I Saw You That Night

Maureen and I were very close since we were kids. When her father's business had failed, they moved to Pulau Tioman. We kept in touch through letters, but as we grew older, the letter grew less and less. In the end, we had lost touch. I received a letter from her one day. She told me that she was now married to a man named Jeremy, and had a daughter of age ten. In her letter, she had invited me to pay her a visit. unable to get away then, I could only visit her six months later. When I arrived at Tioman, it was already nightfall. I asked the villagers for directions to my cousin's place, but all they did was to look at me suspiciously before walking away. The house was situated very far from the beach and it was a long walk there. When I reached the house, it was already very late.

I saw Maureen standing at the door. Although we had not seen each other since we were kids, I could still recognize my cousin. She had grown into a beautiful lady. I thought she looked pale and thin, but kept it to myself. Welcoming me warmly, she introduced me to her husband and daughter. They both looked pale too. Dinner was ready, and a strong aroma drifting from the kitchen reached my nostrils. As we sat down for dinner, Maureen took the opportunity to catch up about my family. Dinner was excellent, and when I asked them for the recipe, they looked at each other mysteriously and told me that it was a secret recipe. After dinner, Maureen's husband retired with her daughter. Not having seen each other for so long, we took the opportunity to catch up. She told me about her life in Pulau Tioman, how she met Jeremy and married him eventually. I also told her about my life since then.

Just before dawn, Maureen suddenly looked tired and asked to retire. As we wished each other goodnight, Maureen hugged me as if on impulse. 'You know, I'll miss you a lot and I'll always cherish the happy moments we spent together.' 'Hey, but I'm here now.' I replied, wondering at the strangeness of her statement. 'Yes, you are here now.' Smiling, she bade me goodnight. The next morning, I found myself sleeping on the ground and the house was gone. I was frightened and quickly ran to the island's police station. When I told the officer, he stared at me. 'You mean Maureen and Jeremy? The couple living up in the hill?' said the officer. I nodded. 'They were murdered a year ago,' stumbled the officer.