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Life in the Chinese village where Janet
Lim passed her childhood went on as it had for a thousand years.
Occasionally it indulged in a small war against a neighbouring village
over a bit of land, occasionally it was raided by wolves in search of
food, and children— in one instance Janet’s cousin—would disappear.
When Janet was eight her father died and her mother, after betrothing
her to a local boy according to custom, re-married and presently, giving
Janet in charge to a neighbour, left for a distant place with her new
husband. Little time elapsed before her guardian took occasion to
dispose of her after a manner long practised with unwanted Chinese girls
by selling her to an elderly merchant in Singapore wanting an additional
servant and concubine. The local Christian Mission procured her release,
sent her to school and arranged for her to be trained as a nurse. War
broke out in the East and the military hospital in which she was working
was ordered to be evacuated to India on the approach of the Japanese.
The ship was bombed and Janet, after two fearful days on a raft, was
rescued by some fishermen from Sumatra. But Sumatra was already in
Japanese hands. Once sentenced to be a "Japanese comfort girl", once to
be executed by a firing squad, her courage, resourcefulness—and
usefulness to her captors—-enabled her to survive until the return of
the British. Now, at thirty-five she is Matron of the important St.
Andrews Hospital in Singapore. |
