Sungei Merah Stories : Bottles in exchange for two bottles of lemonade

 It is often an act of kindness which leaves a deep imprint in the mind of a child.

A young Iban child went with her father Lumpoh to sell rubber sheets to the middle men in Sungei Merah not so long after the Japanese Occupation.

Menai now living in Perth is on the right, wearing black and white striped blouse.

One of their favourite middle men was Kow Dieh or Ninth Brother, who later became my 5th Uncle's father in law. Towkay Kow Dieh was a Heng Hua man who also operated a bus which took passengers to the Sibu Airport from Sungei Merah. His bus occasionally took goods and passengers to Sungei Teku and Bukit Aup. Many Chinese families also hired his bus for funeral processions from Sg. Merah to the various cemeteries.

Thomas Ling getting two bottles of Aerated Water from a canteen

This Iban child who is now in her 70's remembers her visits to Sg. Merah very well. Going to Sg. Merah in those days was like visiting a big city.

One particular memory she has of her trips to was how her parents would take empty lemonade/aerated drinks bottles in exchange for more lemonade!