We're in the midst of the Hungry Ghost month, the time of year that I dread most. The nuns are busy chanting prayers everyday and there is a steady stream of devotees coming to the columbarium to offer prayers to their departed loved ones. At night it's quiet and that's when I put on my sleep shades and throw my blue blanket over my head! Well, so far, so good ....
Like last year, Ah Hoe had not forgotten Lao Lo and requested Head Nun for prayers to be done at his hut. She readily agreed and delegated two nuns to do the chanting. Ah Hoe also invited a few villagers to the prayers and of course, Ning and I also attended. When the prayers ended at 6 p.m., we were all tired and ready to go home. Ning, ever willing to help Ah Hoe, stayed on to clean up.
I usually enjoy my walk back from Ah Hoe's hut to the temple but since it was the H.G. month, I was a little uneasy, to say the least, so I chanted "Om Mani Padme Hum" all the way, just in case .....
I noticed the sky had darkened and a strong, cold wind was beginning to blow. It looked like it was going to rain any minute. I shivered a little and increased my pace. Then suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and I heard a voice calling my name. My first instinct was to turn round and see who it was but then something that one of the nuns had said made me stop. She said that when someone taps you on the shoulder during the H.G. month and calls your name, you should not turn round and see who it is. It could be a mischievous spook wanting to possess you!!
I felt shivers run up and down my spine and I started running! I could feel the presence of someone (or something) following me and when I reached the temple, I ran straight into the kitchen and slammed the door behind me. Phew! That was a close shave, I thought to myself. I then peeped through the kitchen window but there was nothing outside.
" Vege Cat, you look like you've seen a ghost," said Head Nun, smiling.
"Head Nun! I swear someone or something was following me all the way back from Ah Hoe's place," I gasped.
"There you go again, Vege Cat. You always get very nervous during this time of year. Relax, go and have your dinner and sleep early tonight. You must be tired."
I knew she wouldn't believe me. Perhaps she was right. I was just over re-acting. But I couldn't fall asleep for a long time and had all kinds of dreams. I saw myself running here and there and ghostly shapes chasing after me, then all of a sudden I saw Lao Lo. He was smiling gently at me, then slowly disappeared. I sat up with a start. The kitchen was in darkness except for a small lamp burning on a table. Oh no, I'm seeing things again, I said to myself and quickly buried myself under my blanket and wished it would be dawn soon.
I woke up to noisy chatter in the kitchen the next morning. A group of nuns was looking at something on TV and there were loud exclamations of OMG and Ar Mi Tuo Fuo.
"Hey, what's going on?" I asked curiously.
"A typhoon swept through the forest yesterday evening and hundreds of trees were uprooted."
"Typhoon? When did it happen?" I asked.
"Around 6 to 6.30 p.m." replied one of the nuns.
I stared at her in shock.
"Are you sure?" I gasped. She nodded and said that the Meteorological station had just confirmed the time.
Head Nun looked at me and said, "Wasn't that the time you were walking back from Ah Hoe's hut?"
I nodded dumbly. She muttered "Ar mi tuo fuo" and raised her hands in prayer.
A typhoon had swept through the forest, yet it had not touched me and I had returned home unscathed. It was unbelievable! I didn't know what to think.
Although a villager had sent news that Ah Hoe and Ning were safe and unhurt, I decided to pay them a visit. It was a horrifying walk through the forest. Dozens of broken branches were strewn all over the place and uprooted trees lay piled on top of each other. I had never seen so much damage caused by the fury of one typhoon. After a difficult journey jumping over tree trunks and fallen branches, I finally reached Ah Hoe's hut.
"Da, Da, are you ok?" cried Ning as he ran out to greet me.
"We were so worried you might have been caught in the storm," added Ah Hoe.
"I'm alright," I said. "But it's incredible that I reached the temple safely without a scratch!" I told them excitedly about what had happened when I walked back through the forest, about someone tapping my shoulder and calling my name, then my vision of Lao Lo the night before.
"Wait till you hear this, Da, this hut is right in the path of the typhoon but miraculously it wasn't blown away. Every single piece of wood is still intact," said Ah Hoe, looking puzzled.
We ruminated over the whole matter for some time trying to find possible explanations for our escape from the jaws of death.
Then Ah Hoe said quietly, "My friends, I believe Lao Lo saved our lives!"
Well, some things in life cannot be explained logically and factually. We had been praying for Lao Lo that evening and he in return had saved our lives. That was the only plausible explanation we could think of, at least for now.
Like last year, Ah Hoe had not forgotten Lao Lo and requested Head Nun for prayers to be done at his hut. She readily agreed and delegated two nuns to do the chanting. Ah Hoe also invited a few villagers to the prayers and of course, Ning and I also attended. When the prayers ended at 6 p.m., we were all tired and ready to go home. Ning, ever willing to help Ah Hoe, stayed on to clean up.
I usually enjoy my walk back from Ah Hoe's hut to the temple but since it was the H.G. month, I was a little uneasy, to say the least, so I chanted "Om Mani Padme Hum" all the way, just in case .....
I noticed the sky had darkened and a strong, cold wind was beginning to blow. It looked like it was going to rain any minute. I shivered a little and increased my pace. Then suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and I heard a voice calling my name. My first instinct was to turn round and see who it was but then something that one of the nuns had said made me stop. She said that when someone taps you on the shoulder during the H.G. month and calls your name, you should not turn round and see who it is. It could be a mischievous spook wanting to possess you!!
I felt shivers run up and down my spine and I started running! I could feel the presence of someone (or something) following me and when I reached the temple, I ran straight into the kitchen and slammed the door behind me. Phew! That was a close shave, I thought to myself. I then peeped through the kitchen window but there was nothing outside.
" Vege Cat, you look like you've seen a ghost," said Head Nun, smiling.
"Head Nun! I swear someone or something was following me all the way back from Ah Hoe's place," I gasped.
"There you go again, Vege Cat. You always get very nervous during this time of year. Relax, go and have your dinner and sleep early tonight. You must be tired."
I knew she wouldn't believe me. Perhaps she was right. I was just over re-acting. But I couldn't fall asleep for a long time and had all kinds of dreams. I saw myself running here and there and ghostly shapes chasing after me, then all of a sudden I saw Lao Lo. He was smiling gently at me, then slowly disappeared. I sat up with a start. The kitchen was in darkness except for a small lamp burning on a table. Oh no, I'm seeing things again, I said to myself and quickly buried myself under my blanket and wished it would be dawn soon.
I woke up to noisy chatter in the kitchen the next morning. A group of nuns was looking at something on TV and there were loud exclamations of OMG and Ar Mi Tuo Fuo.
"Hey, what's going on?" I asked curiously.
"A typhoon swept through the forest yesterday evening and hundreds of trees were uprooted."
"Typhoon? When did it happen?" I asked.
"Around 6 to 6.30 p.m." replied one of the nuns.
I stared at her in shock.
"Are you sure?" I gasped. She nodded and said that the Meteorological station had just confirmed the time.
Head Nun looked at me and said, "Wasn't that the time you were walking back from Ah Hoe's hut?"
I nodded dumbly. She muttered "Ar mi tuo fuo" and raised her hands in prayer.
A typhoon had swept through the forest, yet it had not touched me and I had returned home unscathed. It was unbelievable! I didn't know what to think.
Although a villager had sent news that Ah Hoe and Ning were safe and unhurt, I decided to pay them a visit. It was a horrifying walk through the forest. Dozens of broken branches were strewn all over the place and uprooted trees lay piled on top of each other. I had never seen so much damage caused by the fury of one typhoon. After a difficult journey jumping over tree trunks and fallen branches, I finally reached Ah Hoe's hut."Da, Da, are you ok?" cried Ning as he ran out to greet me.
"We were so worried you might have been caught in the storm," added Ah Hoe.
"I'm alright," I said. "But it's incredible that I reached the temple safely without a scratch!" I told them excitedly about what had happened when I walked back through the forest, about someone tapping my shoulder and calling my name, then my vision of Lao Lo the night before.
"Wait till you hear this, Da, this hut is right in the path of the typhoon but miraculously it wasn't blown away. Every single piece of wood is still intact," said Ah Hoe, looking puzzled.
We ruminated over the whole matter for some time trying to find possible explanations for our escape from the jaws of death.
Then Ah Hoe said quietly, "My friends, I believe Lao Lo saved our lives!"
Well, some things in life cannot be explained logically and factually. We had been praying for Lao Lo that evening and he in return had saved our lives. That was the only plausible explanation we could think of, at least for now.
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