My Father's Stories : Bringing Up Sister Cheng Sieng

 My Father's Stories (5) : Bringing up Sister Cheng Sieng.

Between 1944 and 1965 my father watched his young sisters grow up without a mother. He however cared most for the youngest - Cheng Sieng or Ah Dae.

Here is is the "compiled" story from my father (before 1965) over the years about one of his favourite sisters Carrie aka Cheng Sieng aka Ah Dae.

Carrie was born in 1943 and by the time she was just barely able to walk my step mother (Wong) passed away from a bad miscarriage. It was hard to get a doctor during war time. And she literally haemorraged to her last breath. My grandfather, Tiong King Kee had passed away less than 5 months before.

It was so pitiful to see the young children mourning for our mother. Carrie was still too small to know anything.

Grandmother Wong Ni Moi, bound feet lady, took over the household and managed while my father mourned the death of his capable wife.

Carrie was also taken care of by her sisters, especially Chiew Sieng and pick sieng who were still invtheir teens. In those days there were no nurseries or nannies to place her in child care. So we just had to look after the young children.

Stepmother passed away in the 5th month of the Lunar Calendar and my father remarried Mother Siew three months later so that she could come to manage the household.

the children went through the last days of the Japanese Occupation, sometimes living in fear in the Hua Hong Ice Mill and sometimes living in safety in Binatang's Mee Ang's Rice Mill. My father travelled up and down the Rajang River doing small trading at that time, while keeping low from the radar of the Japanese. I looked after the semi closed ice and rice mill and occasionally operated the mill.

When the Japanese surrendered on September 11 1945, we were happy to be once again reunited as a family in Hua Hong. My two married brothers continued to look after Mee Ang Rice Mill in Binatang. My father planned for other developments. He had sold his motor launches and had bought more land in Lanang road with the cash. But first he decided to build a new house in Sg. Merah for his new wife.

By 1946 Yuk Ing Girls School reopened and Mrs. Hoover came back to Sibu to run it. Chiew, Pick, Gie and Hong went to live in the hostel, bringing 4 year old Carrie to stay with them. The girls were inseparable and Stepmother Siew was probably happy to let them all go to school. It would be difficult for the girls to be day scholars because of the boat rides between the island and the town were rather inconvenient.

Chiew was in boarding school with the younger girls until 1949 when she graduated from high school and went to Singapore to study. Carrie then went to stay with Aunty Yuk Ging for a few years. When she was in Form One she came to stay with us in Kung Ping Road as we had moved to Sibu then.

She and your mother Hung Chuo, got along very well.

Carrie used to say that she had several surrogate mothers, first there was Grandmother Wong Ni Mui, and then sister Chiew and sister Pick and then sister in law. Lau Hung Chuo was the one who saw to her needs during her secondary school days (St. Elizabeth).

Carrie was a very affectionate sister and she never forgot the love shown to her during her difficult life in Sibu. She often articulated her love for others and in return she was well loved.

It was really heart breaking to see her running around lacking real mother's love when she was a toddler.

We had a warm and loving family life in the wooden house in Kung Ping Road. Occasionally my father would drop by to see us and he would be most concerned about Carrie's exam results.

" Not many red marks I hope." Carrie would keep very quiet, respecting father's authority.

. At one time he stayed 10 days with us, to repair our Foochow concrete stove. He was a good concrete skilled worker and a very good carpenter. All the wooden windows he made for the different houses he built never came apart. they lasted for several decades!!

My father passed away in 1963 before Malaysia was formed.

By the time he passed away my 6th and 7th sisters had families of their own, 8th sister was about to be married and 9th sister from the USA, had come back to teach in Sibu. 10th sister was studying in Hong Kong and Carrie was about to leave for Hong Kong too.

In a way God had given my 6 sisters from Mother Wong special blessings for without their own mother they managed to become adults, complete their education and find their own destiny. Most importantly, they had a strong foundation of Christian principles and faith in God.

May be Carrie inherited my father's creative genes. She became a hobby jeweller in Hong Kong and sold her creations in many parts of the world.

She was always elegant, articulate and caring. She would bring gifts to those she loved without expecting any thing in return. And I really appreciate her laughter and big smile.