SUNGAI CHOH (16) : Once Upon A Time | Bond Of Friendship

Once Upon A Time

(Bound Love Between Husbands And Wives)

However, it was normal to have other name besides the real name. This was probably the practice of Bengkulu traditions, as a social norm. That's why sometimes you couldn’t find someone by his IC's name. We were actually quite familiar with nicknames. Somehow or rather, we felt closer and more friendly. It's this bond of friendship that kept us together when we were happy and when we were sad, although sometimes we did not know our friends’ real names. Anyway, it was not funny when my friends called me "Acit" as my nickname. Even in my family, we had nicknames. My father called me "Kerdil" not "Hang Kerdil", because I was too small for my age. Maybe lack of vitamin A. However, the nickname "Jandang" was of course appropriate for my elder brother as his body shape was quite big.

Probably  nicknames were more friendly or had more sense of belonging.   Even my father called my late mother Mak Andeh, a short form for Mak Pandir. Of course my father would be called Pak Andeh. Sometimes the husband called his wife related to her physical appearance such as Kembang, short form for Kembang Semangkok. The husband who was thin and tall would be nicknamed Lah or Anjang, meaning  Galah Panjang. However, they had to accept the additional names, especially when so many Mat or Man in the village. For example Man Bun for Man Buntal, Mat Cit  for Mat Buncit or Mat Ding for Mat Cekeding.

Kg. Pulau Bahagia

The Beauty Of Waterfall

My Father's House

A Junction To Kg. Valley

A House Of Kg. Ulu

The girls were even subject to nicknames. My sister Rosnah was nicknamed  Upek and my neighbour Ziah was popular with the nickname Wok. In my class, I only knew my classmates by their nicknames, such as Enol, Uli, Kali, Mus, Imut, Ipot, Itam and Boi. Until  now I haven't known their real names for years. My others close friends are Wai for Anuar, Cat for Arshad, On for Sameon, Atan for Maaruf, Chaak for Ishak, Abot for Misbah and Anang for Yazid. However, today's kids have very fancy names, such as Ela Esabila Eliya, Winna Alya Nabilam, Abriana Pratista, Khairul Diniel Idham, Abbad Nailun Nabhan and Abid Fadhil Abyan.  Oh my God, how to memorise  all those names.  For sure, it will twist grandpas' tongue. Even their nicknames are nice for the ears such as Intan, Anje, Putera, Baby, Boboy, Honey, Princess, Cristal, Pearl; you name it.

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.

SUNGAI CHOH (14) : Once Upon A Time | Psychological Elements

Once Upon A Time

(Confused With Rules "Do's and Don'ts")

My Sister Una

My Mom's Friends

My Cousin Ali

Road To Kg. Ulu

From The Main Road

Because I lived far inland, I always missed fresh sea fish in my daily meal. That's why kembung rebus and canned sardines were my favourite dishes then. Not to mention kicap, sambal tempoyak and belacan bacang, to stimulate my appetites to bits. Maybe it's because of the kicap that my skin was a bit darker than my elder brother,  Budin. That's what my mom always said. Sometimes there were psychological elements that prevented me from obsessing over food.  However, as a child, I had to follow Bangkulu rules. As they said, playing for a long time in the rain would cause scales to grow on the legs. Even eating  more fish  than necessary would only encourage the worms to grow big in the tummy. Maybe it's the polite way to prevent greed in my eating habits. Sometimes I got confused with rules "do's and don'ts". However, this was how most Bangkulu mothers taught  good morals and behaviors  in their children's daily life.

My Best Friend

My Brother's Friends

My Best Comrade

Memory Of Kg. Ulu

"Tempat Busek" In Memory

When talking about fish I could not avoid telling about fishing as my hobby. Yet only a few fishing spots were to be my choice. Only two places of interest in Kampung Sungai Choh  were the focus of anglers. Namely sungai Choh and sungai Mat Cuit. By then sungai Mat Cuit was quite a small river. It flowed from "pancuran" Hilir Terendam. Then winded its way downstream through a swamp of rumbia trees into a tunnel under the road of Hilir Terendam. The water then fell into a deep pool, where all kind of fish gathered. Sometimes my friends and I went further inland.  So we walked along the river bank  that flowed through rubber plantation and then winded its way through the marshes by the forests. We even waded the marshes. Not fearing anything. We were really savage then. Sometimes we didn't care about any injury or any pain. 

Gua Cerita, Langkawi

Sungai Buaya

Kg. Baru,Sungai Choh

Kg Ulu, Sungai Choh

Houses Along The Road

I usually went with my friends, Kali and his brother Jamal, especially after rainfall. When the river was overflowed all kind of fish swam out of the pit to find food. That was the bread and butter of the flood. We were really excited then. Sometimes we couldn't  wait to catch all the fish in the river. Even though sometimes the catch was few, and yet enough to finish a plate of rice. Anyway that was my earning. Though not much, but "arok nian". Though not much, but "arok nian". At least I helped my mother in her kitchen's expenditure. Yet nowadays so many pools offer all kind of fish to catch. No wading across the marsh and no fighting with mosquitos or leeches. Even you can have a cigarette while listening to dangdut songs or chit-chatting with your friends over mobile. However you have to pay. Of course no free service and no free entertainment nowadays.

SUNGAI CHOH (13) : Once Upon A Time | Where Light Came From

Once Upon A Time

(The Gasoline Lamp Lighted Up The Entire Room)

Stylish Guy

Two Siblings

On Wedding Dais

View Of Jalan Mawar

SK Sungai Choh

Sometimes I kept on wondering where light came from. Yet it was still amazing when the gasoline lamp lighted up the entire room. The light was so enchanting. It seemed  to danced on the walls and in the corners of the room.Yet we could do nothing, just looked at the gasoline lamp. The only source of light. There was nothing was offered at night to keep us stay awake all night. There was no bedtime story and no sleep orchestras whatever. No  tv or radio and  no electronic games to play. So might as well we kept  snoring all night long. Yet  no girl would come to my dream to play the main character. However, ten-year-olds had to go to bed early for school. Although Sekolah Umum Sungai Choh was not even half a mile away.

Kampung Umbai

My Sisters

Sek. Umum Sg. Choh

Sek. Kebangsaan Sg. Choh

Jembatan Sungai Choh

Sometimes my eldest brother and I played shadow games to fill the nightlong weekend. It was amusing to see shadows in different shapes. By twisting our fingers against the light, we could also performed a shadow show, a simple wayang kulit. Anyway my eldest brother was good at making shadows in various shapes. I think he deserved to be Tok Dalang of our family. Might be I could be just as good as Awang Batil. However all night long, it was really quiet and dark. There was no dancing of lights to be seen and no rhythm of  colours to be heard. We could only see dark space with frightening  shadows and scary sounds. Sometimes we could hear the beats of raindrops or the wild cries of animals. However the night calls slowly fading away. Finally the entire Kampung Sungai Choh was covered with darkness. By then silence filled every corner of darkness. 

Aton My Niece

On The Bridal Dais

After Wedding Ceremony

Flowing Under The Bridge

Bridge Of Sungai Choh

Nevertheless we just let the time pass by in silence. Every night was empty and meaningless. It's just a scary darkness. Sometimes we found it hard to sleep. So we might as well count  the holes in the roof or imagine the moon looking shy. As it’s said, "counting sheep  jump over a fence one by one" was a mental exercise for when you have trouble sleeping. Sometimes we felt like cold air entered  the room through the cracks in the wooden walls. Once in a while we could hear the click sounds of lizards under the roof and the wild calls from somewhere in the distance. By then everything was  like a dream,  floating in the cool breeze of the night. However the night  was so nostalgic  to  let the night rhythms whisper in the ears in the dark.   Sometimes we just let a few mosquitoes entertain us with songs that annoyed us.