satay at 10 cents a stick

when i was a young boy, satay was a luxury food item which we could only afford during the chinese new year festive season. at other time of the year, it was not easily available. it could be that it was not profitable to sell satay outside the festive period as not many people had the extra cash to buy. it cost 10 cents a stick and there were two types of satay: beef and mutton.

we would buy one or two sticks each time but would sit around the stall for a long while to finish the precious bitefuls of skewered meat. the itinerant satay hawker was a neighbour of mine. he was a wiry malay man whose wife was double his size. selling satay was a seasonal and part-time job for him.

because we treasured the meat so much, we would not start on it till we had finished the slices of cucumber and big onion that came with the satay. we would ask for more gravy and he would always provide. sometimes, without our asking, he would slice more cucumber and onion for us.

when i was studying in a secondary school at bras basah road, i used to walk to the tay koh yat bus terminal at beach road to catch a bus. around this place was the original satay club. as i reminisce, i seem to be getting a whiff of the smell of charcoal grilled meat.