In a dark corner of the temple, two spooks had just woken up and were talking softly to each other....
Spook No. 1 (yawning and stretching): Ohhh - I've been hibernating for so long I feel so stiff ...
Spook No. 2: Ya, time to wake up and get busy! It's our special month, remember?
Spook No. 1: Of course I remember - the Hungry Ghost month! Do we have anything to eat?
Spook No. 2: There's lots in the hall prepared by our friendly nuns - let's go and fill our tummies!
Spook No. 1: Wait! Let's think about what we want to do first for this whole month. Hmmm ... how about some fun with that dumb cat in the temple?
Spook No. 2: Yeah, let's play a few tricks on him. What shall we do?
Spook No. 1: Lemme think...how about putting him on top of the kitchen cupboard after he's fallen asleep and let him wake up "on top of the world"? Hahaha...
Spook No. 2: OK, let's do it tonight...hee hee...
It's that time of the year when I put on my eye shades, throw my blanket over my head and go to bed early every night! The 7th month of the Chinese Lunar calendar is known as The Hungry Ghost Month and it is believed that during this time the ghosts are let loose from hell and are free to roam the earth. Well, I'm not saying all ghosts are naughty and unfriendly; I guess if we don't do anything to them, they won't do anything to us. Many of them are poor lonely old souls who have no family or friends to care for them after they slip over to the other side. The festival this year has been down sized but the nuns still prepare a variety of food to offer and keep them happy.
It had been raining and it was a rather cool night, so I settled down in my basket, wrapped myself in my blanket, chanted a few mantras and went to sleep. It was still dark when I woke up the next morning, must have been around 5 a.m. I stretched myself and cleaned up a bit. I could already hear Head Nun in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Yummy! I jumped up and yipes! I found myself flying through the air and landing on the kitchen floor with a great big thud!
Head Nun came over and said, "Vege Cat! What were you doing on top of the cupboard?"
I was on top of the cupboard? I looked up and saw indeed that my basket was balancing precariously over the edge of the cupboard. Had I been sleeping on top of the cupboard the night before? It isn't my favourite spot and I wouldn't want to sleep up there. I was puzzled but soon forgot about the incident when our meditation and prayers began.
I was ready to blame the nuns when the same thing happened for another two nights. Of course I had become more cautious and looked around me before I got up. But they all swore they were innocent. "Perhaps you had...er...visitors in the night? " whispered one of the nuns, rolling her eyes.
What she said gave me something to think about. I suddenly remembered a similar incident some time ago when I woke up in the garden when I had been sleeping in the kitchen. Well, if no human was responsible for my nightmare, then it must be some mischievous spooks. I had to catch them and mustering up all my courage, I armed myself with a stick and lay in wait for them one night behind the cupboard.
I was about to fall asleep when I heard some whispering and giggling. I saw two shadowy shapes hovering above my basket and I immediately sprang out from my hiding place and waving my stick, yelled, "Alright, you guys, enough of your bullying! Show yourselves or I shall call in an exorcist!". (Looking back, I don't know why I asked them to show themselves, what if they were hideous ghouls with bloody faces and sharp claws, but I couldn't think of anything else to yell at that moment.)
The giggling stopped and I felt a blast of cold air sweep past me, then all was quiet. I switched on the lights and of course there was no one there. I didn't think the culprits would be back, so I jumped into my basket and had a good night's sleep, feeling quite triumphant. I was confident they wouldn't dare to pester me again especially after I had mentioned the exorcist.
Meanwhile, back at the dark corner of the temple ....
Spook No. 2: Hey, do you think he's really going to call in an exorcist?
Spook No. 1: Huh! He's only bluffing! Anyway, I'm tired of playing with him. Let's do something else. How about scaring the goons passing by the temple? We'll creep up behind them, say "Boo", then watch them run for their lives!
Spook No. 2: OK, boss ...hee hee ...
Ning dropped by the temple a few days later. He had been helping Ah Hoe at the burger stall as usual but spent most evenings at the Long Tails Club. We talked about this and that, then he mentioned something which he thought was quite strange.
"Da, I was returning home after a drink at the Club a couple of nights ago. It must have been around midnight. There were still some young people walking along the road, they must be going home after a night out. They were singing, talking .... then all of a sudden, they screamed and ran like someone or something was chasing them. I didn't see anyone or anything, not even a dog, going after them. Rather strange, I thought. The same thing happened last night. Do you have any idea what's going on?"
I had no idea of course but something told me that my "visitors in the night" had something to do with it.
Om Mani Padme Hum!
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