Celebrating with cousin Bernice

My dear Bernice,

Ahead of May 22 when you will celebrate your birthday, I thought it timely to look back to that special date in 1972 and our unforgettable memories of you at 154.

Your father with Kenneth and Philip by the gate of 154

From the recent episodes I shared about grandfather’s house at No. 154 Jalan Ngee Heng, you will get an idea of our lifestyle when we lived with our grandparents.

Among the happy and sad events that took place at 154, we were there when your parents started dating, right up to their wedding day and onto that happy day when you were born at the Johor Baru General Hospital and then returned to stay in 154.

Ber, your mother’s month for her traditional confinement after you were born was at 154, well taken care of by our grandmother in the company of Aunty Sylvia and your delightful cousins who were then staying in grandfather’s house.

In fact, you were already in grandfather’s house since BEFORE you were born. To understand this, let me begin from the beginning…

I was just a schoolkid when I met your father, so my recollections are that of a child. He was then starting out on his career in Veterinary Science and was attached to the Government poultry farm in Larkin Jaya.

You know your father’s passion for Veterinary Science because he went on to an exciting and eventful career with the Central Animal Husbandry Station, a Government dairy farm located by the Ayer Hitam-Kluang main road.

Best of all, you grew up with the privilege in drinking fresh cow’s milk every day!

Your father inevitably earned himself the reputation as the Cow-man while your mother ended up, not only deeply in love with him but identified with him as an ardent collector of souvenirs and collectibles in the cow theme!

Dating Days: Uncle Steven
with Aunty Polly

Her display cupboards are bursting with cow-themed collectibles and the décor at home features numerous cow-themed but useful accessories.

During their dating days, I remember your mother used to keep a diary and she would jot copious notes into it every day.

And when Uncle Steven came to visit at 154, she would pass her diary to him. After he had finished reading, he would pass the diary back to her.

Maybe there were just too many of us around and no opportunity for her to talk to him in private, so it was just as well that she shared her thoughts with him in written form.

I, the sharp-eyed schoolgirl, observed that this happened each time he was in 154 and the hopeless romantic in me thought it was a lovely gesture especially when he could read the intimate details that she had penned from her heart!

At 154, there were three bedrooms upstairs:

Uncle Victor’s room had windows that overlooked the badminton court, the adjacent Girls’ room had similar side windows that also opened to the court while the Children’s room had one window that opened to the concrete platform or open balcony (after the renovation).

The Girls’ room and Children room were side-by-side where each room had a second window on the back wall which opened to a view of the upper reaches of Jalan Ngee Heng including the back gate of St Joseph’s School and the block of shops that ended with Gim Shew Building.

Uncle Billy’s (former) room was directly below the Girls’ room and right below the Children’s room was our grandparents’ room.

Our eldest sister, Ruby, would sleep on a foldable canvas bed and she shared the Girls’ room with Aunty Polly and Aunty Sylvia.

The occupants of the Children’s room were my sister Pearly and I, along with our brother Kenneth and cousin Philip.

A formal studio shot taken by a
professional photographer

Sometimes when we made too much noise – playing silly games when we should be asleep – grandfather would use his walking stick to hit the ceiling of their room (the floor of our room!) as a warning to pipe down and go to sleep, or else…

We never found out what “or else” was because nobody dared to incur grandfather’s wrath.

I’m describing the room layout in detail because it will let you have a clearer picture of the happenings at 154 while your parents were dating and thereafter.

[Please look at photo of the aerial view of 154 during its renovation and caption, featured in episode entitled, A glimpse of 154.]

Back then, a couple’s date would probably include a romantic stroll along Lido Beach or the Istana Gardens, going for a cinema show and enjoying a meal or supper.

They would probably dine at Johor Baru’s first food court, fondly called pasak-kia or Chinatown at Jalan Ungku Puan, next to JB’s infamous Sungai Segget.

Uncle Steven used to ride a scooter (Vespa?) and they went for joy rides too, but roads were then so safe that it was so romantic to walk from and back to 154.

In those days, when a couple was “going steady” it was fashionable to go to a photo studio and let a professional photographer take a formal photograph together.

I guess their formal photo together was proof that they were already a couple!  

Sometimes when Uncle Steven and Aunty went out on a date, he would stay over at 154 and leave for work very early the next morning.

A formal studio photo taken on your
parents' wedding day

By that time, Uncle Billy was married and had moved out, so his room downstairs was turned into a guest room.

In grandfather’s house, the instruction to the children was never to lock our room door – in case of any emergencies – so the door of our room was always slightly ajar. 

And whenever Uncle Steven stayed overnight, I would hear the wooden staircase creak when he came upstairs to pass her precious diary back to Aunty before he left.

“Polly!” (a pause) “Polly ah!” (pause again) he would say repeatedly in a loud whisper at the closed door of the Girls’ room until Aunty heard him.

Those of us who heard his morning calls were not alarmed anymore but got used to it because this soon became a norm.

So, it was only a matter of time before a date was fixed for their wedding. 

His close friend was your father’s best man while your mother’s cousin, Aunty Nellie was her bridesmaid.

I cannot forget the thrill of seeing Aunty in her wedding finery especially as we (the girls!) had the privilege of hanging around while the bride had her hair and makeup done by a professional, right there in the upstairs front hall of 154.

Irean AKA Sau Leng and her older sister (the Hakka Sisters!) were your mother’s friends and they have been our hairdressers since when we were school kids. It’s interesting that we are still going to them for our hair care, to this day.

Your mother holding baby Bernice
during your first month stay at 154

After your parents were married, they lived in the Government quarters within the dairy farm that was located close to the Ayer Hitam-Kluang main road.

In those days of no-mobile-telephones, it was probably quite lonely for your mother to be living in the farm so we visited your parents on weekends as often as we could.

There was then no Plus Highway, so our drive was by the scenic route from JB to Ayer Hitam, often with a stopover at Aw Pottery in Macap (very attractive toilets!) and then onward via the main road to Kluang, to where the farm was situated.

It was always fun and exciting to visit your parents because the trip included a tour of the farm, guided by your father’s passionate commentary about the various breeds of cow, milk production plus a visit to the milking shed and of course, enjoying a drink of fresh milk.

Then when we learnt that your mother was pregnant with you, we were overjoyed.

In her sixth month of pregnancy, your father was offered a rare opportunity of a Government Scholarship for a Veterinary Diploma course based in Tasmania, Australia.

That's baby Bernice sleeping in her cot

He must have wrestled with the option of whether to accept this offer because it would mean that he had to be away and by the time he completed this course, you would already be born.

Your mother was understandably, reluctant for him to leave while she was advancing in her first pregnancy, but she bravely encouraged him to go ahead.

She assured your father that she would be well cared for when she moved back to live with her parents in 154.

So dear Ber, this was how you came to be in 154 even before you were born!

Supported by her parents and in the company of her sisters, brothers and her wonderful nieces and nephews, your mother was enveloped in love and comfort through the final months of her pregnancy.

In Family fun at Istana Gardens, you saw how we often visited this public park and your mother enjoyed healthy outdoor exercise while she was pregnant with you.

On May 22, you were born at the JB General Hospital and your father celebrated your safe arrival with his colleagues in Tasmania.

My mother, the midwife who was then based in Masai, provided practical advice from breast-feeding, burping to nappy-changing to the first-time mother (your mother!) and helped to secure a live-in helper for her.

Your mother holding baby Bernice and
patting her to help her burp after a feed

Then we welcomed you, our beautiful baby girl back to 154 and you and your mother stayed in the downstairs guest room with Saroja, the helper.

While grandmother prepared a range of traditional dishes for post-natal nourishment, Saroja was an extra pair of hands to help your mother.

Meanwhile, the guest room was transformed into a comfortable confinement room, complete with a wooden baby cot for you.

I can still remember a unique baby fragrance made of a mixture of milk and baby powder that lingered in that room, especially after your bath.

Your wooden cot stood firmly in the middle of the room, parallel with your mother’s bed, and was designed with a tall wooden frame to hang a pink mosquito net.

At twilight the lacey canopy was hung up on the cot’s frame to keep you free from any unwelcome mossie bites.

Your mother had a collection of baby cot accessories for you and I remember a small yellow square box-shaped musical gadget with a string attached.

When the string was pulled down, the tinkling tune of Rock-a-bye-baby would soothe and lull you to sleep.

Two single beds were lined end-to-end against the right wall – the lower bed for your mother close to the back wall – with a slightly higher bed for Saroja, arranged close to the room door.

Aunty Sylvia [Left] massaging your mother's leg while
I massaged the other leg; Kenneth was on the higher bed
behind me while Saroja was seated on the lower bed with
your baby cot placed parallel to the lower bed.

A wardrobe and sideboard were placed against the left wall which served as a convenient counter to arrange your milk-bottles and other baby stuff.

With a deckchair as a daybed for your mother, it was a cosy setting in that room where we often accompanied your mother, chit-chatting and pampering her with massages.

Certainly, nothing could make up for your father’s absence, but I believe our company was good for your dear mother.

And when you were One-Month Old, we had a very special celebration for you at 154.

Over in Tasmania, your father had a One-Month Old celebration for his darling daughter with his colleagues.

Meanwhile at 154, we had a special thanksgiving not only because you were celebrating your One-Month Old milestone but also because you and your mother survived a most horrific incident here.

There was indeed much to celebrate because Ber, you were our Miracle Baby.

Much love from your cousin,

Peggy jie jie

To be continued…