The Red Bucket

Originally from Ipoh, my family soon moved to Kuala Lumpur. I was about five at that time. We used to travel back frequently there, staying in this big bungalow run by the church. It was heaven for me, as I got pampered silly by the aunties. Also, it was the place where I meet all my childhood friends (these are the people I know since birth).

Being kids, we would either be fighting, crying, or playing. Our games revolved around 'Chase', 'Hide and Seek', Lat Tali Lat Tali Tam Pun (Translation: It's a nonsensical game that I can't explain) and Pregnant Woman (don't ask). You must understand, that the bungalow in those days was huge - the perfect arena for a game of Hide and Seek.

Thus one day, while playing hid and seek, I discovered a lovely place to hide - in a PLASTIC RED bucket (I'm sure you've seen it before - those big round buckets that people use to takong (hold) laundry to bring out and sun? If you haven't nevermind) which was big due to my age. So there I laid, quiet as ever, waiting for the Seeker to seek me out. Soon, the Seeker found everyone save me. Still, I laid quiet, though a bit bored in the bucket waiting.

And waiting.

Though I was in the overturn bucket, I could hear the conversations around me. Safe to say, soon the whole church was seeking for me, and being a five-year-old, I found it rather funny, hearing my mum shouting my name. In my small little brain, I proudly thought to myself that I was a wonderful Hider.

That was until one of the Uncles discovered me by accident. He was in the room I was in talking with another Uncle about organizing a search party. That was when I started giggling. Try to imagine a bucket moving up and down and you would get the picture. Suffice to say, my parents were not happy, no matter how I proudly said that I was a wonderful Hider. I even got a scolding for goodness sake.

However I was the envy of my friends, who felt like shooting themselves for not thinking of the creative idea of hiding in a bucket. Soon, everytime we played Hide and Seek there would always be some moron, hiding in the overturn RED bucket.