CHAPTER FOUR : OVERBOARD

It was the end of year examinations period for me during my Primary 2 year. My results were average and I was what the teachers would label ‘normal’. Not too bad and not too good. I always received a passing grade for my subjects and this was one of the times that man would get miffed by the fact that he did not have a chance to scold me. My results were given out by the form teacher and I was elated to know that I scored 2 A’s. I got full marks for both my English and Chinese language. Just then, the upsetting news came knocking on my door, the result for my Mathematics paper was saddening- 78/100. My teacher comforted me by saying that everyone did their best and my result was considered fairly well.

                                               

With a heavy heart, I dragged my feet home and again, I had the intention to run away from home. I even thought of committing suicide.

Before I could open my mouth to declare my results, the man walked up towards me and demanded to see the results slip. I was horrified at his gesture and I knew he had been waiting for this day to give me a good lashing and caning. With a rebellious stare, I passed the results slip to him and waited for the timely scolding to be showered on me.

“Full marks for English and Chinese. That’s not bad. I doubt you can score this for the rest of the papers; you are just so useless, not like our darling Julien. He is going to be a smart guy in the future, definitely smarter than you.” He retorted at me with the look of terror.

As he came upon my Mathematics paper, I sucked in my breath.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? 78 marks! This is ridiculous! Have you been sleeping in class? Or have you been hiding in the toilet while the teacher is teaching?” he exclaimed, using his elbows to nudge my head.

“You should know what to get me now!” he continued, sneering.

I walked towards the place we hung the cane with my heads bowed down. I presumed that this would be a harsh punishment this time.

As I handed the cane over to him, he shouted over my head, “I will cane once for every mistake you made here! To make you remember it forever!”

I had twenty three questions wrong and so, I had to endure 23 slices of that piercing cane. As the cane sliced my skin for the tenth time, my mother walked into the room screaming for him to stop. He got so furious that he started to cane my mother too. Mummy made a grab for the cane and threw it at him. She carried me away and went to pack her luggage, dumping our clothes into it.

Without another word, she stormed out of the house in tears. Returning to Eunos Crescent was a joy for me. I got to enjoy my days with my grandparents and my uncles. My grandfather was the most precious gift to me from heaven and I adored him more than anyone else. He was not rich but he was very consistent in his work. His days were toiled away at his company that provides catering services. Day in and day out, he would drive a big huge lorry to deliver the buffet items to different companies for different events across the whole of Singapore. It was a tiring job but being the hardworking grandfather that I know, he strived really hard to make a living.

For the first few days, Mummy would follow me to school. All the way from Eunos Crescent to Hougang Ave 8 as my primary school was located there. It began to take toil on her after some time and she decided to teach me how to go to school by myself. Eventually, I became independent and knew how to stand on my own. I detested going to school as I would occasionally be bullied and humiliated. I was really petite and I dare not go against the bullies. I was called a “tomboy” due to my short hair and even when I take the bus, people would say: “Ah Boy ah, can you please move to the back?” I was more of a “di di” (brother) than a “mei mei”(sister)

My days were spent in merry, returning to Eunos Crescent, dumping my school bag aside and eating my lunch alone. I would finish my homework and than enjoy my favourite cartoons on ‘Cartoon Network’. I had nothing much to worry about and led a fuss-free life. Mummy eventually returned to the man’s side after a phone call whereby he tried to pacify her with sweet nothings, proclaiming that he missed her a lot and that days without her were full of gloom. He ordered my mother not to bring me along as I would be a nuisance, causing them to quarrel. He also claimed that I was the reason why their relationship would sour.

Smirking when I heard what Mummy told me, I thought that he just needed someone to do the housework for him.

I spent a year over at Eunos and loved every minute of it. Grandpa treated me really well and I went on trips to Genting with my uncles, grandparents and my uncle’s wife. Through the years, my big uncle remarried to a really nice woman by the name of Angeline. Though she was really an amazing wife, his unfaithful streak never seemed to leave him. In only a year time, he was ready for another divorce. As for my small uncle, Dunkan, his Indonesian wife had left him after they got married for only four months. She ran home, back to Indonesia when she found out that Dunkan, similar to his elder brother, was being unfaithful. She was heavily pregnant at that time, but her despair gave her the determination to leave him.

Dunkan was remorseful and he felt lonely. He wanted to win his wife’s heart back again and was really desperate. He had no money and due to that, had no ability to travel to the country his wife was residing in. In a bid to save his relationship, he got so desperate that he stole my grandparent’s bank card and took away all their savings, amounting to 20 thousand dollars. It was their hard-earned money. Grandma worked long hours as a helper at the coffee shop to earn that much money for herself. He took all the money, and without a word, left for Indonesia.

My grandparents were devastated and greatly furious. They were at the same time, worried about their son’s well-being. With each passing day, they got more and more anxious. News travelled like the wind and some of our relatives told my Grandma that Dunkan was seen in some parts of Thailand, in some rural areas.

With that small glimmer of hope, Grandpa bought the air-plane ticket for Grandma and she travelled there alone to look for him all alone. A woman in her mid-fifties, having to strike away the fear of solitary, just to see that her son was safe and sound in that remote country. I was still young at that time, and I did not know what was happening. But now that I know that was how my grandparents were treated, I felt really ashamed that they were treated so poorly. They worked so hard for their kids but none of them were grateful for it.

Eunos Crescent was like a secret haven to me. I did not have to fear for anything or anyone. There were complications all around and it was chaotic but my grandparents never allowed me to be affected by it. They wanted to let me enjoy the bliss of being a child, without any unnecessary worries. I yearned to stay there forever and never want to see that man ever again. Sadly, my hopes were left unfounded. In 1999, the man bought an apartment in Serangoon North and requested for me to move in together in his hope that we would be a happy family. The idea was revolting but do I have a choice? What exactly did he want from me? First, he wanted me out of his way. Now, he wanted me to be in his family?