THE BUMPY ROAD

There were no kids playing. Everything was quiet. My Mum said. ' It's a curfew ......don't go out ! a little later.... ' Where's Mum ? ' Where's John ? My mind went blank. everything was very quiet, you could hear a pin drop. I thought I heard mum in the living room ..'.it's ok. everything is fine.'....

I had a look out the window and the sky was blue, still no one outside, no tri-Shaw's, no bells ringing, I heard , (and it was all of a sudden) a lengthy crackling noise, just like Chinese red fire crackers. It sounded not too far away to where I lived . One of my favourite things in Singapore was watching the fire crackers jumping all over the place and people (the Chinese) laughing and jumping out of the way (that wouldn't happen these days). For some reason I thought everything was fine and people were having fun up at the top of the bumpy road, there was always something happening there, always something interesting to watch, like puppet shows , huge elephants , precession's especially funerals, they were so very interesting and exciting and so very dramatic with loud whaling sounds coming from the cryer women who walked with what looked like sacking with string tying it all together and waving their arms about. A new law forbid them to carry the corps on the chair in full view so instead they would put a big picture of the deceased on the chair and his or her slippers or shoes where the feet would be.


The top of the bumpy road was where I bought my second hand Bunty (comic) which alot of the time was tattered and torn , not that it bothered me. I found myself outside and walking up towards the top of the bumpy road...it looked fine, no problem it was ok. I just got near to the top. and I remember a branch with loads of leaves had been bent and out of place and was in my way so I took hold of it and moved it away...and there it was, a typical old bus all windows wide open, but with slumped bodies of people and two upside down ones with red blood everywhere, they looked like they had fallen out the door and holes in the metal all the way along from one side to the other. And I stood there and looked and looked, it didn't seem right, they were not moving, it was like looking through an alive picture, but they were not moving.


I ran...... I ran....... I ran away back to my home. I didn't tell my mum in case she was angry with me. I didn't think about that day for about thirty years. I feel blank about it. Quiet. I know there are thousands upon thousands of children who like me have memories they are all over the world. PEACE and KINDNESS is what it's all about as we have no right to spoil that. I'm sorry for anyones pain.