The Grocery Our memories of the past were once the present, As everything in this world disappears, Keep in mind only the good times. ......
Kampung Kolong Pahat Next, I came to Kampung Kolong Pahat with its absolutely charming scenery. It has a suspension bridge at the beginning and at the end of the village that serves as a shortcut for the locals to Sungai Lembing. This bridge is only accessible to smaller vehicles like motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. The suspension bridge sits between two scenes. On one side, a coconut tree and its reflection upon the river and on the other were children skipping flat stones across that same river. They were competing to see whose stone could bounce and skim across the river furthest. Whilst Kampung Kolong Pahat is famous for its handmade noodles, it was the grocery store that captivated me. Seeing all the sundries lined up against the wall reminded me of home. It made me think of my parents and the grocery store they used to run. The lady boss with her warm smile, made me think of my mother. I was drawn to her, so I bought a tofu pudding and sat down to chat with her. She shared interesting stories about the village. One of them was about how Sungai Lembing was abundant in tin reserves back then. However, the river bed became damaged due to the over-exploitation of the British colonial government and Chinese miners. Every time there was heavy rain, the river flooded and devastated the village. Across different festivities, be it small or big, the villagers would pray to the gods to bless their village. Despite that, the flood still occurs every year. She keeps the bottom part of her shelves in the grocery store empty to prevent the goods from being soaked when they are flooded. ...... Drinking a boy’s urine The lady boss told a story about how a kid became seriously ill after a swim in the river. He did not recover despite many different kinds of treatments. His parents sought help from the gods in the temple. They were told their child was ill because he had angered the gods. The cure was to drink the urine of another boy below the age of 12. The parents took this advice and lo and behold their child healed rapidly. This tale may sound incredulous today but to these locals, it was a miracle! The world is full of mysteries, believe in this tale as much or little as you see fit. ...... The old ledger The sweet lady boss is in her 70s and has a maid to help her in the grocery store. Her customers are long term regulars, and they are allowed to take goods on credit and pay later. Even when the store is closed, anyone could knock or call upon her should they need something and she would open her door to them. Midway through our chat, she showed me the ledger that records the amounts credited to her customers. Her handwriting is neat and beautiful. Every line, clearly written in brush, details the customer’s name, what they bought and the amount owing. ...... Small store, big heart I remember mom’s grocer in my memory as clear as day. Her regular customers loved gathering in her store for a chat. It was merry like a community hall. Every day they chatted about various things and shared bits of news through the grapevine that way. Some even sought advice on the problems they were facing. She also operated the place based on trust as she allowed the regular customers to take goods on credit. It was a “convenience” store in the truest sense. I always feel that a grocery store has and needs a lot of human touch to operate. A business that runs without humanity is like a bowl of porridge without salt, tasteless. Customers just come and go today in those nationwide hypermarkets. Their transaction feels very cold and sterile – lacking warmth and personalisation. What do you think? ......
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLam Ching Fu Archives
January 2024
Categories
|