We have always heard it said that marriages are written
in heaven and in my case and Helen Pearly DeWitt, this is absolutely true,
when I sit and think how God brought us together. It all happened in Penang.
I am from Penang but she was from Malacca. We did not know each other at
all. I was home for my holidays. I was then a teacher under training. She
was down in Penang, for the first time ever for a P.E. (Physical Education)
course at St. George's Girls School, Macalister Road. Pearly and an Indian
lady teacher were waiting for the town bus. My brother, Ivor, and I happened
to pass by, cycling to town. Ivor said, "I don't mind having that fair girl
as my sister-in-law". I replied "I don't know her, who is she?".
The next day, I was in the town bus with my father going
to town. Again Pearly was at the same bus stand, but this time with Maggie,
a Chinese lady teacher, from Raub M.G.S. (Methodist Gilrs School) whom I
knew, because I was just teaching in St. Thomas School, Kuantan, which was
next door to the M.G.S. I thought to myself, "What a coincidence!" This
is indeed strange. As soon as they came up the bus Maggie recognised me
and introduced Pearly to me and I in turn, introduced her to my father.
That was indeed a very short meeting. For not very long after, they had
to get down in town and my father and I carried on our journey to the harbour.
Returning to Kuantan I asked my room-mate, John Carvalho,
if he knew a DeWitt girl in Malacca. He said, "Yes, my family lived near
the DeWitt's", so I asked him if he could give me her address, because I
felt like writing to her. He told me to write to the Convent, Malacca, because
she was teaching there. My first letter was wrongly addressed, her name
was wrongly spelled, but I don't know how, she got the letter.
From then on we became pen-pals for a few years - about
one and a half years, until I completed my normal class examination in 1957
April. It was strange how love grew and strengthened through letters only.
We never met again except twice or three times, one in Raub, where I was
transferred to, then I came to meet Pearly in her elder brother, Joe's Railway
Appartment in Bungsar, called Perlis Flats, and finally in Malacca to ask
for her hand by letter to her father, Mr. J. C. DeWitt.
She was a very quiet person. She spoke nothing about herself.
She was a good English teacher and also she taught Domestic Science to her
girls. Her girls really loved her and her supervisors, the nuns, all loved
her. All those who came to our house knew that Pearly was a very good cook.
Her Suggee Cake was excellent, her Pot Roast was second to none. Everyone
waited for her Roast Turkey, Macaroni or spaghetti and her Irish Stew. She
excelled also in her Salt Fish Pickle and she could sew beautifully. She
was very hardworking both in school and at home. Every Friday was mopping
day, when she will mop the whole house. Her kitchen was spick and span.
She was always well dressed and was a very sweet and humble person.
She loved her mother and father very much and she was
always a caring person. She was very much concerned about her brother Horace,
for at one time, he was not eating his lunch properly , and she invited
him to come daily to our place for food. She was always worried about her
youngest brother Johnny and his family. Always asking, "How are they managing
with practically a small income". She sent them monthly something to make
ends meet. She was all the time trying to find out how her elder brother,
Joe, and his wife, Evelyn and family were getting on in Prai, Tapah Road,
Kuala Lumpur and Australia. Lastly she kept thinking about Ruby and her
family too, especially when Ruby was sick. She was worried about her health.
Pearly was indeed very scared of cancer, she always turned
off the T.V. if the programme is speaking about cancer. All the same she
died of cancer of the bile and liver. Now that she has gone 'home' I really
miss her.
