Uncertainty

News that the Japanese were near, brought terror and everyone's face was down fallen that morning. The radio announced that Southern IndoChina was being taken over , and very quickly ,people were already at Ah Hia's provision shop queueing up to buy rice, canned food and other dry foodstuffs. Ah Hia's wife and his eldest son, who were rarely seen at the shop , were busy that morning helping out. There was much haggling as prices of commodities had gone up. Stocks were also running out and as a result, there was much pushing and shoving around. Ah Hia's wife, in a shrill voice, reprimanded some of the men as if she was a headmistress scolding a bunch of naughty boys. She threatened not to sell them a single item if they did not wait for their turns and sheepishly, those grown-ups lined up in an instant, one behind another.

Sang's wife and mother were indeed thankful that they had the cash to get what they needed. They did not buy very much though as they were still uncertain about many things. The last time they left China had them giving away many things they could not bring along with them. As Berapit Village was far away from Penang , the possible entry point if there was to be an invasion, they felt somehow safer but nobody could exactly tell what was going to happen at that moment.

Sang's mother prayed that they would not have to move away. Even if food supplies had run dry, she could still rely on the tapioca, sweet potatoes or vegetables that she had planted on the plot beside her house. She had specifically instructed her daughter-in-law to cook sweet potatoes together with the rice so as the rice could be eaten for a longer period. They were afraid that one day they would have no more rice to eat. True enough, when the Japanese made their way into Malaya through Kota Bahru and then Penang, the country was in a state of emergency. Even one who had swaps of money could not buy anything without having to go into much trouble,  as most shops were closed for business. The only way was to buy from someone who was willing to sell at a very high price. An enterprising man made lots of money hoarding foodstuffs and selling them later at exorbitant prices. However, his wealth soon vanished as the Japanese invaded his house and took all the British notes away, only to turn them into ashes! It was later discovered that his life was also taken that very day.

Now, rice cooked with sweet potatoes was often cooked even after the war. It was at first queer to eat rice in this manner and Sang's younger brothers refused to down the porridge with the sweet potatoes in it. After a few meals of going hungry because of their stubborness, they finally had to give in. Not long, they had developed the taste for it and had grown to love it very much. After the war, they would often request rice to be cooked this way!