Life carried on without Ah Ling in our home. I missed her terribly because she was my playmate. I also missed the sweet kuehs that she used to make for us. Then, one day, she came home. She was dressed in new clothes, her hair done up and smiling ear to ear when we arrived home from school. She was waiting for us at the kitchen table. I was most happy to see her again. I remember that she looked like she had lost some weight. Of course, I did not know she was pregnant and had just given birth. … Continue reading The Baby’s Secret Part 3/3

Ah Ling was our family’s maid since I was born. When the fire started, she had already been with us for ten years. Our family lived in a small Chinese village at the edge of Kuala Lumpur. It was a settlement created by the British in their efforts to cut off the Communists during the Malayan Emergency. Every house in the village was made of wood and I guess that was why our neighbour’s house burned so quickly. I do not know why Ah Ling came to work for us. My father was not a rich man to afford a … Continue reading The Baby’s Secret Part 2/3

I watched the house on fire. It was our neighbour’s house. I just stood there and stared at it burning and burning. I could hear my heartbeat. I could feel it thumping loudly in my chest. Everyone around me was frantic. Some were running here and there. Some were just standing, watching the flames. Our maid was in hysterics. My mother held my siblings close to her, a safe distance from the burning house. “Get more water!” I heard people shout. “Call the fire brigade! Where is the fire brigade? Has anyone called the fire brigade?” The men in the … Continue reading The Baby’s Secret Part 1/3