When the Japanese soldiers came to Borneo, Mum was 12 years old. At fifteen, Mum gave up her dreams of studying in the big city. She became a candidate for a child bride match making session because it was rampant that the Japanese soldiers were catch girls to be their comfort women.
Her grandma, my Ah Tai promised her that she would choose a young man of fine character, educated and from a good family. Ah Tai went out to reconnoiter with her cousin Lai Siong who was a match maker. She must have loved her granddaughter so much to travel during the perilous war time in a little canoe. Together they scoured fifty miles of both sides of Rejang River, and the whole of Sibu town.
Word came that five miles upriver was that fine young man who fitted the bill. He was unfortunately not a Hakka but a Kwong Ning boy and a Chan. Mum and dad were wedded after seeing each other just once.
They married in March, and had been married 6 months when the war ended.
We were naughty and used to tease them,"Would you have married each other if it wasn't for the war?"
They teased us back, "What do you think?"
We cheekily asked,"Why didn't you have a wedding photo? Did you elope?"
Her grandma, my Ah Tai promised her that she would choose a young man of fine character, educated and from a good family. Ah Tai went out to reconnoiter with her cousin Lai Siong who was a match maker. She must have loved her granddaughter so much to travel during the perilous war time in a little canoe. Together they scoured fifty miles of both sides of Rejang River, and the whole of Sibu town.
Word came that five miles upriver was that fine young man who fitted the bill. He was unfortunately not a Hakka but a Kwong Ning boy and a Chan. Mum and dad were wedded after seeing each other just once.
They married in March, and had been married 6 months when the war ended.
We were naughty and used to tease them,"Would you have married each other if it wasn't for the war?"
They teased us back, "What do you think?"
We cheekily asked,"Why didn't you have a wedding photo? Did you elope?"
1 comment:
What a lovely love story! I remember the day that in our concentrationcamp in Java the Japanese soldiers took away. 20 girls in the ages between 14 and 20. We had all to stand in a single file. I was not chosen, for I was only10 years old. My sisters were even younger. ( 7 and 5)
It was the most horrible thing the Japs did, apart from the beatings and torture. 70 years ago now, but still fresh in my memory.
Wil.
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