"I WAS in my hometown of Bentong, specifically at my parent's old house, preparing a proposal for a project that I was working on — a documentary with Nanyang oldies 2.0 — and at the same time, was about to pack some newly-baked Christmas fruitcakes for clients when I heard it," begins Yudi Yap, a well-respected icon in the local entertainment and arts scene, famed for her silky vocals on Nanyang classics.
The former vocalist of local Chinese-language band, Alternative Music House, is recalling the fateful night the flood came and destroyed everything she held dear. "It was 11.30pm and I remember hearing unusual sounds — low and fearful — from my dogs who were downstairs," shares Yudi, a discernible catch in her voice.
Hastily, she stopped everything she was doing and hastened down the narrow wooden stairs to check on what was happening. By this time, the water had risen at least a foot high. "I shouted so loud in my attempts to wake up my family who were sleeping," she recalls, before adding that there was a desperate scramble to take the children upstairs and at the same time, bring as many of their possessions as possible so they could be placed at the highest points in the house.
"I grabbed some important papers, certificates, and all the sweets that had been ordered by clients," elaborates Yudi, who has an artisan coconut candy business and runs a charming homestay where she lives called Moo Cottage, which sits above her family home.
A pensive expression on her face, she shares that the might of the water that came gushing in was just too much to handle, and in the end, there was nothing they could do. "It was so terrifying," she shares, voice low, adding: "Within an hour, the water had risen to 4 feet. Our cupboards and cabinets started collapsing around us. The electricity went off and it was total chaos. The rain just continued into the cold night and I remember it didn't take long before the water level had reached 7 feet."
THE AFTERMATH
Asked what was the most valuable thing she lost, the popular songwriter replies softly: "Many precious photos that I'll never be able to get back. But I'm grateful that my dogs survived, and we were able to save some of the newly-baked fruit cakes and candies, which had been commissioned by clients."
A wry smile crossing her face, she adds: "I have two cars, but one ended up being completely submerged, while the other, which had been parked on higher ground, was partially damaged. It all happened so fast."
Fast forward to today, and Yudi and her family are reminded of the tragedy everywhere they look. "We spent over two weeks just to clean all the mud from the house and get rid of everything that had been destroyed. The smell was unbearable. We lost 90 per cent of our furniture and all our electrical appliances were completely spoilt," shares Yudi, face solemn.
Adding, she shares that her coconut candy production had to cease and suffice it to say, the small business has suffered greatly. "Most of the printed materials and our packaging were gone. And as it happened, we were forced to stop production during a period that's normally considered our peak, in terms of demand. If it weren't for the various parties, including the many NGOs and friends, who rallied around us, I don't think we could have done this ourselves. I'm so grateful. But of course, life has to go on."
Yudi Yap makes a welcome return to the Bobo stage to help usher in the lunar Year of the Tiger. The songbird will be delighting her fans with a repertoire of evergreens presented in the Neo-Classic way. Proceeds from the first night's concert will be channelled towards a special fundraising initiative for Yudi.
Performance dates: Jan 20 to Jan 22, 2022 at 8pm – 10pm.
Jan 21 and Jan 22: Yudi and ITA ensemble. Price: RM150. Concert is limited to 50 pax.
For ticket booking, go to www.cloudtix.co/shows/yudi-yap-then