Click here for more pictures. At the Ah You Kelong, we slept on rows of double deckers like in an army barracks. On photograph, it looked more like a refugee camp. I was trying to ease myself to sleep on an upper deck reading the papers. My elder son was sleeping on a bed diagonally across me. As I was about to sleep, I noticed his cousin moving stealthily towards him. From the way he behaved, I could tell he was up to mischief, I tried to stop him and I said in a no uncertain voice not to disturb my son. Unbelievably, he continued. My son startled and shoved him off, asking him to go away in a stern voice.
On another occasion, a young boy dropped his slipper into the sea and unbelievably tried to retrieve it. That got the adults hopping mad as he might be swept off by the waves or bitten by sea snakes which are plentiful underneath the kelong. When I told my daughter about it, she responded, “He did it because he was only a child.”
I was not so convinced until at a casual talk. A colleague asked, “What would you do if you reel in a sea snake?” I was momentarily stunned. I would probably try to shake it off. My colleague was more insistence: What if it clings onto your rod and won’t let go?” Another colleague came to my rescue, “I will cut off the line.”
Well, what is second nature to some may not be common sense to others. Throughout our lives, we accumulate much wisdom and even take them for granted as if others should also know. At the risk of repeating myself, I would make it a point to say my piece to my charge in case they are not aware of it.
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