APRIL 6 — Rommel Fernando came to Malaya in the late 1800s to work in the Land Office in Kuala Kangsar. He decided to settle in his adopted land. One of his children was Anthony Martin Fernando (1897-1955).

Anthony married an “imported” Sri Lankan cousin, Rosalind, which was common practise in the early days. He was a hospital assistant in the Taiping Rubber Plantations group. 

They brought into this world Cyril, Phillip, Adeline, Annie, George, Madeline and Mabel. Today, only the three sisters Adeline (born in 1932), Madeline (1938) and Mabel (1941) remain. The Fernando family are staunch Roman Catholics.

Pioneering Malayans

Adeline was born in Kuala Kangsar and attended school at the Taiping Convent. She was a boarder when her father was transferred to Kuala Kurau. The convent stay was strict: precise timings in waking up, meals, chores and bedtime. 

Mass services started at 6am, with veil and holy communions received on the tongue while kneeling in a row on railings. Nuns wore black robes. There were boys’ and girls’ dorms. They made their beds and did their laundry. Archbishop emeritus Soter Fernandez was in the boys’ wing at the time.

Adeline was nine years old when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Malaya, and circumstances demanded her to grow up pretty fast. There was no schooling for her between 1941 and 1945. All she remembered was women, girls and babies must run and hide in the jungle when soldiers approach their estate. Adeline never witnessed any of the atrocities committed during the occupation, although she heard plenty.

Adeline started cooking at the age of nine. She recalls Rosalind would dress up and go to town, and being the eldest girl, she had to take charge of food preparations, which in no time became a duty. Mostly, she had to make do without onions or garlic, she added with a laugh. She practically raised her younger siblings. 

Soon after the war ended, another prolonged Emergency Period started. The Communists, however, were friendly to the villagers as all they wanted was food.

(From left) Jean, Milly, Adeline, Cynthia. — Malay Mail pix

Adeline grew up

In 1951, Adeline and Neville Perera (born 1926) got married. His parents, who were strong Buddhist adherents, were not in favour of him choosing to follow his wife’s faith. After many years, Adeline won over her in-laws.

It must be noted Adeline’s father, like many of that generation believed it was enough that daughters learned to read and write, as their vocation in life is to be a homemaker i.e. get married, have children and mind the home. Only sons were to have sufficient education to secure stable government jobs. Adeline never thought that as strange, as she had been very busy looking after the home since she was a pre-teen.

Only the youngest girl, Mabel, went on to be trained as a teacher. I married her second daughter, Annette.

Neville is a retired postal clerk. The Perera children are Anne Mildred or Milly, 64, Jean, 63, Terence, 58, and Cynthia Monica, 57. Their grandchildren are Sharon, 40, Alan, 39, Sabine, 35, Sean, 33, and Milland who passed away at 18 from muscular dystrophy 12 years ago. The great grandchildren are Ethan, 12, and Marcus, two.

Milly recalls fondly the “exclusive designer” clothes Adeline designed and sewed, which her friends admired enviously, while she beamed quietly — they couldn’t be bought anywhere. 

Jean said those who were lucky enough to savour her cooking would call mum “Chef Adele”. Jean feels they can never do enough to repay Adeline for her amazing work in bringing up and keeping the Fernando and Perera clans together through the years.

Adeline always sees the lighter side of things and laughs easily. She moves around without any aid and has been a vegetarian for 46 years — honouring a vow she made over a family crisis that was averted.

She is famous for saying to her children “How can you be concerned I will worry because you told me, when I will worry if you didn’t tell me?” “That’s how crafty my mum is”, said Jean with a hearty laugh. Adeline would have acquired serious survival instincts by now, wouldn’t she?

She only watches television for the news but she is a discerning viewer.

Sunday masses are at Church of the Divine Mercy in Shah Alam.

(From left) Madeline, Adeline and Mabel.

Postscript

Adeline’s “career” was just thrust upon her owing to the circumstances of the times. I suppose womenfolk then had to contend with the thought “If not us, then who else?”

The men were expected to work outside home to feed the family and the women had to complement and take care of the household. They just had to manage with whatever the men could bring to the table. This provided the men relief, which allowed them to concentrate on their work. This was how these women of remarkable substance and lots of ingenuity sustained the family institution and helped build our nation.  

It is fortuitous Rommel Fernando decided to make Malaya his home some 130 years ago.  The Sri Lankan heritage is now so embedded in the Malaysian culture that to extricate any little bit would make ours less Malaysian.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.