My Father : Just a Sarong, without a shirt

 

My father was often without his shirt when he worked in the garden, or fished in the river. He knew that he sweated a lot and would have worn too many shirts. He did not want my mother to be overworked.

Interestingly, he would only wear one shirt for his office work and then one white singlet as his sleep wear. He was very considerate when it came to my mother having to do so much work. When later, we lived in Sibu, we had Kakak who came to do washing and ironing for us.

She would comment, "Towkay tidak banyak baju." And upon hearing this my father would be very pleased. He would wear his other sleep wear - a sarong for two or three nights and had it "aired" by the window.

He had all these habits because he had many siblings and a mother who was overworked.

Men who are very considerate like Foochow farmers, gardeners and fishermen, for example, would not wear shirts when they work. This is the kind of impression I have. Or is it a cultural habit?

I remember too the Sibu wharf labourers who did not wear any shirt when they loaded heavy gunny sacks on their shouldersd. They were tolerant of the heat at midday, and the itch from all the dusty goods. May God bless their souls.

One of my happiest memories was that of my father reading a book, sitting by the window to catch the evening sunlight, shirtless, and wearing a sarong. That must have been his quiet time.