This is a true ghost story happened to a very distance cousin of mine in a rubber plantation just behind the Kuala Kangsar railway station almost 30 plus years ago. That unfortunate cousin of mine is deceased a few years after that ghostly encounter for some unknown reasons.
Due to the sensitivity of this story, I would just call my late cousin as Ah Beng.
Ah Beng used to work as a rubber tapper and he worked alongside with his father in their portion of rubber plantation. Rubber tapping and processing were their family business until they sold their land fairly recently.
It was during the so-called Chinese Ghost Month again. That year, a Taoist shrine located just outside of the rubber plantation employed a group of Chinese opera performers to put up a few day's performances. Needless to say that the shows were meant to please those wandering spirits released out from the hell. That year's performing group was particularly grand because the rubber plantation just experienced some suicide cases. Local residents believed that some restless spirits were behind those incidents. So, for once people were willing to spend a lot of money to pacify those good brothers and sisters that year.
At that time, Ah Beng's house was located in the middle of the rubber plantation and it was about 45 minutes walk from his house to the shrine. Normally cycling is more preferred way as it is faster especially during the night. Motorcycles were luxury items afford by only a few rich households. The main path was then out of the question for cars then.
Although the rubber plantation was quite a safe place then but one cannot rule out of stumbling into wild animals such as wild boars and giant pythons. So plantation residents would try to get out of the rubber plantation as fast as possible for safety reasons. Further, with a few suicide cases occurred recently, no one dared to walk alone in the dark as there were rumors about people met some of those dead souls wandering about the only path connected to the outside world.
One evening after dinner, despite his mother's advise not to attend the opera performance on the first night's performance because old folks believe that the first night is meant for ghosts and people are likely to bump into one if they are unlucky; hence bringing bad luck for the whole year.
However, Ah Beng insisted of going out as he wasn't too believe in things concerning spooks...
According to my uncle, Ah Beng didn't return to the house that night. Some rubber tapper found Ah Beng with his bicycle in a bush by a small stream just off the main path early in the morning when they started their daily routine. They sent recognized Ah Beng and sent him home.
There Ah Beng laid in the bed for three days and when he finally became conscious; he became confused and somewhat disordered. Later when Ah Beng's condition stabilized, half of the time he would be perfectly normal while half of the time he would started to talk gibberish.
Once when Ah Beng was in his unusually sober state of mind, he came to my house and said: "Young cousin, I think I will not be around for long. But before I go, I want to tell you what had happened to me that night..."
Though I was a little stunned, I made him a mug of coffee and invited Ah Beng to be seated while I sat in my lazy chair. And Ah Beng started to talk:
That night after the opera show, I stayed back to help my pal who is the shrine taker to clean up his shrine. After the cleaning, we sat down to chat until way past midnight. By then the opera performers had gone to rest.
Feeling a little tired, I decided to return home to sleep.
As I was cycling through the rubber trees following that couldn't be more familiar mud path, I saw the figure of a lady in white beside me. When I got closer, I instantly recognized that the figure was Ah Moy from her familiar voice and body gestures, my ex-girlfriend who had moved to Ipoh to worked in a factory.
It was indeed a surprised as it was Ah Moy who had jilted me for a factory manager and not me. Worrying about her safety as she walking alone at night, I invited Ah Moy to ride on the back seat of my bicycle.
I know Ah Moy's house as it is not far from mine. So as I was peddling my bicycle, I started to talk: "Long time no see! When did you come back? Why are you alone walking in the dead of the night Moy?"
Ah Moy silent for a while and replied: "I will answer your questions if you promised to stay with me for all eternity. I don't want to be hurt again!"
Since I still couldn't forget Ah Moy, I immediately responded without a second thought: "Sure thing. I will accompany you even you have turned into ashes!"
So said, Ah Moy jiggled and laughed causing my bicycle to sway left and right: "Promise?"
I responded: "Scout's honor!"
Ah Moy started to say: "In fact, I have committed suicide by hanging in my house after my factory manager boyfriend jilted me... now I am lonely, I want a company..."
On hearing those most chilling words, I panicked and my bike rammed into a bush.
Now I am constantly haunted by Ah Moy's ghost. It want me to fulfill my promise..."
It was quite unfortunate that I dozed off in my chair and by the time I woke up, Ah Beng has gone.
A few day's later I visited Ah Beng in his house but he was not himself and he couldn't recognize me as his cousin. I told my uncle about Ah Beng's story though in disbelief, my uncle decided to visit Ah Moy's parents.
At Ah Moy's house, her parents greeted us and after hearing my story, they were shocked as they had just laid their daughter to rest on that morning Ah Beng purportedly saw Ah Moy.
A ghost marriage was proposed but my uncle dislike the idea.
A year later, Ah Beng was found dead beside the stream where he met with Ah Moi. Since there was no evidence of foul play, the case was closed.
I am not sure what is the sequel to Ah Beng or Ah Moy because after Ah Beng's death, I have not stayed in contact with my uncle or any of his family members.
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