Growing Up Part IV

Another night in Mumbai.

Back to 77 Jalan Storey, at the front there was a beautiful rock garden with a swing. Nearly all of us spent late afternoon there.

During our stay there, Bah had to go to Hawaii, where he was posted for a few months at the university. During that time mum started to learn to drive. By the way, Bah had changed his car to a “Hillman". Gone was my favourite indicator. One of Bah’s students, Ayob by name, was mum's driving instructor. She normally goes off for a couple of hours every alternate day for her lessons. My brother and I always checked the car for scratches after her lessons. Although we couldn’t find any, but it used to rile mum up when we did this.

My time in the early fifties, had no such thing as kindergartens. As Bah had many good friends in the education department, he managed to enrolled me in a normal school one year before I was supposed too. As the norm, being in a school environment the first day was daunting, but I got by that day ok except for one thing. While waiting for Bah to pick me up, I had the urge to pee, but I didn’t know where the toilet was. Naturally, I just peed in my pants! Mum found out when she took my school uniform. It was embarrassing especially when my brother made a big deal out of it.

It was at this house that a new addition to the family came about. Fizah was born on the morning of Eidil Fitri. Everyone was very happy that we now have another baby sister. Bah also mentioned that the 3 of us actually were borne on significant dates of the Muslim calendar, my brother on 1st Muharam, I on Maulud Nabi and Fizah on Eidil Fitri.

I remembered a number of incidents in that house, none were pleasant to say. One evening, I saw mum and Bah were getting ready to go out. So I went up to mum at her dressing table where she was combing her hair and asked where they were going. They were getting ready to go to a wedding dinner. Of course, I felt like wanting to go too, but they said no. I started whining wanting to go. Somehow mum lost her temper and hit me on the head with her brush that she was combing with. It was one of those types that had metal spikes sticking to it like porcupines. Although it didn't hurt, I was stunned. Then I saw the look of horror on mum’s face. She looked at her brush and I too saw that at least 4 of those spikes were missing. Feeling my head where I was hit, I felt the missing spike there stuck in my head! Mum started to cry that brought Bah came over to have a look. After checking my head he casually told me to get dress as I am going with them.

Now I was quite confused. We were going to a wedding dinner and me with metal spikes sticking out of my hair. During dinner at the wedding, I noticed the guests sitting opposite us stole glances at me oddly. I think they were too polite to ask Bah why I had metal spikes sticking out of may head. Bah & mum didn't offer any explanation too. I just kept up my head up trying to reduce the sight of the spikes. After dinner was over, we left and Bah brought me to the hospital where my Uncle Kadir was already waiting. Uncle Kadir is a serious man, and he just looked at me and started pulling the spikes one by one. Then he gave me a jab, which I presumed was a tetanus shot. I kept a brave and courageous front, not whining or even crying all that time. In actual fact, I was terrified that mum would hit me on the head again!

Another time, the whole family went for an outing to Kota Tinggi waterfalls. In those days, to get to the waterfalls, we had to walk a distance along stone and pebble paths. Being too excited, I accidently tripped and felled onto the pebble path right on my chin. It bled quite badly enough that Bah applied a bandage from chin to my head. He did this so tightly that I could not open my mouth. I think I looked really weird then, but nevertheless thereafter, all of us merrily continued our progress to the waterfalls. We spent the whole afternoon there with everyone swimming, climbing and eating, having a great time. Poor me just kept sitting watching everyone else having fun. I was afraid the water would increase the pain to my injured chin. Besides that pain, I was also suffering form acute hunger pain. This was because of the bandage! I couldn't open my mouth because of the bandage. Bah offerred to remove it so that I could eat, but I was afraid it might start bleeding again. All in all, it was really a disastrous outing for me. We all walked back to the car later that evening. On the way back, Bah stopped at the polyclinic where I had to have 6 stitches, as well as another tetanus shot. Today, if you looked carefully, you can still see the scare under my chin.

I learnt from these 2 incidences that Bah was always cool and never one prone to panic. More importantly, I learnt that he would not let anything, like spikes on my head or torn chin, to postpone or cancel his planned activities. So growing up with him can be so wonderful if he had anything planned, provided you are not involved in any untoward incidences like I did. This would not be the last time though, but I will tell you about them in later episodes.....