She
remembered she wanted to be a bank manager! She applied to the economics school
– Polytechnic only to found out there was a long waiting list. Then a
non-nursing friend suggested law school, she thought of giving it a try. She
only know the Lincolns Inn so with the help of yellow directory, she called and
spoke to the admin officer Miss Barbara. She paid 100pounds to sign up as
Lincolns Inn member. Also got her head nurse to sign on the reference letter-
was signed unwillingly. She could start right away but was fearful that she
could not complete the law school. She felt the must to complete nursing school
that way if she failed law, she would still have the nursing qualification to
fall back on.
So she
continued with nursing and living outside of nursing homes, she would from time
to time steal some stuffs from nursing homes with the help of Tan Yan, they
steal fruit cakes, bed clothes, blankets and sometimes even chopping board, ha!
It is worth
to note that she is still writing to her boyfriend. And in the 2nd year, she
came back to Malaysia for holiday. Her dad still didn’t like her boyfriend due
to a bad first impression. This time, her boyfriend through her, passed a
present to her dad. It was a pen. Her dad forbidden anyone in the house to
mention the boyfriend’s name. On her final night before flying back to UK,
while she was doing some sewing, her dad walked in and out… and finally uttered
“tell Seng Kang I received the pen he gave.” And then her mum said “now you
yourself said his name!” A silent approval but the love birds were
still separated, she went back to UK and he was still waiting for her return…
She was
young, beautiful and attractive. Many male nurses, doctors and patients were attracted to her.
Africans, Scottish, English, Chinese….. but she doesn’t bother about them at
all. One doctor even stopped her from walking away, asking why she was behaving
such, because all other nurses would go to them, “offering” themselves. She
said she just was not that kind of woman. She only went out with one doctor,
the Scottish doctor because he was very handsome, curly hair, baby face.. he
took her to the pub, she didn’t enjoy herself and went home early.
By the
final year, she was already a SRN – State Registered Nurse. She often visited
the Tavistock Library just opposite her house, started reading books on law
principles. That’s where she learned about finders keepers. She was trying to
prepare herself as much as possible for the new journey that’s coming.
At the end
of 3rd year, she was finally a qualified nurse. In other words, she’s gotten her
blue framed hat with lace and blue belt with silver buckle! That is staff nurse’s uniform. She
was posted to the Roberts Ward where patients that underwent surgery
recuperate. She talks to every patient there and all of them love her. There
was even a mute patient. And in order to earn more money, she would do agency
nursing in between her shifts. In this hospital she met the head nurse Mr.
Obryan who married a Chinese wife, he called her “beautiful” and gave her Bak
Zang during the Dumpling Season. After few months, she served her notice though
many discouraged her. The nurses gave her an alarm clock as a farewell present.
After resigning, she became an agency nurse, which means more money & no
tax. The Robert Wards offered her a permanent agency nurse position.
She
attended law school for another 3 years. And due to a misunderstanding and the
fear of losing her, her boyfriend came to join her while she was in 2nd
year. 2 of her seniors in nursing school – from Penang & Taiping also followed her foot steps
to study law. They were a year behind her so were her boyfriend’s classmate. The
one from Taiping became mentally ill because of the heavy course and rested for
a year before continuing. It's a rather stressful course.
So that 3
years was agency nursing and studying law. Her siblings one by one also came to
join her. Altogether 4 younger siblings stayed with her. She met another 2
best friends in law school – Wee Meng and Kim Siok. Their classmates called
them the 3 Musketeers. She too had admirers in law class, there was a Malaysian guy who tried to talk to her but she did not show interest. He's gotten her address with the excuse that he wants to post christmas card to her house. He paid a surprise visit at her place but she was out. Charles, her younger brother answered the door and saw this man dressed smartly but has lots of dandruff on his coat. He teased her till today. :D
After she
graduated from the law school, her siblings didn’t want her to go back to
Malaysia. They wished she could stay longer, so she stayed and became a store
detective for 8 months. And not until Wee Meng wrote to her that she started
pupilage / chambering, she sensed the urgency to go back to start chambering!
And the story goes on.. in Malaysia. :) After 7 years living in UK, she's finally back to her homeland. :) 
(In the Inner Temple Library 1975)
(Outside of Lincoln Inn's Library)
(with friends and sister 1974)
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