Tough times never last, but tough people do.
— Robert Schuller, American Christian televangelist, motivational speaker and author
Something terrible happened to my elder sister and her family recently.
Their rented houses at Kampung Sebiew in Bintulu were among a row of 11 wooden houses which caught fire early one morning before the crack of dawn.
My sister managed to escape with her important documents like identity card and bank card which she kept in her handbag; she was getting ready for her forthcoming medical appointment in Kuching.
Her husband escaped with just the shorts he wore; he had no time to grab anything for himself because he was busy letting the cats out of the cages and shooing them out of the house.
My niece also escaped with just the clothes on her body.
Like my sister and her family, their neighbours also escaped with just the clothes on their backs.
In the course of my work as a journalist, I often across stories of fires. Although many were tragic, none affected me as much as the July 2 fire which gutted my sister’s rented house in Bintulu.
My niece had phoned me very early that day as soon as it was daylight. But I did not pick up the phone because I was still in dreamland.
Imagine how shocked I was when I returned the call about two hours later. I talked to my niece because my sister was still in a state of shock.
Later in the day, she lamented the loss of a beautiful and expensive set of pots and pans her daughter had given her for her birthday. They were still wrapped in the lovely gift paper.
She also lost the pressure cooker and special stove she had bought in Kuching just a few months ago plus all the plates, spoons and utensils. She also lost the salted fish she had bought for us.
My niece showed me a picture of one of her cats which was terribly burnt by the fire. She took it to the vet but the feline died the next day.
“Now, we have to start from scratch, like a newly married couple,” said my sister.
I told her that she and her family should be thankful to God that all of them including the occupants of the other houses managed to escape safely from the fire.
Besides her handbag, my sister also managed to grab a brand new handbag that my niece had just bought as a gift for me.
“I didn’t want to hear her grumble and nag endlessly for months if I failed to escape with it,” explained my sister. I was touched when I received the pink bag in Kuching.
After the fire, my sister and her family and all the fire victims had to lodge police reports so that they could reapply for the documents they lost.
Sarawakians are very generous. Many of those in Bintulu came forward to help my sister and her family as well as the other fire victims. They donated food, used clothes, footware and cash.
For a few days after the fire, my sister, her family as well as their cats, cockerels and birds slept on the veranda of her former rented house. Only the veranda remained after the blaze.
There were offers of free accommodation elsewhere but my sister and her family could not bear to leave their traumatised pets behind.
Now, my sister has found another small house in the same kampung to rent. With the help of some villagers, her husband is doing minor changes to the house to make it liveable.
Soon, my sister hopes to sell some fast food again. She was in Kuching recently for a day. Besides going for her medical checkup, she also shopped for a new pressure cooker and blender which were vital for her business.
Members of our Liong family also donated cash to help her buy the things she needed.
I took a picture of my sister at the Kuching Sentral bus terminal just before she boarded the bus for Bintulu and shared it with a friend.
“She looks sad and traumatised,” commented my friend.
Although my elder sister and her family lost almost everything in the fire recently, I thank God they are alive and well.
We all go through hard times in our lives. I hope the fire will make my sister and her family stronger and appreciate life more.
It has certainly made me realise that I should keep all my important documents in a bag and grab the bag if I have to flee suddenly.
The fire also highlights how fragile human life is. We can be here today and gone tomorrow.
