” & “celebrate”..... “A festival* you celebrate* alone is just a festival*. A festival* you celebrate* together is reality”

Have fun! ...life is for living!

Life should be a fun and wonderful journey for everyone!