Restless Parents (不休息的双亲)

The belief of dead souls returning to their love ones for a short visit is not the proprietary of Chinese alone. My Malay friends believe that during some special occasions, the dead would also return to their love ones after their death. However, most Malays think that only those ones who practised black magic would return to haunt the livings.

My friend Saiful told me a true story happened to his distance cousin, Ali who stayed in Batu Pahat, Johor a few years ago.

One evening, Ali’s parents told him that they wanted to travel to Muar to attend a colleague’s wedding ceremony. Ali was asked to stay alone in the house as he still need to go to school the next morning. His father assured that they would return home early the next morning. So, theoretically speaking, Ali would be able to see his parents when he woke up in the morning.

After making sure that everything was in order, Ali bid his parents goodbye and stayed in the living room to watch TV programmes. About 10pm, Ali’s mother called home to check on him and after some short conversations and his mother asked him to retire early. Added his mother that they would return home perhaps slightly past midnight, and they had brought some foods from the weeding for Ali to enjoy in the morning.

At first, Ali decided to wait for his parents in the living room but after lying in the couch for some time, he suddenly felt cold and a sense of restlessness. Such feeling made Ali retired to his bedroom as he thought that would be a better place to wait for his parents.

Not too long after Ali went into his bedroom, he heard noises of car engine entered the car porch followed by someone opening the main door. Ali figured that must be his mom and dad returning from the friend’s wedding ceremony. Without going out to investigate, Ali continued to sleep in his bed. A moment later, two figures entered his room and Ali looked at them; and they were his parents alright. They stood beside Ali’s bed for quite a long while without saying anything.

Feeling strange, Ali asked: “Mom, dad! Don’t you feel tired travelling all night? Do you want to return to your room which is more comfortable than just standing?”

His parents just shook their heads but remained there silently. Though feeling very strange, Ali gradually felt into slumber and he was awakened by a series of harsh banging on the main door.

Ali immediately jumped out from his bed and rushed to open the door. At that time, his parents were not in his room anymore. Upon opening the door, Ali saw a police officer informing that his mom and dad had died in a freak accident on their way home during the night.

Still disbelieved, Ali frantically searched his house but he could not find any traces of his parents… except some packets of foods left on the dining tables and some blood-stained footprints.