Manickam came to work as a ball boy at the Highwavys Club when he was just eight or nine years old, in the 1920s. He began by picking tennis balls - a job more difficult than playing the game itself - and went on to marking the tennis lines as a 'marker'. 'Manickawm,' as the expatriate planters pronounced his name, soon learnt to play, and made a skilled practice opponent who, due to our social conditioning, would never be considered suitable to participate in a club match. Almost without anyone noticing, Manickam jjegan helping out at the bar and, as his skills grew, he took over the coveted post of barman. As a young bartender with an unlimited stock of imported spirits at his disposal, it was but natural that the 'club boy' should develop a taste for cocktails; he also developed a reputation for integrity that matched his skill at pouring exact shots without measuring them.
展开▼
