This is a biography of my
grandmother. I interviewed her at her apartment on the 15th July
12, 2006. Her name is Pon Bte Abu. She was brought into this world in the year
1938 and lived in a ‘kampong’ in Batu Pahat, Johor with an older sister and
parents. Her elder sister is still living in Batu Pahat and she often visits
her especially during Hari Raya.
Her father worked at the jetty
for ferries as a supervisor. She can hardly remember him. Her mother was a
housewife as well as a cloth seller. They were not rich but neither were they
poor. They lived a happy life together. In those days, parents were very strict
particularly in terms of manners. My grandmother said that her parents never
smacked or whacked. Instead, they would glare at her for a long time before
pinching.
My grandmother was never bored as a
child. There were a lot of games to play. Some examples are ‘congkak’, five
stones, catching, throwing rubber bands and many more. She also learnt how to
cook and sew at a young age. I was told that cooking and sewing were a “must”
for a girl in the past. She was not mischievious and did not play any pranks.
My grandmother attended a Malay Girls’ school. She told me that at that time, girls were not allowed to mix
around with boys even if they were neighbours. She stopped schooling at the age
of 12. She would visit her teachers during Hari Raya. The name of her favourite
teacher is Sharifah Hasnah Bte Abu. She was a kind-hearted teacher and was
particularly fond of my grandmother. There were no after-school activities in
the past; students were to go straight home after school without question. The
subjects they took were the same as the subjects we are studying now.
The village her family was living in
had no electricity and water supply. They used kerosene lamps instead of light
bulbs and they had to build their own water tank using bricks and cement to
collect rainwater. Funerals were held at burial site which was found near the
mosque. My grandmother enjoyed decorating clothes and cushions with sequins to
relax. She would often go to Seremban to visit relatives. There were only
provision shops near villages.
Life was quiet and peaceful until
the Japanese came. My grandmother was too young to remember anything. She was
only about four or five years old when she heard bombs coming into contact with
the ground. The only thing she could remember was when the Japanese came
barging into the house shouting “Cina? Melayu?” repetitively. It means “Chinese
or Malay?” She also saw them loitering around other villages. Other than that
incident, her family was not involved with the Japanese anymore. Life was
miserable. They dared not go out. Food was insufficient as the Japanese had
taken their food earlier. They were always hiding and had no freedom. The fear
was unbearable.
Life under the British was
comfortable. They had freedom. Living under the Japanese rule was the total
opposite. It was a life that was filled with no other feeling but fear. Being
under Malaysia Singapore
After the war, life continued as
usual. In 1956, my grandmother got married. She was match-made. Her wedding was
considered quite grand at that time because there were six goats to slaughter.
She migrated to Singapore Singapore
She gave birth to her first child at
the age of 19, in the year 1957. Two years later, she gave birth to her second
child, my mother and another two years after that another baby was born. The 4th,
5th, 6th and 7th children were only a year
apart from each other. During the racial riots, life was more difficult. They
had to be careful and were not allowed to go out. When it was over, life
resumed as per normal.
They moved from Geylang to Hill Street Pandan
Gardens
For my grandmother, marriage was the
greatest thing that ever happened in her life. Life after that was even better.
She is now 68 years old and living happily with 7 children and 18
grandchildren.
By:
Rabiatul Adawiyah
2E4
(13)
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