THIS IS MY LIFE - 16

16 – ON THE MOVE – TO KUCHING
We were sorry to leave Penang but I was also excited to return to the town of my first appointment in Kuching. We farewelled on a Sunday morning, travelled in the evening by ferry to Butterworth to board the night train to Kuala Lumpur. With two young children we had much hand luggage. The comrades meant well, bringing little gifts even at the last minute! One European couple muttered, “Why do people not learn to travel light?” They did not realise that we understood English. I could not help blurting out that we were moving house. She then joked, “Where is the house?” I had to laugh.

We boarded the night train with Daddy sharing a top bunk with Poh Ai and I with Thean Hock directly below. The next morning we checked into the Kuala Lumpur station hotel to clean ourselves, wash the nappies and other soiled clothing, but generally to rest ourselves, especially the children. In the evening we boarded another night train leaving Kuala Lumpur at 9 p.m. On arrival we were disappointed that the new PR officer was not at the Tanjong Pagar station to meet us. Daddy rang CHQ and the General Secretary; Major Thelma Watson came, very annoyed that Brigadier Rudolf Geus, a Dutchman, had decided to take the day off to celebrate his birthday!

In those days we had to find our own accommodation when in our own home town. It was Tuesday but we had to wait till Saturday afternoon to continue the next leg of our journey. I always asked my uncle and aunt Ho to stay with them at Dhoby Ghaut. On hind sight, perhaps I was thoughtless, not considering the inconvenience we caused them, now that I had a family. Lord, forgive us. Sorry Ku Cheong and Ku Ma.

After a few days in transit, Lieut. Colonel Watson decided that she herself would drive us to at Clifford Pier to catch a launch for the outer shores. To board the Bentong, we had to walk up a swinging ladder along a side of the cargo boat, the older child in one arm of Daddy and the baby in mine! Poh Ai was very excited to be on a boat, but soon proved to be a poor sailor, and fell seasick. Fortunately the baby was no trouble. More than 36 hours later, we arrived, but the tide was too low for any boat to go up the river to Kuching, so we stopped at Pending and were met by Brigadier Elsie Willis, Captains Bob Webb and Janos Wasagam.

I well remember it was May 1st, a public holiday, when we arrived in Kuching. It was also the first day of the Annual Appeal for The Army in Sarawak. Kuching was divided into three areas for collecting, one each for the three centres namely – the Girls’ Home, the Boys’ Home and Kuching Corps. While Daddy unpacked our luggage and the baby was asleep, I went collecting along the row of shops in Sekama Road, with Poh Ai in the pram. There was method in my madness. I introduced myself as a new officer of the corps up the road, and then asked for a donation. Most shops would give in kind, like a couple of tins of sardines or milk, instead of cash. These canned good would be quite heavy, so the pram came in handy!

At the end of the Appeal month, The Army held its Annual Open Day. One of the stalls would have the collected goods put on sale, and the proceeds shared among the three centres. The Homes would also have other stalls selling things made by their children. During the year the older girls did sewing and embroidery, while the boys did carpentry. Their volunteers also set up other booths with goods for sale. It was always a great event in the town.

Three weeks after our arrival to Kuching, CHQ sent my husband to Sibu town as The Army’s representative to an inter-church conference in regard to Sarawak joining Malaya, Singapore and Sabah to form Malaysia. In the early days of British rule in Borneo the SPG (Society for the Promotion of the Gospel) or Anglican Church was allocated the first division of Sarawak with Kuching as its headquarters; the Methodist Church had its stronghold in Sibu in the second division; and the Borneo Evangelical Mission was given British North Borneo (Sabah). When the British government invited The Salvation Army to start social services in Kuching in 1950 The Army took its stand as a Christian denomination. Perhaps for that reason we were included among the participating churches in that 1962 historic gathering. This became the beginning of the National Council of Churches in East Malaysia.

We not only had a good working relationship among the officers, but there was also an amicable spirit among the churches. Praise the Lord!