SUNGAI CHOH (15) : Once Upon A Time | A Gift Of Nature

Once Upon A Time

(The Dance Of Colourful Umbrellas)

Young Starian

Village Girls

"Makan Beradat"

Kampung Ulu

Among The Trees

Rainy season is a gift of nature. It gives rain showers from the sky. However, it is time to hear the rhythm of the raindrops, sometimes accompanied by thunder. Also, to see the dance of colourful umbrellas. What a wonderful phenomenon, like the mushrooms that grow after the rain.  Anyway, in the mid-fifties my friends and I felt blessed and bestowed. Never for a moment we  let the rain fall alone or let  the rhythm of the rain without  dancers. It was a joy and an excitement that was hard to ignore when the rainy season began its round. We felt  "arok nian". Sometimes the wild call of a thunder was so challenging. So this was the moment we kept on dancing and yelling until the last raindrop.

Alone In Umbai

Wooden Bridge

Section 17

Along Kampung Ulu

The Last House

We cycled  down the road together, passing Sekolah Umum Sungai Choh. Laughing and screaming along the way as to celebrate  the rain. We finally reached the bridge of Sungai Choh in Kampung Tanjung.  Just  in time to see the river overflowed on both of its banks. What a thrill to see the rushing waters. By then we  gathered on the small bridge of Sungai Choh. Then one by one jumped into the flooded river. Of course without any clothes, no shame at all. Sometimes shouting like a wild cry of Tarzan, “garang nian”.  However swimming against the current was really challenging, but no one was drowning. Either the river was deep or the current was swift,  yet couldn't challenge our courage. Thus, we finally conquered the river’s violence.

By The Waterfall

Kg. Pulau Bahagia

The Young Starian

Far End Of Kg. Ulu

Narrow Tunnel Of Kg. Ulu

However on the next school day some of us were found guilty. Their names were announced in the class, loud and clear. Not knowing who was the unlisensed reporter. Maybe "musuh dalam selimut”. He or she was for sure the ears and the eyes of cikgu Mansur. Immediately five of the boys were ordered to stand in a row in front of the class, “badu rasan”. They were frightened to death. Luckily I was not included in the wrongdoers. But I was shaking to the bone. Then the unlucky of five "Hang Tulah" were forced to take off their clothes and pretended to swim. Pity them, they became clowns or puppets just as cg Mansur directed. What a shame. By then we could see red faces among the girls, “selek nian”. Anyway some of them pretended not to see.