Thanks Ann for my St John's Island escapades
A reunion to remember for a long time
Asni and Balkis
Sheefah and Aindon
Thanks Kamariah for the invitation
Fatimah (in black) joined us later
Another meeting soon for the golden gals
The friends I grew up with - Ann, Zaleha, Hong Choo and Asni
St John's Island with its present beach and its new jetty below
WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR
We met again after forty years of going our own way. The reunion during the wedding dinner brought fond memories for us about our hockey days time and weekend escapades together.
Back in the 60’s there was no Orchard Road for me. No Peninsular Shopping Centre and I never dreamt of roaming at Shenton Way either. To add to the list of ‘No-Nos’ would be Capitol, Lido, Orchard, Hoover and Queen too. These are off course the movie theatres during my growing up time.
That was my restrictive life in the late 60s. I was still a secondary school student and dad was rather strict during those days. The moment he glared and stood still with his 6’ 2” frame at the door every evening after work was a clear signal for me and my siblings to keep a ten mile distance away from him. I am not complaining about not stepping my feet at those must-to be-seen around places at that time for I had and still have very good school friends who would invite and drag me over to their homes come every Saturday and school holidays.
Thank God Dad didn’t mind my weekly rendezvous for he knew who my company was. Having come from a girls’ school, my friends were only of one gender - girls, girls and girls. The unwritten statement was that I had to deliver my results came each term for out like magic would appear the thinnest rotan with its menacing swish in the air if as the eldest, I did not set the right tone for my younger siblings. See how heavy my responsibility was back then. I catapulted into maturity beyond my years of innocence too soon. I owe this to Dad a lot for instilling in me the right values as the eldest child in the family.
I would never forget my trips to Pulau Sekijang Bendera or St John’s Island. My girl friend Aindon grew up on the island before moving to Bendemeer Road. Came Saturday morning or Friday evening, we would board the ferry from Clifford Pier to St John’s Island and stayed over at her sister’s house. Perched on a hill, the house offered a commanding view of the island and you could see the frothy waves lapping against the cliff from the kitchen window. On clear days, you could even see the Indonesian island shore line. We would wake up to a beautiful sun rise scene by the beach and a stroll along the island shoreline. The air was laden with salt spray and I was lost with the serenity and respite of the beautiful and quiet island. Steaming hot coffee and nasi lemak would await us when we were done with our gals’ morning gossip.
The island was known as Pulau Sakijang by the Malay locals, which can be literally translated as the Island of a barking deer. One account states that when the British sailors arrived in Singapore, they fiddled with the name of the island to make it more pronounceable among themselves, hence the name Sakijang was alleged to be anglicized to Sin Jang Island to suit the English tongue. Subsequently Sin Jang Island became St John’s Island over time. The island was also a former quarantine station for leprosy cases and a penal settlement for political prisoners and ringleaders of secret societies.
We left no part of the island untouched. We orientated the beach picking up interestingly-shaped shells for making into necklaces or bracelets. And where there were cliffs replacing the sandy or rocky beach, we had to make our stop for it was impassable to go beyond. Being resilient and not bowing to failure easily, we would wait for the next low tide to continue our outline walking of the island. It was such a terrific feeling to walk and feel the sand with your sole while the waves and the foam kissed your feet. St. John’s natural shores are ringed by coral reefs with a variety of hard and soft corals. Commonly encountered animals included an unusually number of hermit crabs and sea cucumbers.
At times we would jump into the sea giggling and laughing like little girls having their first ride on a carousel. The sun could be baking hot and our complexion would be at the mercy of the fiery red ball but we didn’t care. It was our bonding time and such pleasures should be enjoyed while it last before development and the tractors rob them away from us. I would always return to the mainland as red as a lobster.
We transected St John’s Island hoping for more discoveries. We came across structures of demolished houses, an abandoned cemetery and an unused concrete jetty which had seen its better days. We would utter some prayers whenever we walked past the jetty for it possessed the notoriety of being haunted. Islanders claimed of hearing cries of baby in the middle of the night from the jetty. According to Aindon, nurses working on the island hospital would wheel unclaimed placenta on the jetty into the sea. I must also add that one of the holiday bungalows on the island is also reputed to be haunted. It is right on top of the hill, standing on its own with a sprawling compound.
Bright yellow allamanda, pastel pink hibiscus and royal purple bougainvillea would catch our attention on our scouring trip of the island. They grow wildly on the island but when you lay your eyes on them, you simply want to bring them home. We would place them in empty jam or Green Spot bottles (we started recycling a long time ago) and help to add colour to our host’s living room or kitchen.
We even boatpool and rowed to Pulau Sekijang Pelepah or Lazarus Island, just a few minutes away from St John’s Island. Without fail, the island boys would line up at the jetty and entertain us with their acrobatic somersaults and fancy free fall jumps into the water. The sea was their playground and it was astounding to see young boys having no fear of the deep sea.
Our island home stay ended when Aindon revealed that her family had to leave St John’s Island forever. The island was transformed into a tranquil getaway with swimming lagoons, trekking routes and camping grounds for nature lovers in 1975.
Thank you my friends. I will not forget Jalan Muallaf, Kg Woodleigh, Punggul End, Kolam Ayer Quarters, Genting Lane, Circuit Road, Merpati Road, Lorong Tai Seng, Lorong 27 Geylang, Jalan Pipit, Jalan Pasir, Lorong Engku Aman, Paya Lebar, Toa Payoh and most of all St John's Island.
