Confinement Lady - Lurk Ee.

 Sixth Aunty was my mother's best friend and cousin (china born) and unfortunately we dont have a photo of her .

She was a very tiny lady, even smaller than my maternal grandmother. When she first came to Sibu, she was supposed to marry one man, who rejected her because she was a child bride who did not bring a dowry. Her parents did not even give her a decent name, like a flower name, or a name from nature. She was Six Sister. Number Six. Probably her mother gave birth to ten children. Most of her sisters were given away as child brides, meaning a life sentence to work, slave for another family, to give birth to children, look after the elderly and husband, etc. That was the role of a female in those days. Education was not for them, the big footed, not bound feet women.

We never knew what happened to the bride groom to be's family, which by right had to take care of her until she could find another man to marry. My mother's family took her in and she offered herself to be a confinement helper from the age of 14 . She learned to serve new mothers from that time onwards.

People had to line up to book her and she worked for 8 or 9 new mothers per year, earning as little as 60 dollars in those days for a month. A baby boy would provide her with a bonus, a piece of material, and perhaps even more gifts. And at the same time, her food was taken care of during the confinement month. She had important tasks like washing the clothes of the new mother and the baby, bathing the baby, cooking for the new mother and sometimes the whole family and generally keeping the house clean. When guests arrived with gifts to see the new baby she had to prepare the chicken soup and noodles to serve to them, and it was really unending list of work to do. Very bone breaking but she did everything with a smile.

When my brother was born, my grandparents were very happy and gave her quite a bit of cash reward. My mother went on to get her for every one of her children's births. And when my turn came, my mother got her to help me for my first two babies.

When my third baby came, she said she was too old and she needed a rest. All in all she was a confinement lady from 1940's to 1980's. It was longer than a full term of civil service.

When she was retired from confinement service, she took a three wheel cart to sell green beans soup, dieh bian, and other kuihs along the several roads of sibu, from Kampong Nyabor to Tong Sang Road. Because she could not cycle, she pushed the CART!! Besides she was too small in height and body weight to be on the bicycle seat. Many people didn't realize that.

But her customers loved her because she was such an honest trader.

I last met her one morning when she was pushing her cart towards Kampong Nyabor. I called out to her, telling her that I was moving to Miri. It was such a bitter sweet farewell. I was not to meet her again. It was good to see her so cheerful. Because it was a busy time for her I could not get out of the car along the busy road to give her a hug.

Later I thought to myself, I should have followed my sixth sense and bade her a better farewell.

Not long after that my mother called to tell me that she passed away.

I will be forever grateful to her. May angels envelope her with lots of hugs.