'Come and spend a night or two with us if you don't believe me,' suggested my cousin Zulkifli. His voice came through quite clearly over the telephone. 'You wouldn't be pulling a fast one on me, would you?' I probed. 'I'm dead serious. Ask Ani if you think I'm bluffing,' he replied. I heard him calling out for Norani. Seconds later, she had taken over his end of the line.
Zul and I were about the same age, thirteen. Norani, his sister, was ten. They were the only children of my Uncle Bujang, a customs officer, and Auntie Hawa. The family had just moved into their government quarters in the west coast of Singapore three months ago. 'It's true, Din. Trust me, no tricks here. There is a ghost at our place. It looks like a young girl, about my age. We've been seeing her these past few days in Zul's bedroom, in the dining room and even in my own room. She doesn't bother us actually, so we're not scared at all. And we only see her for a few seconds. She always looks so sad. 'Come on. Spend a night here. See her with your own eyes,' urged Ani excitedly.
A ghost! They insisted it was real, and they weren't even scared? I could already feel the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. But it was December, and school was out. Something egged me to go on and see for myself what my cousin were so excited about. 'Alright, I'll be there tomorrow afternoon,' I replied, before hanging up. I was met by Zul at his place the following day, as agreed. Uncle Bujang, who had just returned from the office, was there too. 'Well, all ready to meet the ghost, Din? I was a little too shy to reply, I guess. I just took his hand and kissed it.
'Oh, come on. he has hardly stepped inside and already you're scaring him,' quipped Auntie hawa, who was also at the door. Uncle laughed, and so did Zul and Ani. Zul took me to his room. He was to share it with me during my stay there, he said. And as soon as I had settled down and we were alone, he also began sharing with me his personal encounters with the ghost, whom he first saw three nights ago as he lay in bed. When at first he saw the door swinging, he said, he thought it was just Ani. But a second look told him it was not his little sister, but a girl he had never seen before, dressed in the deep blue sarong and white baju kurung that was the uniform of Malay school girls.
The girl disappeared from view before he could utter a word. But he did get a look at her face, and how could he ever forget that face. She looked so doleful. The second time the ghost was sighted was in the dining room as Ani was preparing the table for lunch. Like the first time, she was gone as soon as she appeared, before Ani could say anything. Ani, too, said she looked very, very sad indeed. Ani also happened to be the one who saw her the next time she appeared. It was late at night when she awoke to find the ghost standing at the foot of her bed. Like before, she vanished in no time. As for me, I did not have too long a wait for my first encounter with the ghost. It happened while I was having dinner with the family that very evening. we were enjoying a lively chat as we tucked in when Ani, who sat directly opposite the door, suddenly started pointing excitedly in its direction. We all turned around at once, in time to see the ghost sauntering in. She halted after a few steps, and gazed at us with that soulful look of hers, just like my cousins said. And then she vanished.
Uncle was the first to speak, 'Wonder why she looks so sad? I feel sorry for her. Maybe there's something she wants to say to us.' We went back to our meal, but by then the liveliness in our conversation was already gone. The rest of that night went uneventfully. We had a good sleep, Zul and I, and I guess so did uncle, auntie and Ani. The following day, the three of us kids whiled away the hours with reading and games, while uncle was at work and auntie kept herself busy with the chores. Uncle came home around six. As he rested in the living room, he told us something he had just learnt back at the office that day. He had been asking around if anyone knew anything out of the ordinary about the house. And he found one guy who actually did. The guy said he had known for a number of years now that the house was haunted. In fact, he said, that was the very reason the place was not taken up for so long time, despite being offered to several customs officers before uncle finally moved in.
And what was the story? It seemed many years ago a widowed senior customs officer used to live there with his daughter, a student age about thirteen. Trouble started when the man remarried a lady who turned out to be a regular wicked step mother. 'Whenever her father was out to work or elsewhere, the girl would get hell from the woman. She was abused, beaten up, tortured. The man did not know about it, or perhaps he did but pretended not to know, lest he displeased his beloved new lady. Well, unable to take it anymore, the poor little girl finally committed suicide. She poisoned herself. Ever since then, the house had been haunted,' said uncle. We listened to the story in silent horror. Poor girl, I thought. How sad to hear someone so young being forced to take her own life to relieve herself of misery. I had seen such scenes in movies, and read about it in books, but it shocked me to learn that they do happen in real life.
Later that night, Zul and I saw the ghost again when we were both in bed. Something jerked us out of sleep, almost at the same time. As we woke up, we both became immediately aware of someone else's presence in the bedroom. We looked around, and there she was, at our feet, gazing at us. The words left my mouth before I knew what I was saying. 'Why are you always in such sorrow?' The ghost looked at ma, and tears seemed to well up in her eyes and slowly wet her cheeks. And instantly, she was gone. 'Did you see that? Did you see how she cried?' whispered Zul. I nodded.
The next morning, after breakfast, uncle and auntie left for the market, leaving the three of us on our own. Zul and I sat down to some books in the living room, while Ani went to her bedroom. Abruptly, the weather turned gloomy. Dark clouds quickly blocked the morning sun and successive claps of thunder split the sky as blustery winds brought a sudden, heavy downpour. Zul and I rushed from window to window, shutting them to keep the rain out. We came to Ani's room, and that was when we realized she was no longer around. We could not find her, though we did notice fresh depressions on her bed and pillow. We called out for her several times, but there was no response. 'The kitchen, maybe,' suggested Zul. 'But I didn't see her leave her room,' I replied.
We dashed to the living room. It was pretty dark, what with all the window shut. Zul switched the light on. But no light came. 'Now the lights won't work!' He sounded a little shaken. 'Ani, Ani, where are you?' he called out. Silence. There was no reply. My heart was pounding. 'Come on, Ani, don't play hide and seek with me, please!' Zul called out again. We waited for a few minutes and still there was no sign of her. 'Why don't you look for her in my dad's room? I'll see if she's in the dining room.' There was a distinct tremble in my cousin's voice. I dashed to uncle's room. The door was shut but not locked. I opened it gently, and found it empty. I went in. There was definitely no one there. I went into the bathroom and toilet. They were empty too. I lifted the bedsheet and peered under the bed, just in case Ani was hiding there. No, there was no one there either.
I went out and hurried to the dining room, expecting to find Zul searching for his sister there. I found the door shut. I tried to open it, and found it locked. 'Zul, would you open the door, please. I can't find her.' No reply from within. I shook the door as I called out again, 'Zul! Hey, where the hell are you? Come on, open the door!' Nothing moved. I tried forcing my way in, but the door would not budge. Then I heard different voices cackling from within. I was stunned. I could recognise two of them, Zul and Ani. But the third was a stranger to me. Are Zul and Ani with someone else? But who? What are they up to? I knocked on the door repeatedly. 'Zul, Ani, hurry up! Open this door, please!'
Footsteps. Someone's coming to the door. Moments later, it opened slowly and Zul's head appeared. What a shock I had. He was grinning wide, but his face was pale as a corpse's. 'Come on in, Din,' he said, pulling me inside by the arm. I was surprised by the unusually strong grip and smell like hardness of his hand. As soon as I was inside, Zul locked the door, and I found myself in a dark room. All the windows were shut, all the lights off. He drew me to the middle of the room, near one end of the dining table. I could make out two figures at the other end. 'Won't you join us, Din? We can have some fun,' came Ani's voice.
Before I could see who was beside her, Ani said, 'Din, meet Rosie, our new friend. 'She got up and led 'Rosie' by the hand to meet me. 'Rosie', who was about my age, was dressed in a blue sarong and white baju kurung. She drew closer and closer and held my hand. 'Let's play here, Din. Don't go out and leave us again, please.' The voice was deep and rough. Certainly not the voice of a young girl. And the grip! It was as hard as Zul's. So hard that her nails were digging into my flesh. Then Rosie gave out a devilish cackle. And so did Zul and Ani. Zul and Ani put their arms around me and held me tight. And they kept cackling, tearing my mind. Then the three of them put their hands on my throat. I could not breathe. I screamed at the top of my voice. I wanted to escape. But I could only feel blood spurting out of my throat and mouth. In my eyes there was only a haze. The room was turning round and round. My breathing became increasingly feeble. Everything was turning into darkness. I felt myself rising, hovering in the air, along with Zul, Ani and Rosie. And they kept cackling.
And what was the story? It seemed many years ago a widowed senior customs officer used to live there with his daughter, a student age about thirteen. Trouble started when the man remarried a lady who turned out to be a regular wicked step mother. 'Whenever her father was out to work or elsewhere, the girl would get hell from the woman. She was abused, beaten up, tortured. The man did not know about it, or perhaps he did but pretended not to know, lest he displeased his beloved new lady. Well, unable to take it anymore, the poor little girl finally committed suicide. She poisoned herself. Ever since then, the house had been haunted,' said uncle. We listened to the story in silent horror. Poor girl, I thought. How sad to hear someone so young being forced to take her own life to relieve herself of misery. I had seen such scenes in movies, and read about it in books, but it shocked me to learn that they do happen in real life.
Later that night, Zul and I saw the ghost again when we were both in bed. Something jerked us out of sleep, almost at the same time. As we woke up, we both became immediately aware of someone else's presence in the bedroom. We looked around, and there she was, at our feet, gazing at us. The words left my mouth before I knew what I was saying. 'Why are you always in such sorrow?' The ghost looked at ma, and tears seemed to well up in her eyes and slowly wet her cheeks. And instantly, she was gone. 'Did you see that? Did you see how she cried?' whispered Zul. I nodded.
The next morning, after breakfast, uncle and auntie left for the market, leaving the three of us on our own. Zul and I sat down to some books in the living room, while Ani went to her bedroom. Abruptly, the weather turned gloomy. Dark clouds quickly blocked the morning sun and successive claps of thunder split the sky as blustery winds brought a sudden, heavy downpour. Zul and I rushed from window to window, shutting them to keep the rain out. We came to Ani's room, and that was when we realized she was no longer around. We could not find her, though we did notice fresh depressions on her bed and pillow. We called out for her several times, but there was no response. 'The kitchen, maybe,' suggested Zul. 'But I didn't see her leave her room,' I replied.
We dashed to the living room. It was pretty dark, what with all the window shut. Zul switched the light on. But no light came. 'Now the lights won't work!' He sounded a little shaken. 'Ani, Ani, where are you?' he called out. Silence. There was no reply. My heart was pounding. 'Come on, Ani, don't play hide and seek with me, please!' Zul called out again. We waited for a few minutes and still there was no sign of her. 'Why don't you look for her in my dad's room? I'll see if she's in the dining room.' There was a distinct tremble in my cousin's voice. I dashed to uncle's room. The door was shut but not locked. I opened it gently, and found it empty. I went in. There was definitely no one there. I went into the bathroom and toilet. They were empty too. I lifted the bedsheet and peered under the bed, just in case Ani was hiding there. No, there was no one there either.
I went out and hurried to the dining room, expecting to find Zul searching for his sister there. I found the door shut. I tried to open it, and found it locked. 'Zul, would you open the door, please. I can't find her.' No reply from within. I shook the door as I called out again, 'Zul! Hey, where the hell are you? Come on, open the door!' Nothing moved. I tried forcing my way in, but the door would not budge. Then I heard different voices cackling from within. I was stunned. I could recognise two of them, Zul and Ani. But the third was a stranger to me. Are Zul and Ani with someone else? But who? What are they up to? I knocked on the door repeatedly. 'Zul, Ani, hurry up! Open this door, please!'
Footsteps. Someone's coming to the door. Moments later, it opened slowly and Zul's head appeared. What a shock I had. He was grinning wide, but his face was pale as a corpse's. 'Come on in, Din,' he said, pulling me inside by the arm. I was surprised by the unusually strong grip and smell like hardness of his hand. As soon as I was inside, Zul locked the door, and I found myself in a dark room. All the windows were shut, all the lights off. He drew me to the middle of the room, near one end of the dining table. I could make out two figures at the other end. 'Won't you join us, Din? We can have some fun,' came Ani's voice.
Before I could see who was beside her, Ani said, 'Din, meet Rosie, our new friend. 'She got up and led 'Rosie' by the hand to meet me. 'Rosie', who was about my age, was dressed in a blue sarong and white baju kurung. She drew closer and closer and held my hand. 'Let's play here, Din. Don't go out and leave us again, please.' The voice was deep and rough. Certainly not the voice of a young girl. And the grip! It was as hard as Zul's. So hard that her nails were digging into my flesh. Then Rosie gave out a devilish cackle. And so did Zul and Ani. Zul and Ani put their arms around me and held me tight. And they kept cackling, tearing my mind. Then the three of them put their hands on my throat. I could not breathe. I screamed at the top of my voice. I wanted to escape. But I could only feel blood spurting out of my throat and mouth. In my eyes there was only a haze. The room was turning round and round. My breathing became increasingly feeble. Everything was turning into darkness. I felt myself rising, hovering in the air, along with Zul, Ani and Rosie. And they kept cackling.
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