For the record, the boy first had a group picture taken of him self only in 1970 while he was in standard six. The first time he saw a TV was while he was in form two or three sometimes in early 1970’s. His first time wearing long pants in Form 4 and only got a wristwatch the same year donated by his brother. Neither his parent nor his brother could afford to buy him a new watch. Often he salvaged watch bought cheaply or given away by well to do friends. He would borrow reference books from friends when they were themselves not using them. In spite of all the hardship he would wake up 2 or 3 am in the morning to study for his examination together with friends. Hungry stomach studying at such odd hours compelled them to climb coconut or mango trees to satisfy their hunger pangs. Different students had different motivations to study hard. The boy had a unique motivation of his own. He realized even at that young age.
He had no choice but to study hard otherwise he would end up suffering the same fate as his older siblings who struggled daily to meet end needs. He saw early in life that though his siblings were born on to this world before him they continue to make no headway in life but languishing in misery and poverty instead. Didn’t they say poverty breeds’ poverty? Poverty is also vicious cycle. One had to struggle to free oneself from it all!
In spite of his poor background he studied quite well compared with his peers. For the most part from Form 1 until Form 5 he was among the top students in his class. This he did in spite of almost without any motivation from his folks who never inquired about his school examination results or performance in school. His stepfather preferred he stopped schooling so that the boy could become his constant companion in all his fishing trips and farm works.
Like others his age he was at one time or the other ridiculously interested in a classmate – first a Chinese than an Iban girl, all to no avail. Imagine he was even interested in a businessman’s daughter who was in his class. How could a poor boy with little confidence in him self win the heart of girls when there was no shortage of better looking and stylist boys around? Intimating style then was by way of writing a note indicating one interest in a particular girl and leaved it in her pencil box overnight. The reply or response would be received through the same pencil case the following day whether positive or negative. None was of any particular success to remember. Sorry guy – no one is interested in you!
The boy too was interested in playing games or joining sports of some kind but he had no money to buy sport shoes such as soccer boots or shorts. As a result he was not good at any of the games.
Survival technique in those days was an interesting story in itself. The boy could consume two packets of instant noodles at any one time. The water was boiled using borrowed water heater and the noodles were let to soak in a container for a few minutes before consumption. During regular meal times one could scoop as much rice as need and then queued up for the dishes. If round boiled egg was served for dinner or lunch the boy and his friends would hid the egg in rice and queued up again for the second serving making sure nobody among fellow student servers notice the cheat or even turned one face away so as not to be recognized or lessen the embarrassment if caught. As much as 20 – 30 pieces of cream crackers could be consumed for each breakfast time. Imagine the tremendous appetite in those days where food was never enough.
Students slept in a boarding house with double deckers. Mosquito nets were used to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Bathing and washing of personal clothing were by turn in the common bathrooms and toilets.
The boy continued his study in Miri’s college. He took a small coastal vessel from Kuala Mukah to Kuala Bintulu together with total strangers whom he had never met – a whole day journey. Scared and worried he put whatever little money he had inside his socks under the shoe. Nobody (repeat nobody) should have attempted to rob him for a small knife was also hidden inside his socks in one of the two skinny legs. Putting aside fear and shyness he joined other passengers for a simple lunch on the boat. Hungry and desperate he did not bother to wait for any invitation to partake in the lunch. Arriving in Kuala Bintulu (now known as Kemena) at dusk he looked for a place to settle in for the night. Situated near the wharf there was this tamu (small market place cum rest house for rural folks) where he saw a lot of other fellow Iban. He settled at a small corner for the night. The boy dared not leave his big bag alone for fear of it being stolen. Never mind there was nothing much of value to steal anyway. The bag was a treasure to him. He did not have proper food that evening because of the bag problem. He spread out his bath towel and slept for the night. The mosquitoes truly had a feast that night and it showed on the boy’s body the next morning.
From Bintulu the boy proceeded to Miri joining another group of strangers in a chartered taxi. The road to Miri then was unsealed and gravel. Imagine the backbreaking trip it was throughout the 4 – 5 hours journey.
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