Wednesday, September 8, 2010

THIS IS MY LIFE - 24

24 – HAPPY FAMILY IN IPOH BOYS’ HOME
Our immediate predecessor at the Ipoh Boys’ Home was a single Dutch lady, Captain Kitty Krueger. She must have felt lonely because she was often out leaving the staff to run the Home. There came a time when she lost control, having depended so much on a certain Eurasian bachelor house master who lived on the compound, Mr. Leicester. Anonymous letters found their way to the local press and IHQ, accusing the officer of absenteeism and negligence. So she was transferred.

Our family left Kuala Lumpur by train and arrived in the Ipoh on 4th July 1969. From the station we proceeded to Tambun, a small village where the SA Boys’ Home was and still is located. Rows of lovely orchids and a cage of colourful budgeries greeted us as we were driven up the driveway to a porch in front of the main two-storey building.

The ground floor had a room on the right side of the lobby used as the office. Behind the lobby were the dining room, kitchen and laundry. On the left side of the front lobby was a flight of stairs which led up to our quarters – a flat which was spacious, well furnished and kept by our predecessors who were all missionary officers.

Surrounding the house was a big compound with many fruit trees – durians, mangoes, rambutans etc. as well as rows of orchids. To the left of the main house were three long rectangular barrack-like buildings, two were furnished as dormitories for the boys and the last one as a multipurpose hall. To the right there was another similar building for the big boys’ dormitory.

We registered Gladys at a Convent Girls School which was not far from the Home.
My husband managed to enrol Stephen in the Anglo Chinese School for boys in Ipoh town. So, every morning our children travelled in the Home van with the boys on their way to the various schools. We had permission from CHQ to do so, refunding $10 per month as fares. However, they returned home on their own by public transport, and when possible my husband met them at the bus-stop.

My husband would spend time with the boys in their studies just as he did when we were in charge of the two Boys’ Homes in Kuching and Penang. Then he would go on his night round to pray with the small ones and tuck them into bed.

We thought the boys here were settling down after the storm, but one day stink bombs were thrown into his office! At night while on his round, stones were pelted at him. This went on for a few nights till he came home one evening, bleeding and hurt. Naturally my husband discussed the matter with Mr. Leicester. He seemed horrified that such a thing could happen.

In the course of my husband’s investigations, someone gave a lead. The house master was suspect. It seemed that he had a very cosy relationship with some of the boys and resented anyone coming between him and them. Perhaps he was working towards being in charge of the Home? It was alleged that he had been the instigator of all the previous rebellions in the Home! We could hardly believe it, because he was always very courteous and obliging. CHQ was informed but nothing could be done without concrete proof.

Meantime we tried to shield our children from this mutiny. Soon they were being harassed by some of the boys when travelling to school with them. Captain Ruut PIUTUNEN, of the Children’s Home, very kindly invited Gladys and Stephen to play with her children sometimes. I was stressed enough because Poh Chin was a very difficult baby to care for. She was always crying and more often than not vomited after a feed. We felt that perhaps all the tension in KL and now in Ipoh must be the cause. Later on we discovered that her problem was cerebral-palsy.

The officers and children from both Homes supported Ipoh Corps in Kampong Simee in the Sunday evening meeting. The Corps Officer was Lt. LOO Pho Khuan. There were hardly any “outsiders” except for one faithful Salvationist family, Mr. Peter and Mrs Ruth WOON with their children, Susan and James. now citizens of Canada. Ruth is the sister of Andrew ONG of Balestier Corps.

Just about the same time, Captain Peter & Mrs. Grace CHANG (Korea Territory) on CHQ received farewell orders. He had been sent to our command as Training Principal. After two sessions there were no more cadets. They were also in charge of Central Corps. However Hong Kong had cadets but no Training Principal. So CHQ moved us back to Singapore - to Central Corps.

At the end of December, a little more than five months in Ipoh, I left for Singapore with our three children, to get the two older ones registered for school in January 1970. My husband accompanied us by the afternoon train to KL where we changed to the night one which left at 9.30 p.m. for Singapore. He then got on the 10 p.m. train, back to Ipoh. (Incidentally his fares were personal.)

Meanwhile my husband remained in the Ipoh Boys’ Home till Captain and Mrs. TAN Thean Seng and Lay Saik arrived from Kuching to take over the reins.

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