Fiery order to my little inquisitive mind

One day when I was little, I was quite inquisitive and awed at how adults made fires. I could be three or four then. I remember being struck with amazement when I saw a match thus ignited.

Soon I discovered this contrivance on a ledge. Quietly, I sneaked that small package into the bedroom, to try it for myself.

I withdrew one of the potassium chlorate tipped antimony sulphide stick and stroked it to the thin sandpapered red phosphorus layering outside its box. And voila, fire...... and great I thought.

Later, I tried it on newspaper, where I found some sitting under the bed. I removed the mattress and lit to see the fire grew. It got bigger rather quick...... but then smokes began to accumulate too!

Then of a sudden, all hell broke loose. I was flung to the floor. Buckets of water came pouring in. I was severely reprimanded. And, I was afraid.

Now I know why in some places they call them, these damn matches, "Lucifer". Its evil no doubt.

When little I remember

I remember when I was as young as 3, I think, having a bath. In a small round galvanised metal tub, in the kitchen of a small single storey modest linkhouse. The kitchen was off a garage, facing a common narrow lane. It had also an internal courtyard for drying area, on the other side of the living room, where the toilet and bathroom were attached.

The lane was Jalan Triang, so it was called, in Transit Quarters, Kuantan, Pahang. At front, it had a small creek, not far away from the Living Room, where the doors were constantly closed, for our safety.

The Quarter is now a nonentity. It had been demolished, kaput.

Thats how much I remember of it and little me.