What I did and all that happened to me when I was a girl.

                 My parents had never sent me to a kindergarten as far as I was concerned. I entered Primary One on one early morning at St. Joseph's Primary School, Miri way back in January, 1969. That was 47 years ago and I was escorted by my beloved father, he's gone now. May The Great Rabb bless him for sending me to school and giving me the knowledge and love. Pak, I love you and will always love you.
As I entered the classroom, everything was new and different. I was given a seat and as I got seated,
my mind whirled into thinking," how am I going to do about all this?" Soon, my father left and I was in the mercy of the class teacher. Why did I say that? Because I know I could neither read nor write. I couldn't even understand what the teacher said and I didn't even know how to call her. Can you ever imagine that it was really a hard time for me to get along with the rest of my classmates. I remembered only two of them, Ng Poh Geok and Alice Wee. I hope their names are correctly spelt as I got them well engraved in my head.                                                                                                      
                The day seemed to pass very slow from one period to another and I kept thinking of my mother and little brothers and sisters at home. "mak, I want to go home!" While I was sitting down still puzzled in my head, suddenly, the bell rang and it was great excitement to me when I saw everybody jumped out of their seats, grabbed their belongings and packed. "Yes, home time!!" I was slow and when I was about to pack, I saw the children carrying their chairs and putting them on the table. Then they rushed to get a broom each and quickly swept the floor. I stood still, puzzled. "When are we going home?"
                 Children rushed in and out of the classroom with their lunch boxes. Some sitting down munching and talking while others running here and there and some are writing. I didn't have anything to eat and realizing how awkward I was not able to communicate with a single soul in the
classroom, I just sat there gloomy and isolated. "Oh my, I don't like this. Is tomorrow going to be like this again?" I'd told my father about my first day in class and he said, " You'll be fine soon."

(to be continued....