This is my 54th article in this column As I See It, a figure of vital significance to me for 1954 was the year of my birth. Of course my entry to this world of the living was attributed to the love of mom (indai) and dad (apai). When I looked at my late indai’s back, her scars reminded me of the pain she had to undergo subsequent to my birth – those days an Iban mother had to sit with her back just inches from the burning wood, a mandatory process a woman had to undergo to get her wounds and delivery ailments speedily healed apart from keeping the body warm, a post delivery requirement before she could regain her usual good state of health.
Those scars reminded me of her pain and courage as well as determination in bringing to the world an extra burden, extra responsibilities as well as extra mouth to feed. Apai too was equally burdened by me not to mention playing similarly responsible role in looking after my existence and upbringing. Mom’s scars implied her love and care and that an offspring should return her these in reciprocity.
I found out throughout our togetherness that her love for her children was pure and simple; on top of it, unconditional. It was truly a mother’s love, unrivalled and unequalled. For that my conscience was clear, as I tried my best to reciprocate, giving her my love in return, providing for her and apai’s needs the best I could. When they were in Kuching, I let them try staying in classy hotels for a night or two while my wife and I would stay next door alone or at times with our toddler daughter, leaving our house to our two maids.
These episodes were in between 1985 and 1987. On Sept 1, 1988, around 11am I carried in my arms her lifeless body from a Sarikei Hospital bed to the mortuary while waiting for a vehicle to bring her remains to our Kedap longhouse about 66 kilometres away.
She was 72. The night before, a few of us, comprising mostly my teaching staff at SMK Julau – including a temporary teacher, Edwin Galan Teruki who played a key role in looking after the needs of indai during her last few hours alive – crowded around her hospital bed knowing her time was near. Edwin later became – and still is the Deputy Director General of the Fire and Rescue Services Department Malaysia, the first Iban and probably the first Sarawakian to hold such post. In 1989, a year after indai’s demise I brought apai, then 79, to Kuala Lumpur where we – my wife and our daughter included put up at the Federal Hotel and later at Genting Highlands’ Genting Hotel that houses the Casino de Genting, nearly 5,000 metres above sea level. I let him sit next to me at a roulette table where I won just enough to cover our expenses and fares. 1954 was a year where many celebr ities were born.
These include famous millionaire TV show host, Oprah Winfrey; movie actors, Jacky Chan, John Travolta, Denzel Was inghton, Denni s Quaid, Kamal Hassan and Ray Lotta; movie directors, Ang Lee, Ron Howard and James Cameron; pop singers, Jermaine Jackson and Annie Lennox; politicians/ world leader, Angela Merkel, Malcolm Turnbull; rock singer, Elvis Costella and many more. Born a Libran on October 20 of that year, I am a ‘horse in the sky’ according to the Chinese geomancy.
It claims that a horse in the sky sees things from a panaromic view, from above and most of the time with unique observations which are at times crazy, full of imaginations and creativity. Their minds are sometimes ‘out of the box’ for they are at times detached from realities of the world. My reading of this has made me realised there are some truths in these observations.
Somet imes Pegasus (al s o spelled Pegasos), the flying winged horse in Greek mythology comes to my mind. This pertains to the Chinese geomancy’s claim that a Libran horse born in 1954 is a ‘horse in the sky’ and my limited knowledge points out that Pegasus is the only horse in the sky. In a number of movies about ancient Greece, the famous winged horse saved the day for anxient heroes such as Hercules, Perseus, Jason and other legendary heroes. Many also said that Pegasus was the thundering horse of Zeus, the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. It has no relevance to our present day existence but I bring out the subject to expand our ‘weltenschauung’ (German word for ‘world view’).
The figure 54 is my favourite start or end to a four-digit (4D) lottery number. For example 1954 itself topped the Toto numbers years ago whereas its reversed (or ‘peng’) version 4591 also came up as first prize number some weeks later in the same counter. I missed both chances but made up for it when 5407 and 5409 came out top at other times in the same counter. I missed last week Wednesday’s draw when 5470 came out in the same counter for a small prize. At one time 5454 came out in the yellow counter as third prize number after earlier coming up top at another counter, both of which did not give me a welcomed change of luck.
When turning 54 in 2008, I remember receiving a call from my brother, Edward Jelani that our Uncle Antas Saa who worked offshore in Thailand as a driller took ill and passed on at a drilling platform.
His second eldest son, Thomas Antas, a former Mr Miri, went to Bangkok to take his remains back. Poorer than the church’s mice then, I was not able to come for the funeral in Miri. I remember throughout that year the King’s Men (Elvis impersonators) were busily engaged in various music joints in Kuching city. As one of them, I had the opportunity to perform with other top impersonators including those from KL. Among others were three of our comrades who had been called home to be with the Lord. May their souls rest in peace.
in 2008, the three of them, name l y , Re ynolds Gre gor y (Kuching), John Siaz De King @ Shaking John (Sibu) and Alex Ting (Miri) were very much alive and kicking. One of our shows was at The Steppes (now closed) at Jln Simpang Tiga. In the same year three of us, namely yours truly, Wilfred Vincent and Reynolds Gregory were also privileged to perform at Imperial Hotel in Miri for a DCCI-KCCI joint event that saw the presence of many Dayak and Kadazan-Dusun leaders led by Tan Sri Datuk Amar Leo Moggie Irok and Tan Sri Datuk Panglima Bernard Dompok. At 54 and going 55 I was anxiously in anticipation of various benefits offered upon turning 55, an age when one is officially a senior citizen. It is interesting to look back and reminisce after almost a decade passing 54.
