The Story Of Flying White Shirt (会飞的白衣)

My friend Ah Long is a loan shark who stays in a high rise apartment near Penang jetty down town. Since there area is a residential area where majority of the tenants are labourers and hawkers, Ah Long’s business is always good. People who failed to repay their debts are scared of Ah Long because he has many means to squeeze money out of his debtors. I would at time pay Ah Long a visit when he needs some consultations.

This is a story about Ah Long’s strange encounter with flying white shirt.

This year’s ghost festival is nearing the end. One midnight Ah was sitting in the living room watching ghost movies. His TV is located below the apartment main window and the main window is always opened for one reason: this eases Ah Long to see whoever walk pass his apartment especially those defaulters and potential money borrowers.

So the story goes, in the midst of the night and Ah Long was gazing at the TV aimlessly. Suddenly he saw a white shirt ‘flying’ across Ah Long’s window towards the left end of the corridor. At first, Ah Long thought it was his hallucination. But after a few minutes, the same white shirt again ‘flew’ in front of the window towards the right end of the corridor…

Although Ah Long is not a timid man, he is a superstitious one; he immediately thought that he has seen a ‘good brother’. Perhaps he has not make offerings this year due to his ‘poor’ business and gambling luck or perhaps he pissed in the street a few nights before after drinking too much in a pub down town.

The then panic Ah Long immediately turned his TV volume into burst mode and jumped into his bed and covered his body with blanket until the next day. Soon the news of Ah Long’s encounter with the flying white shirt spread all over the community.

At this time, Ah Long already bed ridden suffering fever and at times chill all over. His mother asked a few spirit mediums to perform exorcism ceremonies in Ah Long’s place and according to them Ah Long didn’t make offerings to the good brothers so they ‘show’ themselves to warn Ah Long. So Ah Long need to pay to perform a grand food offering rituals to appease the spirits and that would cost $3,600.

On hearing the cost, Ah Long’s mid immediately awakened and he gave me a call as my charge is only $100, which is more economical. So I answered Ah Long’s call and within 20 minutes, I was in front of his place with a compass. Before I opened my compass… One of Ah Long’s neighbours known as Mr. Tan saw me and pulled me aside. Mr. Tan said:

“Haiya! That was me who passed through Ah Long’s window with a piece of white shirt that night. I owed Ah Long $200 and had no money to pay him as yet. That night, I was having supper in the mamak store but I forgot to bring my wallet. So, I returned home to get some money. Unfortunately, I had to pass through Ah Long’s window as the route is shorter. In order that Ah Long would not realize that was me, I took off my white shirt in the hope to block his view…”

After listening to what Mr. Tan has said, I told him not to worry as I would pay his $200 debt with Ah Long. Mr. Tan thanked me and went into his house.

After that, I went to see Ah Long and told him that he has offended a headless white shirt sprit and needs $200 to perform the food offering ceremony. Since my offer is cheaper, Ah Long agreed.

Before I returned home, I took a detour and visited Mr. Tan to thank him for his candid confession; at the same time also to pass him $200 so that he can pay his debt. Surprising enough, Ah Long recovers after my visit. He is so grateful that he offered me a loan with special interest rate but I only declined with a smile.