Daniel Proposed

After months of soul searching, preparation and anticipation, Daniel has finally made up his mind. He is going home to make a marriage proposal to Janet. They have been together for so long now. They have pledged their unbroken love to each other throughout these years. It’s about time they should tie the knot, settle down and start a family. He is happy that at last they have done with their studies and could be together for the rest of their lives. But, at the same time, Daniel also feels the churning sensation in his stomach, the unsettling thoughts in his mind and the undulating beat in his heart. It is an extremely important decision as he is asking Janet to spend the rest of her life with him. How to make his proposal in the right way? What would be the outcome after that? “Will I be nervous? Should we talk about it and agree on major issues such as children, where to live and what career path to choose, first? Will she like the engagement ring I bought? Should I ask her parents’ permission first?”, he is asking many questions in his head. He wants to stop asking these questions, for the more he thinks, the more questions emerge and the more he prolongs his agony. He decided to sleep in the plane. So, he asked the air stewardess for some whiskey and he drank it hard and neat to help him sleep, to help him not to think. Whiskey can be a friend if you wish to lose your consciousness. The whiskey made him think of his Uncle Meng. For Uncle Meng would sometimes take young Daniel with him when he went out to have suppers with his fellow colleagues who were salesmen. These outings often ended up in drinking sessions with telling of jokes and careless gossiping and rumour mongering. Daniel was a young teenager at the time. They spent many happy moments together and he taught Daniel many things during his formative years. Uncle Meng was his favourite uncle but sadly he passed away at the age of 48 in May 1968. The thought of Uncle Meng brings back memory of the broken hearted song ‘Don’t cry Joni’ which now plays silently and eerily in his mind. Would Janet save all her kisses just for him, with love forever true? Alcohol can both relax and unsettle.

It’s been more than five years since Daniel left KL. The rapid development in KL during these few years was abundantly clear. The capital has transformed since the May 13 incident of 1969. Independence coupled with the New Economic Policy has ensured continuous economic growth, resulting in a broad based economy. New buildings have a more local and Islamic flavour around the city, such as Menara Telekom, Menara Maybank and the Dayabumi Complex. Kuala Lumpur has achieved city status in 1972, becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. On February 1, 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a Federal Territory. “I see many tall new buildings springing up around the city and living standard has improved. So how’s life in the capital these days?” , Daniel asks while they are walking around the heart of KL. “Beside improved economy and new buildings, not much has changed really. All our friends are busy chasing their own dreams. We have all grown up and sadly also went our separate ways.” “Hey, look. The Cathay cinema is showing ‘Jaws”. Have you seen it? It is a big movie in London”, Daniel points to the giant poster pasted on the Cathay cinema’s signboard, as they are walking along Jalan Bukit Bintang. “No, not yet.”, Janet replies. “You should see it. Shall we?” ‘Jaws’ was the biggest movie at the time. The story is about a 25-foot giant great white shark which arrived on the shores of a New England beach resort and wreaked havoc among the holiday makers and inflicted fear amongst its residents. The town’s chief of police named Martin Brody, played by Roy Schneider then enlisted the help of a marine biologist, played by Richard Dreyfuss and a shark hunter, played by Robert Shaw and the three of them got onto a rickety, leaky boat to seek and kill the monster shark. The film so effectively tapped into our fear of the unknown and gripped the audience so strongly with heart stopping suspense. Janet always has a fear of the deep. She was holding on to Daniel’s arm tightly throughout the movie, afraid that she might fall off her seat! After the show, they walked down to the Sultan Street.

“Remember we used to hang out here with our friends during our school days, darling?”, Janet whispers to Daniel, reminiscing the past while still holding onto Daniel’s arm tightly. It’s been awhile since they held hands so lovingly together. “Yes, of course dear. How can I forget? We have so much fun in the Malaya Snack Bar opposite the Rex Theatre. It was our favourite meeting place after school. They served the best vanilla milk shakes and hotdogs in town. And they have all the latest hit selections from the jukebox. We were young and not so innocent, trying everything new.”, Daniel reminisces, surveying the street nostalgically. They are walking along the Sultan Street and winding their way towards the adjoining Petaling Street (China Town). Janet wanted to go to China Town to buy some of Daniel’s favourite dried beef meat and to savour the delicious curry laksa sold in the Madras Lane. She used to come here to buy the dried beef meat for Daniel’s friends to take back to him when they were flying back to London after their home vacations. Although Sultan Street is not as famous and illustrious as the Petaling Street, it has its historical value as it co-existed with China Town since the early stage of development of Kuala Lumpur in the middle 19th century. Most of its buildings are original pre-war shop houses which look rather rundown now, in need of major renovations. The shop houses are usually two stories with the ground floor used for business operations and residential spaces upstairs. The shop owners have an innovative way of camouflaging the shabby exteriors by hanging beautiful and large catchy billboards at their shop fronts. At the start of the Street is the famous Cheong Kee coffee shop which attracts a large morning crowd. They would go to the coffee shop to have their breakfasts after seeing off their children at the nearby schools such as the Methodist Boys School (MBS), Confucian School and Victoria Institution. The household Nam Fong Chicken Rice started from here. At the other end of the Sultan Street is a mortuary and shops selling coffins. Behind them is a hill leading up to the top is where the Chin Woo Stadium is situated. The Chin Woo Stadium was constructed during the years 1950 to 1953. Later an Olympic sized swimming pool was completed. The facility of the swimming pool was considered as the best in the region at that time. “You know I learned how to swim in the Chin Woo swimming pool. My father used to take me and my brother and sister here for swimming lessons during our primary school days. He never swam with us. He would just sit in the cafeteria at the top of the swimming pool, eating his favorite wan tan mee and sipping Chinese tea, at the same time watching us learning how to swim. My father is afraid of the water!”, Daniel confides. “What happened to the Rex Theatre?”, Daniel asks with a perturbed expression on his face, looking at the dilapidated state of the cinema. “It was burnt down, dear. I don’t really know what happened. I hope they would rebuild and restore it to its grand old days!” “Yes, it has such memorable history. Remember the good old days when Rex Theatre was THE place to watch movies and to hang out with friends? “, Daniel remembers his teenager’s days. Rex Theatre and the Malaya Snack Bar opposite it, were indeed the happening scenes in KL during the 60s and early 70s. But, the street also attracted Chinese secret societies. They split into two main rival groups; the Loong Foo Tong (The Tiger Generals) and 08 gangs. “Wonder what happened to Teck Seng?”, Janet remembers her class mate as they passed through the row of shop houses along the street. “Is he the fellow who used to live in the middle of the street and whose father used to run a Chinese medicine business?”, Daniel enquires. “Yes, that’s him.” They then proceeded to walk down the street to find Teck Seng. His father’s shop is still there and they saw his mother at the cash counter. “Hello auntie, remember me? “ “Oh hello, Ling Ling. Of course I still remember you. You have not changed much, only taller and still as pretty as before. And you must be Daniel. Teck Seng mentioned to us about you. Come on in, sit down and have some Chinese tea.”, Teck Seng’s mother replies, inviting them into her shop. “Is Teck Seng at home, auntie?” “He does not live here anymore Ling Ling. He has moved out after he got a job with the bank.” “Is he working far away from you?”, Janet enquires. “Oh, no. He works just down the road in Jalan Tun HS Lee. But, he wants to live outside with his friends. He says he wants his freedom. Many youth here are like him; moving out the moment they found a job! You know young people these days. They cannot communicate with us, they think we are old fashioned and we are not educated. They think this street is not respectable enough for them!” “Oh dear. Is that man the uncle who used to be the tailor here, auntie?”, Janet saw a familiar face walking by and seized the opportunity to change the subject. “Yes, that’s him!”, the old lady replies. “He looks so different now auntie”, Janet is surprised at the man’s transformation. Janet and her school mates used to call him tailor Ah Pek . He did not receive much education but made up by learning useful tailoring skills from his father. Initially, they operated and sharing the same shop lot as Teck Seng’s father. On the left of the shop lot is Ah Pek’s tailoring business and on the right is Teck Seng family’s medicine business. Janet still has the image of him wearing the Pagoda singlet sitting in front of his sewing machine, sewing men trousers and tapping his foot on the machine paddle wearing wooden cloak. But the Ah Pek she saw today is a far cry from yesteryears. His wild crop of unkempt hair is now neatly combed backwards and gleaming with shining hair cream. He is spotted with long side burns on both sides of his forehead, and adorned with a big pair of round sunglasses. He is wearing a polka dotted silky shirt, trousers with flares, shining leather shoes and walking with an attitude. Janet thought that at his age, he looks rather odd in those fashionable clothes and hair cut which are normally associated with young people. “Uncle Ah Pek looks so different now, auntie”, Janet voiced out her thoughts. “Yes, I know, you are not the only who says so. He has found success in his business and success has changed him”. “Changed him? What do you mean, auntie?”, Janet enquires further. “Well. You see, he is married with kids but he goes around with a girlfriend. He has a Taiwanese girlfriend and he is so proud of showing her off to his friends. He told us he met the girl in a hair salon when he went there for a haircut. We see so many Taiwanese girls here these days, don’t we? He says he has bought a house in Taiwan and he often goes there for holidays. But he never brings his family with him. He is also into music and dancing you know? He says music is the soul to one’s heart and dancing the heart to one’s soul! He buys imported mandarin records from Taiwan and Cantonese records from Hong Kong. You know what?”, she looks at Janet. “What, auntie?” “He even owns a pop band!” “Oh really!” “Yes. He owns a pop band! You see, he says he likes to nurture young talents and so he got hold of a few musically inclined school boys from the St. John Institution and bought them guitars, a drum set and other musical instruments for them to form a band. These boys became quite good at it, having a polished act involving young ago-go dancers and he is now officially their manager. He follows them everywhere, in the discos and night clubs where the band plays. He goes dancing and drinking in the night clubs around town too. His favourite is the one up the road called the Shangri-la night club at the Pudu Station. “Well. I hope he doesn’t neglect his business”. “Oh, he doesn’t. He is a smart operator. He says life has no meaning if you work and work till you drop! So, he employed a couple of young men who used to work for his competitors down the road, to work for him now. He plays Teresa Teng’s songs in his tailoring shop non-stop. He says it’s good for his business!” “We have to be going now, auntie. Thank you so much for your kind hospitality.”, Daniel has heard enough. “Please give my regards to Teck Seng, auntie. Hope to see you again. Take care of yourself, auntie”, Janet adds before hurried out of the medicine shop.

Soon the lovers reached the Petaling Street. “ I see more foreigners and tourists visiting Petaling Street now. This street is now more colourful and vibrant, lined by make shift stalls selling pirated clothes, watches, accessories and cassette tapes and there is so much haggling around. The shops selling textile, branded goods and Chinese medicines in the interior are visibly overshadowed by these street stalls, hawkers and peddlers.”, Daniel observes the changes in China Town. Ladies used to come here to buy a varieties of fabrics from the interior shops and would take them to their personal tailors to stitch and sew into their favourite skirts, blouses and cheongsams. Food is also plentiful here, with sumptuous varieties to choose from restaurants as well as hawkers. Some of the shops and restaurants here have been doing business for generations. Petaling Street is in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and is known as Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. It has a distinctive character of its own and its sights and sounds capture the visitor’s imagination. Its true allure is in wandering about and savoring its sights, sounds and energy. The Chinese called the street ‘Chee Cheong Kai’ in Cantonese. In the old days, this place was actually tin mining land. The mines were abandoned during the Selangor Civil War between the years 1867 to 1873. The Selangor Civil War was a series of conflicts between the Malay chiefs fighting for the right to collect lucrative duties on tin exports which later also involved Chinese secret societies, largely members of the Ghee Hin and Hai San. The miners predominantly belonged to these secret societies who had joined opposing sides of the civil war. The tin mines were abandoned during this civil war and when the miners and their coolies returned after the war, they found that they could not work on these mines because they were flooded. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, Kuala Lumpur’s headsman at the time, then persuaded them to remain in Kuala Lumpur. He also convinced the Malays in surrounding districts to grow rice and other garden products, including tapioca. He then opened a tapioca mill in Petaling Street where the tubers from his farms were brought here to be grounded into flour. That’s how the name Chee Cheong Kai came about which in Cantonese means starch factory street. Janet bought a few packets of Daniel’s favourite dried beef meat from one of the sundry shops in Petaling Street.

Daniel and Janet then weaved their way through the crowd and found themselves in the Madras Lane. Despite its Indian sounding name, the Madras Lane is occupied predominantly by Chinese, doing petty trades and businesses. At the back end of the lane, there is a wet market selling a varieties of fish, meat, vegetables and fruits. Many Chinese restaurants order their fish from the fishmongers here, because the fish here is always super fresh. From the middle part of the lane to its far end, there are hawker stalls selling a varieties of specialties such as curry laksa, assam laksa, chee cheong fun, nasi lemak, chicken rice, roast ducks, hokkien mee, chendol, ais kacang, juices and ice creams etc. Daniel and Janet especially love the curry laksa and chee cheong fun here. The curry laksa here is the thick type and topped with ingredients such as bean curd cubes, brinjals, bean stalks, and slices of pork skin. The trick to bringing out its mouth-watering flavor is to add half a spoonful of sambal paste on top of the noodle. With a multitude of stalls and limited seating spaces, there is intense rivalry for customers. A customer may unwittingly sit at the wrong table, and invite the wrath of nasty looks and grunts from the stall owner. It’s always advisable to ask the stall owner first before you sit down at the Madras Lane eatery! There's always so much activity in the Madras Lane, especially during weekends when many loyal customers would make special trips to the fish and meat market there and to savour the varieties of good old hawker’s food. With a multitude of stalls here and limited seating spaces, there's heated rivalry for customers. There is also the famous Madras Theatre which is located at the side of the middle part of the Madras Lane. It was one of the earliest movie house in Kuala Lumpur with huge screen and wooden seats. And despite its name, the cinema ran mainly Chinese movies, mostly Cantonese movies from Hong Kong. The cinema was said to be haunted. There was a rumour going round town that one of the seats was occupied by a ghost and no ticket would be sold for this particular seat, no matter how full the cinemas was! Most cinemas in the capital in the early days were run by Shaw Brothers which was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies. Shaw Brothers also had a tradition of handling out goodies to senior citizens during Chinese New Year at the Madras Theatre. The Madras Theatre suffered the same fate as the Rex Theatre which was only a few blocks away. It was burnt down in 1978. However, unlike the Rex cinema, Shaw Brothers never rebuilt it and from 1979 till now, the spot where Madras cinema once stood is a parking lot.

Two weeks passed. Daniel finally has it all worked out and decided to phone Janet. “I feel like going up to the Yellow Mountain today, darling!”. “Ok.”, that’s all he needed to hear. “Do you remember the first time we went up the Yellow Mountain?”, Janet asks Daniel as they are on their journey driving to the mountain. “Of course, darling. How can I forget! It was the first time you asked me to kiss you remember? Hahaha…”, Daniel replies teasingly with a cheeky look on his face. “How can you say such thing to a girl? Yes, I did. But I did it to put you out of your misery Hehehe….” , Janet gives him a little pinch on his thigh. “Wonder the tualang tree is still there? It must have grown much taller by now”, Janet remembers the tree on the top of the mountain. “I am sure of that. It bears witness to our love, darling.” Soon they arrived at the foothill of the big mountain. “So much has changed here! I see they have erected shop houses on the foothill. The owners have turned these shop houses into seafood restaurants and cafes. There are also hawkers selling a varieties of fruits and drinks, and stalls selling postcards and souvenirs. And there are more foreigners and tourists coming here. The Yellow Mountain now teeming with activities.”, Daniel observes. “Yes. This place is getting more popular because the government has built cable cars connecting the foothill right up to the top of the mountain. Young and old can now come here to enjoy the amazing panoramic views and spectacular beauty of the mountain valley.”, Janet answers. Daniel drove his car to an open space and packed his car under the shade of a young tree. He has to pay for the parking now. The last time they came up here, he parked his car for free. They then began their accent to the Yellow Mountain. Daniel has a good familiar feeling, trekking along the old brown gravel valley road, with scrubs, plants and towering wild trees swaying to greet them. Fresh rafflesias, the world’s largest flower, growing on the lower slopes of the mountain ranges are in full bloom, caressed by flies and insects which are attracted to the flowers by their odour. The mountain valley is decorated with a varieties of colourful orchids and carnivorous plants, displaying their natural beauty and diversity. Crickets are chirping from the undergrowth, making their presence felt but not seen. Cool misty mountain air sweeps through the entire area, giving the atmosphere a sensational experience. The rainforest is teeming with life and sound. They walk hand in hand, feeling the surrounding beauty, its sensual wilderness and the natural activities. Ahead, a young backpacking couple are also making their way up the mountain. Half way up the hill, they met some Aborigines squatting on the edge of a flowing mountain stream, trying to catch fish with their fishing lines. They are not alone. There is an eager-eyed colourful kingfisher sitting on low perches over water, watching for prey in the stream below. The water is so clear that one can see the fish as they lie resting in the shade of the stream. “It’s amazing how they have adapted perfectly to a life in the forest”, Daniel enthuses. As they continue their walks towards he mountain top, they begin to wear a thundering sound from the distance. Soon a giant waterfall comes insight. As they approach nearer, the grand waterfall’s thundering beauty of plunging waters presents a mesmerizing effect, which is in contrasts to the gentle orderly flow of the valley stream they had just experienced. Janet gives in to her feelings and runs towards the waterfall, pulling Daniel along. She took the opportunity to cool her tired feet in the icy mineral water, which offers the most invigorating and refreshing natural bath. The landscapes, flora and fauna and the scenery make their journey to the top extra special.

After a couple of hours, they finally reached the top of the Yellow Mountain, tired but happy. Janet steps on some prickly touch-me-nots which immediately fold together and droop. They flung their tired bodies and rested on a big rock near the edge of the mountain. “Can you hear nature’s orchestra, darling? Birds are singing for courtship, bees are humming to attract mates, flowers are blooming for pollination and even plants are swaying to and fro for warm embrace.”, Daniel talks in between breaths. “I once read a book that says trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, how to listen to them, how to meditate with them, can learn the truth. And if we keep our hearts in the quietest silence, we could hear music amongst the trees! ”, Janet expresses her own feelings, staring at the towering wild trees above. Just as when she finished speaking, they saw a magnificent magpie perched on a branch of a big tree, singing a melodious tune. Daniel instantly lifted up his head to take a long hard look at the bird. “No. It can’t be. Sunny is dead many years ago!” A row of bees fly past them; they are rushing toward the sun loving red Ixoras, longing to suck its nectar. They feast their eyes on the spectacular mountain range engulfed with stunning scenery in an unspoiled environment. They feel the tranquility and pristine mountain top and its lush greenery. Suddenly, Daniel reached down and took hold of Janet’s hands and led her to the middle of the mountain garden. He shouts, “You can all come out now!” A group of young children stepped out from the behind the trees. They are all dressed in white with straw hats, looking like adorable little angels and each holding a piece of cardboard. They are from the Bukit Nanas School orphanage where Janet still volunteers to teach. They begin to encircle Daniel and Janet. There are altogether eight kids. Then, each of them takes turn to lift up the cardboards above their heads, displaying the following loving poems on each card:

“In silence I sit quietly cherishing the memories;
You are the reason for my life and dreams.”

“Even amidst the dark winter snows, each morn I welcome a new day.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, I look for you in each new day .”

“ I treasure each day with hope and greet it with a smile;
My world is a treasure because of you.”

“Whenever I feel sad and low;
I replace it with the thought with you.”

“My life has so much meaning;
All because of the beauty I see in you.”

“You're my first in the morning;
And my last when I close my eyes each night.”

“You are my one and only love;
My one true love.”

“So, I am giving you all I have to give;
My gentle heart I give thee.”

After the last kid has displayed her cardboard in front of Janet, Daniel promptly fell onto the grassy ground, with one knee knelling in front of Janet. He took out a bouquet of beautiful red roses from behind his back and presented them to Janet. Then, his other hand proceeds to take out a big cardboard from behind and lifts it up to Janet:

“JANET DARLING, WILL YOU MARRY ME?”

Janet opens her mouth but is unable to speak and instantly, she lifts up both her palms to clasp her mouth. She doesn’t know what to say; she realizes that whatever speech she is going to make at that moment would be unclear and incoherent! She is momentarily in a daze and when she comes to her senses, she quickly rushes towards Daniel and falls on her bended knees. She looks at him with tears in her eyes and then she pushes her body forward towards him, caressing him and pinning him down with the her own weight, kissing him passionately. “Oh, you silly. Of course, I will marry you daring,”, Janet whispers the sweetest music that Daniel ever wants to hear. After the children have gone, Daniel took hold of Janet’s hands and led her towards the tualang tree. “This tree must have grown another 100 feet since the last time we came up here!”, Daniel exclaims. Janet then runs round the tree, murmuring “I wonder if it’s still there?” “Yes, it is still written here!.”, she answers her own question. At the bottom of the tree is scraped with the words, ‘Janet and Daniel forever,December 1969’. Daniel promptly took out his penknife and scraped ‘Janet says yes! June 1975’. They spent the night together under the big tree, looking at the shining moon and glistering stars above the night sky. In the distance are fireworks blasting into the still night, brightening the night sky in quick intervals. It is a night carved out intimately for young lovers. Daniel and Janet are locked in deep embrace and their lips interlocked in warm exchange. They surrender themselves under the moonlight’s grace. Passion dictates their raw movements. They experienced the sweetest taste of love that only lovers can comprehend. Sadly, it has to end. They pulled away from each other with a loving gaze that could last a lifetime. “It was the most beautiful moment. I just wish it could last forever," Daniel happily sighed, swooning into Janet's arms.

A week has passed. “I have to go back to London, dear”, Daniel tells Janet. “What? Are you serious? I plan to discuss with you about our wedding plans!” “Yes, that’s in my mind too, honey. But, my adopted mother, Mrs. Kathy Brown has just passed away. She was such a kind hearted lady and was very good to me. I want to pay her my last respects. Moreover, I still have things and stuff over there. I would take this opportunity to pack all my belongings and have them shipped back to KL, Ok?” “Ok, dear. I understand. Please don’t be too long. Come back soon, Ok. I love you.”