That was then...

This is a picture of an abandoned Felcra house (picked it up from flicker photos - tq). For those who don't know, Felcra is similar in purpose and function to Felda, a bigger and maybe better run agency. Both was in the news recently when the court ordered them to pay settlers millions of ringgit for buying latex or palm fruits at lower than market value.

This could be my family's house nearly 48 years ago... My parents and some of my older siblings would have just arrived at the settlement and starting a new life. I wasn't born until a few years later. The place would have been more forest than village.. tempat jin bertendang..!! Stories from my father and the elders in the village would have confirmed that too!!

I remember faintly that our house is built on stilts, there's a verandah and staircase where we would be sitting about, lepaking in the evening, watching the days and people go by. The place was cool in the day time but got really cold at night.. You can imagine how cold it is when we would have to reheat the coconut oil before we can use it for cooking in the morning..!! We were poor then... but i dont remember the struggle or the pain of being poor. Kids are so resillient... I only remember the fun, happiness and utter peace of the days gone by.. Playing around the kampung, dalam semak, belukar... running around in my underpants made of guni tepung cap kunci hahaha..!!

Those were the days... such carefree lives.... only on hindsight would i understand the tense atmosphere, the sadness in my mother's or father's eyes, or the small quarrels between my older sisters before they went up to my neighbour's house.... the embarrasment they must have felt having to borrow rice from them to feed us....My older brothers have to work to help ease my parents burden...

Thank you mak & abah.., along, angah, kak adoik, kak imot, kak zah, kak yot, kak itit, bang man.., my pesky little sister ina.. We would never be able to go back to the times.. but truly, i've never felt more happy, safe and loved than during those times... We were materially poor, but so rich in love and happiness..