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1. There was a small
river just a few yards behind my grandma’s house. It was one of the many tributaries
of the Kedah River which had its estuary in Kuala Kedah and flowed northward through
the state capital, Alor Setar. I started bathing and swimming and playing in
the river since a small boy.
2. Eventually I
acquired a rather good swimming skill. I still recall during my teachers
college days, our swimming instructor would ask me to demonstrate the
breaststroke, the backstroke or the butterfly to the other trainees because I
could execute them quite flawlessly.
3. The river kept memories
of my childhood days. Once, my big cousin asked me to come along for a dip. I
thought it was going to be a relaxing occasion, but then as soon as we got into
the water my big cousin started to immerse me underwater by pressing my head
with his hand. I struggled to get to the surface for some air but gulped in
water instead.
4. After a while he
let me go and warned me not to be a busybody. Only then did I recall telling my
uncle a little secret about my big cousin: that the latter was smoking behind
his back. My big cousin made me swallow my anger. That was for minding other
people’s business.
5. The majority of
inhabitants along the small river were Malays, mainly rice farmers. One Chinese
grocer’s shops and two Indian’s cater for the whole community along the small
river. There was a Chinese family living far upstream where the river eventually
narrowed into the paddy fields.
6. Back then the river
was a means of transport. Boatmen would paddle along the river hawking mussels.
Occasionally, a long boat belonging to the Chinese family living upstream would
pass by, carrying either a full load of smelly pigswill upstream or a full load
of full-grown pigs downstream.
7. Sometimes the long
boat carrying its cargo passed by while we kids were having fun in the river.
We loathed it very much. We would curse and spit every time it passed by our
way.
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