Kong Tai was about 3, when she was first adopted by her biological mother’s younger sister in Kedah. At that time, life was really difficult as inflation rate hit high, jobless rate was high and there was economy crisis that badly affect the lives of many kampong folks. Kong Thai’s father – a traditional closed minded Chinese man decided to give her up as he dislike daughters. Her mother can’t have a say, as in those days, woman especially those without income or education are suppose to submit 100% to her husband without protest, in all circumstances. With tearful eyes, her biological mother said good bye to her. That was her last memory in her childhood life – about motherly love.
After brought her home, her adopted mother changed her name from Wong Kong Tai to Chin Kong Tai. Since then, hell had come to this little girl’s life following with her new name.
From her memory, she remembered very clear that her adopted mother and father did not really care for her. There was one terrifying incident happened at night that she could not forget in her whole life. One night, she can’t control her urine as she drank a lot of milk, so she rushed to the toilet at 3am. When she returned to her bed, she saw many black shadows looked like children who are playing on her bed, which was covered with green mosquitoes net. She felt so scared and screaming & running to her adopted parents’ room, crying and repeatedly banging the door asking for help. But there was no response from them. She keep screaming and crying but her adopted parents refused to open the door. Finally, she felt too weak and fall asleep on the door step until the next morning. Can you imagine what kind of terrible mental and spiritual torment this child had undergone? It was actually not from the ghosts, but from her adopted parents’ cold blood attitude of ignorance, irresponsible and selfishness.
When she turned 7, her adopted mother start to show her true color, by forcing her to carry out all kinds of heavy house work which evens an adult cannot do it alone. She forced to carry heavy loads, washing floor by using the broom which is taller than her little body, forcing to brush all surface shinny clean to avoid heavy punishment. There was one rainy day; the rain was so heavy, she felt very cold so she refused to wash the outdoor flooring under the rain. Her adopted mother decided to teach her a lesson by pressing her head to lock inside the space in between the door and the cement floor. She screamed and begging for mercy, but her mother turned her deaf ears on her. Her mother not just hurting her head, her little weak body but she was badly damaging this little girl’s soul and spirit. Since then, her feeling towards her mum and dad is no longer love, but hell fear and anger.
When she turns 8, her mum start to born many siblings, she had the duty to take care of all the siblings while her parents were away to work. At the same time, she needed to carry out house work, cooking, washing, and cleaning work. There was one incident, where her adopted brother had done for her. At that time, she was baby sitting her younger siblings, suddenly one of her brother cried. Her elder adopted brother mistaken as if she had beaten up the younger brother, he was so furious that he kick boxing this little girl and due to the kick was so hard, her body was blowing few feet away, landed hard on the floor and she was fainted. Her cousin brother saw it and quickly rescues her by carried her away and locked inside the room. Due to the injury, she was laid down on the bed for days. She cried days and nights, there was no one to complaint to or helped….
She did go to school, and had a lot of fun & happiness at school – singing and playing with other children. Unfortunately, her happy school life was not lasting. At the age of 9, her mum stops her from going to school due to a near miss accident. A lorry driver almost hit her while she was on the way to school walking alone. The lorry driver came to her house and scolded her parents for irresponsible for the child’s safety, which eventually lead to her tragic fate – stop going to school. Her adopted mother finally decided to rope her from the only good thing that ever happen in her life that she enjoyed most – reading, writing, singing and have fun. Life is really unfair for her…
Few years later, she started to work by learning rubber tapping & eventually became a rubber tapper. She saved all her hard earned money , gave some to her mum and keeping some buying gold spare for rainy days. Very soon, she grew up to be a pretty fair lady with fair skin, black hair and strong body. God has grace on her, naturally she was born with a stunning body shape that all women felt jealous and all men love to see her. Many villagers start to propose to her but all were rejected by her mother. Finally, at the age of 21, she was married to a mechanic recommended by her mother and auntie, whom she had merely spoken to, at some pre-arranged ice breaking sessions.
Yes, her mother finally get ride of her by marrying her far away – another state. But her life became worst as she need to work, be a mother, a wife, a daughter in law and born many babies – 12. Some babies die due to sickness and accident. Thanks God, she became an extra ordinary good loving mother after went through hell in her own childhood. She decided to love her kids more than her self; she was willing to sacrifice everything and anything to give the kids good lives, better education and made them happier children. She hardly punished kids with hands or stick, but pour lots of love into their lives, care for them and helped them. She became an extra ordinary good & hard working mother, good grandma and finally died peacefully at the age of 68 due to cancer. She is no longer on earth, but her kindness, her love and her extra ordinary life story continue to live on for generations…
(This is a true story recorded from late Madam Chin Kong Tai)
