Driving along the Malaysian highway, Maggie Tan was with her husband and her three month old baby as they headed towards Malacca to visit some relatives. They had originally planned to travel there during the day, but something had cropped up and her husband was delayed. By the time they set off, it was already night. On the way, they stopped at Machap, a tiny Malaysian town lying between Singapore and Malaysia. There, they grabbed a quick dinner and were soon on the way again.
'Oh dear, darling, I need to take a leak,' Maggie's husband uttered. 'See, Harry? You should have gone to the bathroom while you were in Machap,' Maggie knew her husband well. 'Try to hold it, will you?' 'What? All the way to Malacca?' 'Yeah, you did not want to to the bathroom earlier.' 'It's another hour to Malacca! I can't hold that long,' Harry replied exasperatedly. The road sign said that a resting area was coming up. There would be toilet facilities at the stop. Without second thought, Harry swerved his car into the slip road. Although it was a rest area for drivers to stop and rest, the place was totally dark. As they entered the area, Maggie saw that there was no cars stopped at that particular rest stop. She began to feel nervous. 'Let's not stop here, Harry. The place is so dark.' 'I can't hold it anymore, Maggie. Don't worry, I'll leave the headlights on, okay?'
Nearing the restrooms, the car stalled and came to an abrupt stop. Hearing the choking sounds coming from his engine, Harry hit the dashboard in frustration. 'Just when I needed it badly,' he spoke in disgust. 'Alright, you wait here. I'll be back in a few minutes. Take care of the baby.' Quickly, he switched off the engine but left the headlights on. Before Maggie could say anymore, he jumped out of the car and sprinted in the direction of the bathroom. Maggie sighed resignedly as she watched him disappear into restroom. Harry was always like that. She looked down at bundle in her arms. Her son was sleeping soundly. She had just weaned him half an hour ago. Gazing affectionately at her son, Maggie wondered whether if he would grow up to be like his father. Three minutes had passed. Maggie looked up from her son, wondering why Harry was taking so long. Her son stirred in her arms. 'Darn Harry,' Maggie thought irritably. 'He shouldn't have eaten those raw cockles. He's probably having diarrhea now.'
When Harry had not returned five minutes later, Maggie began to worry. Laying her son on the driver's seat, she leaned over ans started to flash the headlights. Getting no response, she began to punch on the honk. There was still no sign of Harry. After a while, she had lost her patience. Carrying her baby gently, Maggie got out of the car and walked towards the restrooms. The air outside the car was surprisingly cool. The restroom was just a small building, made up of two tiny cubicles. Quickly, she checked the cubicles for Harry. There was no one in them. By now, the air had turned quite chilly. Her son, lying in her arms, was moving and making noises. It did not take long for him to wail. Maggie scanned the surroundings for signs of her husband but it was too dark for her to see. Unable to find her husband, Maggie returned to the car. As she headed towards the car, she saw headlights appearing on the road and realized that a tow truck was passing by. Quickly, she ran to the car and flashed her headlights. When the tow truck got nearer enough, she punched on the car honk with all her might.
The tow truck slowed to a crawl, as it drop past them. Maggie waited for it to stop, but it did not. Instead, it continued on its crawl down the road. It only stopped five meters away from her. Exasperated, she rushed after it. However, every time she went near the truck, it moved further away. It was under a street lamp that the truck came to a full stop, a distance away from Maggie. By then, Maggie had begun to pant. As she approached the tow truck, she saw a big man alight. In his hands, he was carrying a wrench and a screwdriver. When she got closer, he raised the wrench. 'Stop where you are,' he shouted. Maggie looked at him stunned. 'No, I need your help. My husband is missing and I need to find him,' she pleaded, taking an involuntary step towards him. 'No, I said 'stop'. If you want me to help you, stop,' he said. Maggie could see that his assistant, a smaller wiry young man had alighted from the truck, carrying a long metal pole in his hands. Fear gripped her heart and she froze.
'Good,' the big man said. 'Now put down the baby and step five meters back.' 'What?' Maggie exploded. 'That's my baby!' 'If you want my help, put your baby down. I'm not going to hurt him.' Maggie looked at the man, unsure as to do. He seemed to be afraid of her. However, she knew she needed his help and placed her baby down gently. After she did, she stood up and took several steps back. As she did, he came nearer to the baby. Seeing that she had stopped, he too stopped. 'Further.' She did as told, taking more steps backwards. When she was some distance back, the big man came closer to the baby and flipped open the cover. 'The baby's real,' he confirmed. 'Now, kneel down and raised your hand over your head.' When she knelt on the floor, she felt hands touching her shoulders. 'Boss, she's real too,' the assistant called out. Hearing that, the big man looked visibly relieved. He picked up the baby gently in his big arms and walked towards her.
'Sorry about that,' he explained. 'It's for our protection.' 'What's happening?' Maggie's eye were wild. 'Don't worry, I'll explain later. Now let's find your husband.' Leaving the baby with the big man, Maggie headed back to the restrooms with the young assistant. Armed with several torches, they approached the cubicles. They scanned their surroundings but found nothing. When they weer almost there, Maggie's nostrils caught a strong scent of jasmine. 'Come, let's go,' the assistant said abruptly. 'Wait! I haven't found my husband yet,' Maggie exclaimed. 'We'll come back and look for him tomorrow,' the assistant replied. 'But now, we have to go.' His firm grip on her arm did not leave Maggie much room to argue. Almost dragging her, he took her back to the truck. When they were there, the assistant conversed with his boss in rapid Malay. At that, the big man turned to Maggie.
'Alright, we will send you to the nearby checkpoint.' 'What about my husband? What about my car?' The big man looked at her for a long while, before replying, 'the night is not good time to ask such questions. Come, I'll explain to you later.' They reached the checkpoint thirty minutes later. The big man drove the tow truck and stopped it just before the checkpoint. After he stopped the truck, he turned to Maggie seated in the back. 'My assistant saw your husband earlier,' he started. 'He saw him? Where?' Maggie did not give him a chance to finish. 'He was some distance away from the cubicles. There was a pontianak with him.' Maggie's face was pale when he finished. At that, she started to cry. The big man and his assistant looked on, not knowing what to do.
The police found Harry's body the next day. Like what the big man said, he was found some distance away from the cubicles. Although the big man and his assistant believed otherwise, the police identified that Harry Tan had been attacked by wild animals and had died from it. Maggie Tan was devastated over the death of her husband. Bringing up a baby single-handed was an uphill task, but with the support of her relatives, she overcome it.
The tow truck slowed to a crawl, as it drop past them. Maggie waited for it to stop, but it did not. Instead, it continued on its crawl down the road. It only stopped five meters away from her. Exasperated, she rushed after it. However, every time she went near the truck, it moved further away. It was under a street lamp that the truck came to a full stop, a distance away from Maggie. By then, Maggie had begun to pant. As she approached the tow truck, she saw a big man alight. In his hands, he was carrying a wrench and a screwdriver. When she got closer, he raised the wrench. 'Stop where you are,' he shouted. Maggie looked at him stunned. 'No, I need your help. My husband is missing and I need to find him,' she pleaded, taking an involuntary step towards him. 'No, I said 'stop'. If you want me to help you, stop,' he said. Maggie could see that his assistant, a smaller wiry young man had alighted from the truck, carrying a long metal pole in his hands. Fear gripped her heart and she froze.
'Good,' the big man said. 'Now put down the baby and step five meters back.' 'What?' Maggie exploded. 'That's my baby!' 'If you want my help, put your baby down. I'm not going to hurt him.' Maggie looked at the man, unsure as to do. He seemed to be afraid of her. However, she knew she needed his help and placed her baby down gently. After she did, she stood up and took several steps back. As she did, he came nearer to the baby. Seeing that she had stopped, he too stopped. 'Further.' She did as told, taking more steps backwards. When she was some distance back, the big man came closer to the baby and flipped open the cover. 'The baby's real,' he confirmed. 'Now, kneel down and raised your hand over your head.' When she knelt on the floor, she felt hands touching her shoulders. 'Boss, she's real too,' the assistant called out. Hearing that, the big man looked visibly relieved. He picked up the baby gently in his big arms and walked towards her.
'Sorry about that,' he explained. 'It's for our protection.' 'What's happening?' Maggie's eye were wild. 'Don't worry, I'll explain later. Now let's find your husband.' Leaving the baby with the big man, Maggie headed back to the restrooms with the young assistant. Armed with several torches, they approached the cubicles. They scanned their surroundings but found nothing. When they weer almost there, Maggie's nostrils caught a strong scent of jasmine. 'Come, let's go,' the assistant said abruptly. 'Wait! I haven't found my husband yet,' Maggie exclaimed. 'We'll come back and look for him tomorrow,' the assistant replied. 'But now, we have to go.' His firm grip on her arm did not leave Maggie much room to argue. Almost dragging her, he took her back to the truck. When they were there, the assistant conversed with his boss in rapid Malay. At that, the big man turned to Maggie.
'Alright, we will send you to the nearby checkpoint.' 'What about my husband? What about my car?' The big man looked at her for a long while, before replying, 'the night is not good time to ask such questions. Come, I'll explain to you later.' They reached the checkpoint thirty minutes later. The big man drove the tow truck and stopped it just before the checkpoint. After he stopped the truck, he turned to Maggie seated in the back. 'My assistant saw your husband earlier,' he started. 'He saw him? Where?' Maggie did not give him a chance to finish. 'He was some distance away from the cubicles. There was a pontianak with him.' Maggie's face was pale when he finished. At that, she started to cry. The big man and his assistant looked on, not knowing what to do.
The police found Harry's body the next day. Like what the big man said, he was found some distance away from the cubicles. Although the big man and his assistant believed otherwise, the police identified that Harry Tan had been attacked by wild animals and had died from it. Maggie Tan was devastated over the death of her husband. Bringing up a baby single-handed was an uphill task, but with the support of her relatives, she overcome it.
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