Church Weekly for 24 February 2008
My dear readers,
1. Grandfather’s Cork Hat – Part II
To introduce this “most important” item, Second Aunt had prepared a little speech. “Siang Hwa, this hat is from Grandfather to protect your brain. The sun in Singapore is very hot. The hat will keep out the sun and protect your brain.” Before I could protest, Second Aunt, with a firm hand placed the hat squarely on my head.
“There you are. Looks good!”
“But, Second Aunt, the hat’s too big. It will fall off!”
“No, there’s a strap. Loop it under your chin, just nice.”
“But other boys don’t wear hats.”
“Oh, don’t compare. Grandfather got it specially for you, to protect your brain, so you will study better.”
Just then Grandfather overheard our conversation. He walked over and joined our discussion. He was gentle, smiling, and firm.
“Grandson, I bought this hat specially for you, to keep out the sun and protect your brain.”
With reluctance I appeared in school with the cork hat over my little head. As I observed, no one else wore a hat like me. Anyhow I consoled myself that perhaps my brain would somehow function better than the other boys.
Second Aunt accompanied me daily by “mosquito bus,” a nine seater (two rows of four in the main cabin and one seat next to the driver). With Second Aunt I felt very comfortable and secure.
One day in the third month, Second Aunt did not appear as usual about one-fifteen, school being dismissed at one o’clock. I watched the clock and became more and more nervous as the minutes rolled by. The school was almost completely deserted except for a few boys.
I had left my hat on the hat rack in the classroom. Two big boys got hold of it and began to throw and kick it around, as though it were a football! I watched in horror, but being much smaller and very timid I made no protest. In fact I thought to myself, it may be the finish of my hat which might not be a bad thing.
Sure enough, the bigger bully suddenly turned on the hat and began to trample on it. As I watched in horror, Second Aunt appeared. I was so happy - and relieved - I burst out in tears. The naughty boys made a hasty retreat and disappeared into the back of the school.
Whew! what a destructive pair, I thought. Second Aunt took up the hat and we walked down the little path along Towner Road to catch our mosquito bus. I was so delighted to see Second Aunt (and to be freed from my protective headgear!) She said that she would make a report to the Principal.
That wasn’t my concern. From that day I went hatless to school like the rest, brain or no brain, or heat stroke - who cares? All I knew was my spoken English was getting better by the day, without that hat!
2. Life with Grandfather
Of all the godly men that I have known in my life, now exceeding fourscore years, there is none more wholly given to God. The atap house we lived in was a simple affair: four bedrooms, two on each side, with a large living room in between which served as the Sanctuary for Sunday morning service. Grandfather occupied the room nearest the road, Second Aunt took the room next to Grandpa, Big Brother and Second Brother had the room opposite Grandpa’s, and small Aunt and Big Sister the fourth room next to my two brothers. I was taken under Second Aunt’s wing.
In this simple household, Grandfather was the natural leader, and a wonderful benign and gentle man of God. He was a man of prayer. Not a morning passed without Grandfather’s blessing us with prayer. Not a night passed without Family Worship. Oft-times we were wakened by Grandpa’s loud praying in the dead of night, calling out to God, “Lord, receive my soul to be with You.” In the morning I asked Grandpa why he prayed so loud. "Simply because I want to go to heaven. This earth is so full of trouble. Heaven is so good, trouble-free. I want to be with God.”
At the back of the house was the kitchen-annex. We had no running water. Water had to be fetched from a well some twenty yards down the slope at the far end of the garden. Second Brother and I were assigned this daily task, to keep the jars in the kitchen full of water. It was quite fun to cast the pail into the well some ten feet deep and pull it up by a pulley suspended from a wooden beam. We always looked for a solitary “catfish” which lived in the well. The trip up the steps to the kitchen was quite a challenge. Grandfather was always very encouraging. After all we were still quite small – eight and six years old. But it was good training under Grandfather’s benign supervision. (to be continued)
Lovingly in the Lord
Dr SH Tow, Senior Pastor