Saam Po 三婆 - 張明月 女仕 (1912 - 1999)
My dearest Saam Po (三婆) brought up my elder brother and me since birth. She was so close to us that, instead of calling her Saam Po, we always called her "Alaam"** at home. Alaam lived with our family for over 20 years starting from 1965. We treated her as a family member, and in fact, she was our relative because she was the wife of our granduncle. We also called her "the history textbook of the Tam family" due to her strong memory of the past. She could remember the birth years of all family members and their past anecdotes.
She retired and lived with her son, Uncle Ying, after I went abroad to study. In 1997, she was diagnosed with symptoms of Alzheimer's. In 1998, her family decided to send her back to mainland China to live with her daughter, where she could be well looked after. Since then, I frequently traveled to Jiangmen (江門市) to visit her. In the later stage, she could not recognize most people she had known before, including her grandchildren or relatives. However, she could always remember my brother and me because we meant so much to her.
In her last year of life, I felt she was happier than she had been in Hong Kong, with a better appetite and being well cared for by her daughter, Auntie Shiu Ping. On January 1st, 1999, the day my whole family was celebrating the opening of Hui Min Road (惠民路) in our hometown, Shang Ling (上淩), she had a stroke and was sent to the critical unit in Jiangmen People's Hospital. She was in a coma for almost a month. One day, she managed to open her eyes again. I couldn't help but burst into tears. However, from then on, she could hardly recognize anyone or speak. She suffered in this condition for eight months and finally passed away peacefully on August 21, 1999, at the age of 88.
She was an "unusual" person in her way of life. We always said she could be a fairy from heaven because she could survive on very little food and drink. Her care for us surpassed even that of our parents. She shaped my life, gave me insights and hope. I cannot imagine the person I would have become without her care and love. She remains the most beloved person in my life. **The word "Alaam" is believed to have transformed from Ah Saam (阿三) when we first learned to talk.
** the word "Alaam" is believed to be transformed from Ah Saam (阿三) when we first learned to talk.
三婆的枕邉故事 口述歷史
Revival of Saam Po's voice recorded between 1987-88
三婆 張明月 錄音 1 - 搭電車 Saam Poh Recording 1 - Take Tram
搭電車或行路可以, 否則會頭暈
三婆 張明月錄音 4: 上大學前 Saam Po Recording 4: Going to university
上大學前的枕邉話
三婆 張明月錄音5 從西营盤回灣仔 - Saam Po recording 5 - back from Uncle Ying's home
阿祥送返灣仔合和城
三婆張明月錄音 6 - 來港28年 Saam Poh Recording 6 - Working in Hong Kong for 28 years
1987年錄音 , 年届76
民國49年(1960)來港, 49歳
在姓梁的打工5年
民國54年 (1965)來我們家
来港28年在我家工作已23年
三婆 張明月錄音 7:來我們家23年 Saam Po Recording 7 - Came home 23 years / Phone call with David
來了我們家23年。。。 跟陳則仁講電話
三婆 張明月錄音 8 : 給阿丞的錄音 Saam Po Recording 8: Message to Sing / Thanks for his letter
多謝阿丞的信, 會長時來跟阿舜一起
三婆 張明月錄音 9 年初七 , 買衣服 Saam Po Recording 9: 7th day of CNY / Buy Clothes
年初七的錄音。 以前買很多衣服
三婆 張明月錄音 10 永隆的保險箱 Saam Po Recording 10: Safe Deposit Box in Wing Lung Bank
永隆保險箱
三婆 張明月 錄音 11 - 不用做工的愿望 Saam Poh Recording 11 - Desire
不用做工就可以回英叔家, 多去耀湛婆(三婆)家坐坐。
三婆 張明月錄音12: 做年糕的故事 Saam Po Recording 12: Cake Making
做年糕,提到祥嬸, 三母 (耀湛夫人), 二人 (阿婆), 來喜(工人)及她的家婆。
三婆 張明月錄音 13: 阿杰來港 Saam Po Recording 13: Her Son Tam Zi Jie's Visit to Hong Kong
譚子杰來港旅遊, 與阿豪去酒店會面。 两段錄音合成。
三婆 張明月錄音 15: 灣仔地鐡5月完成 Saam Po Recording 15: MTR launch
搭地下鐡較容易。 灣仔地鐡在5月便完成開放。
三婆 張明月錄音 16:良嫂 Saam Po Recording 16: Relative
提到有禮的良嫂 (二母)
三婆 張明月錄音 17: 汶莱軼事 Saam Po Recording 17: Brunei Reminiscene
汶莱住了三年, 上學及家中的事情
三婆 張明月錄音 18: 出生及童年住處 Saam Po Recording 18: Place of Birth and Childhood
民國元年出生, 住在江門教頭, 也住過梁家荘,祖廟附近等
三婆 張明月錄音 20: 看大戲 Saam Po Recording 20: Watching Chinese Opera
以前穿的衣服, 衫桾, 衫褲 、 請人來演戲。。蘇小小。
三婆 張明月錄音 21: 上凌東凌 Saam Po Recording 21: Shang Ling, Dong Ling
譚蘭罄 , 楊屋伙, 大塘角
三婆 張明月錄音22:德隆 Saam Po Recording 22: De Long
江門可住在德隆, 和爸爸妾室阿三家。 生意除了德隆外, 還有德光, 和新會城的德隆棧和福和。
三婆 張明月錄音 23: 天庭墟飮茶 Saam Po Recording 23: Go to restaurant in Tian Ting Xu
跟爸爸去天庭墟飮茶。。 大同酒家
三婆 張明月錄音 24: 上凌開布店 Saam Po Recording 24: Cloth retail business in Shangling.
結婚後與三公於上凌墟開布店,負責會計及買貨。
三婆 張明月錄音 25: 做魚翅 Saam Po Recording 25: Making Shark Fin Soup
才12歳便幇忙爸爸朋友金山啟在兒子婚宴上做魚翅。
三婆 張明月錄音 26: 煮飯給譚肇康 Saam Po Recording 26: Cook for Tam Shiu Hong
日本侵華期間譚肇康及其女兒回郷避難, 三公三婆煮飯給他們吃, 大讚其手藝。
三婆 張明月錄音 27: Saam Po Recording 27: Wedding and new family life
十九歳出嫁, 婚禮嫁妆的東西。 剛在老爺死後過門。 奶奶早起,媳婦更要早。
三婆 張明月錄音28: 髮型 服装 Saam Po Recording 28: Hairstyle and Clothes
小時侯到出嫁都梳孖辮,出嫁後梳髻。5日才梳一次。一般穿衫褲, 較少穿長衫,從不化妆。
三婆 張明月錄音 29: 童年及妹妹的孖女 Saam Po Recording 29: Childhood and Twin daughters of her sister
老舉寨 , 扎脚, 孖女。
三婆 張明月錄音 30:信耶稣的老師 、 唱耶稣歌 Saam Po Recording 30: A Christian Teacher
老師是信教的, 並教學生唱聖歌。
三婆 張明月錄音 31: 教育 Saam Po Recording 31: Her Education
老爺不支持在江門接受教育, 認為是不合江水。14歳不容許讀書, 寜留在江門。
三婆 張明月錄音 32:永利、裕利、建利建築 Saam Po Recording 32: Wing Lee
三公在永利建築工作
三婆 張明月錄音33: 日本侵華入郷 Saam Po Recording 33: Japanese Invasion
日本軍人住在十伯父家, 令阿婆抬塘,拘禁二姑破。
被、背着英叔上山逃難, 連同太公譚肇康都要住在山林。 幾個軍人已經嚇倒全郷。
三婆 張明月錄音 34:偷盗來港 Saam Po Recording 34: Came to Hong Kong Illegally
在醫院20天不吃不喝,然後偷盗坐船来港, 當時時民國49年1960, 大陸正值土改。 剛到港住在阿婆處船街54號3樓。 之前來過香港, 並在西環國家醫院産下少萍姑,但未有取出世紙而醫院也被拆, 無從考查。當時玫姑媽已經過了婆羅洲。
三婆 張明月錄音 35: 初到貴境 Saam Po Recording 35: First Came To Hong Kong
初來做過的幾份工作, 契嬸介绍的工作, 在十伯父家的短暫照顧,後來去了肥仔家。 豪伯比她早到港, 當時還可以正式申请,經石岐港坐船, 透過跟二公工作来港。
三婆 張明月錄音 36: 肥仔家 Saam Po Recording 36: Home of Fattie
在跑馬地梁家工作5年, 與大少奶意見不合下,致電阿婆, 極力遊説回來。 四,五月便來待丞出生。 雖不喜歡帶孩子,但越带越趣致, 决定留下。
三婆 張明月錄音 37: 我們的家 Saam Po Recording 37: Our Family
我出生後, 媽没有工作, 但請了幾個人照顾都做不長, 最後也由三婆照料我。
舐犢情深
原曲:I Need To Be In Love
詞:John Tam
唱:John Tam
誰只管一生苦耕不管收到幾多
誰將關心跟溫暖賜給我
誰幾經風雨沒退過
誰給真心一顆
妳變白的髮鬢也爲了我
如得到星宿引路從來不畏跌倒
如不知所措必會將心訴
如今卻説要別我去我心中滿苦惱
盼妳一聼最後勸告
但願懷内往昔日尋
再見是我的天真
唯有我對你願盡赤子心
此終不斷
仍愛你的心總會是永遠
曾深深親妳笑著面龐聼你鄉音
曾因恐失你一再禱告
曾走多少歲月妳臉已經留痕
愛我的心卻沒變老
但願能共你星夜行
妳照亮我的一生
唯有我卻未盡報恩
心中的哀號
仍愛你可惜卻沒聽到
但願懷内往昔日尋
妳已在我心生根
情深彼此永念著對方
好比舐犢
仍愛你心早已烙了印
Song written and released in 1987